Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition |OT| 2D, or not 2D, that is the question (now available on PS4/XB1/PC)

[Jobbs]

So worlds that could exist like an empty field that gets you sucked into an alternative dimension with the same background and lined up monsters standing still.

Ok you prefer random encounters, fine but that doesn't make a lot of sense.

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I don't prefer random encounters in general, but I do prefer it over DQ11

If I was designing the game, I'd make some of the monsters faster than others or have chase abilities, etc, so avoiding monsters was sometimes possible or sometimes based on skill and timing and other times not possible

In DQ11, if you hold R2, you pretty much have total control over when and what you fight.. But even if you don't hold R2 it's still possible to mostly avoid any battle you don't feel like fighting

 

[JooJ]

I don't prefer random encounters in general, but I do prefer it over DQ11

If I was designing the game, I'd make some of the monsters faster than others or have chase abilities, etc, so avoiding monsters was sometimes possible or sometimes based on skill and timing and other times not possible

In DQ11, if you hold R2, you pretty much have total control over when and what you fight

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I completely agree that would make a better experience.

Even though I prefer DQXI to random battles. Just don't have the patience anymore.

 

[NeoBob688]

I am enjoying this game much more on Switch than the previous version.

Part of the issue was that the poor music quality really pissed me off after DQ8's excellent orchestral score. I ended up getting that fixed on PC, but that was after I dropped the game for some time.

In addition this feels like a perfect handheld RPG to me. It is not a game I necessarily want to play for 10 hours nonstop and binge complete in a week, but pick up when I have time.

 

[Deleted member 32106]

I love this game. It is so comfy. and I also love animation on this game. It such a big step up from every 1st party RPG game (Yeah Xenoblade 2 and FE3H).

 

[Joltik]

Okay just a quick question, do the metal slime enemies actually show up as visible enemies or do you really have to fight some random other creatures and hope they show up? I just want to encounter the liquid metal slime to fill in the beastiary. I just got to Phonon Nohn where I just

Spoiler: Event at PH city

beat the evil murial to finally get the magic key

and was notified there were liquid metal slimes there but I didn't encounter them.

Also I just found the Slime Island, but I don't know which enemies to fight that they will most likely to appear with? I mostly the regular metal slimes hanging with the slime knights and slime drakes there. Does the time of day also affect the appearance rates?

Sorry if this has been asked already.

 

[lightning16]

I kinda think people overstate how easy this game is on Normal. It's not difficult by any means (I think I've only died on the Booga fight up to this point, half because I was blindsided by it and had no MP), but it doesn't seem much easier than most other JRPG's on their default difficulty modes. I've played Chrono Trigger, Grandia II, Skies of Arcadia, and the first two Trails in the Sky games so far this year for the first time and I don't think this game is noticeably any easier than any of those games were.

Guess I could see it if people are more specifically comparing it to previous Dragon Quest games. VII is the only other one in the series I've played so I can't speak to that much.

 

[Draconian]

Okay just a quick question, do the metal slime enemies actually show up as visible enemies or do you really have to fight some random other creatures and hope they show up? I just want to encounter the liquid metal slime to fill in the beastiary. I just got to Phonon Nohn where I just

Spoiler: Event at PH city

beat the evil murial to finally get the magic key

and was notified there were liquid metal slimes there but I didn't encounter them.

Also I just found the Slime Island, but I don't know which enemies to fight that they will most likely to appear with? I mostly the regular metal slimes hanging with the slime knights and slime drakes there. Does the time of day also affect the appearance rates?

Sorry if this has been asked already.

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Metal slimes do not show up on the overworld map. You just have to get lucky.

 

[Blade24070]

I kinda think people overstate how easy this game is on Normal. It's not difficult by any means (I think I've only died on the Booga fight up to this point, half because I was blindsided by it and had no MP), but it doesn't seem much easier than most other JRPG's on their default difficulty modes. I've played Chrono Trigger, Grandia II, Skies of Arcadia, and the first two Trails in the Sky games so far this year for the first time and I don't think this game is noticeably any easier than any of those games were.

Guess I could see it if people are more specifically comparing it to previous Dragon Quest games. VII is the only other one in the series I've played so I can't speak to that much.

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I agree. I mean, based on impressions, I was expecting to never have to use healing spells or something. And I really don't recall 9 being any "harder."

 

[Aexact]

Okay just a quick question, do the metal slime enemies actually show up as visible enemies or do you really have to fight some random other creatures and hope they show up? I just want to encounter the liquid metal slime to fill in the beastiary. I just got to Phonon Nohn where I just

Spoiler: Event at PH city

beat the evil murial to finally get the magic key

and was notified there were liquid metal slimes there but I didn't encounter them.

Also I just found the Slime Island, but I don't know which enemies to fight that they will most likely to appear with? I mostly the regular metal slimes hanging with the slime knights and slime drakes there. Does the time of day also affect the appearance rates?

Sorry if this has been asked already.

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I found one in a King Slime encounter but I had no means of killing it so it didn't show up in the defeated monster list. Tragedy.

 

[jb1234]

Songs with that much brass come across really poorly and jarring as midi

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I don't disagree. Its odd the two are so different in performance.

 

[Biske]

It's not a contradiction. The world in general feels less threatening because you can always participate (or not participate) in battle at your choosing. It's like a battle menu rather than a world. And I get that some people like that, but I prefer my game worlds to feel like actual worlds that could exist and even at times be dangerous. That's what adventure is about. DQ11 is not an adventure, it's a menu of things to do that look and sound like past games

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This is true. I love the option to skip battles in this way but its true and much of the environments are spacious enough that you can easily avoid monsters. They could make it harder, when I play Persona 3 for example a lot of the dungeons are narrow enough that monsters can chase you down so while I can still try to avoid them, I feel the danger of them "getting me".


Playing this game in 2D is a whole different experience in that I feel that constant "gotta get the hell out of here" sense of dangers when I'm navigating the world, even though it is much more condensed down.

 

[Schlauchkopf]

Just beat

Spoiler

Dora

at around level 28...I'm gonna be honest, even without Draconian Settings this wasn't all that easy. Died once too.

Also, just to make sure...

Spoiler

when I visited that mini medal school, I got the introductory cutscene and everything, the headmaster now gives me stamps but at this point there are no further story bits connected to this place, right? I did kill the bird dude that people in the school mentioned and I did get another orb but I found it weird how this part isn't really acknowledged by anone. No "We got another orb, yay!" from your party, no "Thank god you killed that bird dude!" from anyone in the school etc. Felt like I was missing something or wasn't even supposed to be there yet.

 

[MoosetheMark]

Just beat

Spoiler

Dora

at around level 28...I'm gonna be honest, even without Draconian Settings this wasn't all that easy. Died once too.

Also, just to make sure...

Spoiler

when I visited that mini medal school, I got the introductory cutscene and everything, the headmaster now gives me stamps but at this point there are no further story bits connected to this place, right? I did kill the bird dude that people in the school mentioned and I did get another orb but I found it weird how this part isn't really acknowledged by anone. No "We got another orb, yay!" from your party, no "Thank god you killed that bird dude!" from anyone in the school etc. Felt like I was missing something or wasn't even supposed to be there yet.

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Yes I found that part strange too, especially since when you talk to your party they just say

Spoiler

we should talk to that mermaid lady! Even after you've already talked to her and she told you to go to the school.

 

[dock]

I just spent about 40 mins to achieve the Wild Side Quest but I'm struggling to get pep coordinated with three characters including my hero. Any tips? It's pretty annoying.

 

[Schlauchkopf]

I just spent about 40 mins to achieve the Wild Side Quest but I'm struggling to get pep coordinated with three characters including my hero. Any tips? It's pretty annoying.

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Do you have 5 party members yet? If you do, take the relevant characters out of your active party once they're pepped up, they'll stay that way and bring them back in when the others are pepped up as well.

Alternative way: Just use that pep item from the free DLC that instantly peps up all party members.

 

[OmegaDL50]

If you read any of the literature in the library and some of the NPCs at Le Medaille Academy or whatever its called. It hints heavily towards the birds in Eerie Eyrie. In fact one such book

Spoiler

mentions of one of the Giant Birds attacking a wealthy mansion owner stealing one of the orbs.

The Queen of Nautica simply directs you in the general area of the next place to find an Orb, if you already found one at one location, revisiting the Queen, she'll just provide another hint for another location.

 

[Tatsu91]

Metal slimes do not show up on the overworld map. You just have to get lucky.

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Did they change that? they did in the ps4 version

 

[mjc]

I just spent about 40 mins to achieve the Wild Side Quest but I'm struggling to get pep coordinated with three characters including my hero. Any tips? It's pretty annoying.

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Theres an item you can find or buy called pep pop that forces pep up in combat for all characters.

 

[OmegaDL50]

Did they change that? they did in the ps4 version

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Metal Slimes never showed up in the Overworld or Dungeon environments on even the PS4 release. They were always tied to normal encounter in specific areas of the game with a low chance of appearance.

There ways of forcing them to spawn using a certain Pep Power, but they never were just wandering on the world map to trigger an encounter with. Not even on Insula Orientalis either.

 

[mjc]

Yeah its random, I've had maybe three metal slimes show up in 10ish hours.

 

[Aexact]

Theres an item you can find or buy called pep pop that forces pep up in combat for all characters.

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I haven't found any Pep Pops except the ones I got from the free DLC. By the point they find Pep Pops, they can probably manage it with controlling Pep with character lineup swapping.

 

[Apopheniac]

Is there any piece of equipment that gives Hero the blue outfit from the beginning of the game? I kinda miss it

 

[KtotheRoc]

Are there any good Tockle location write-ups? I know I'm missing three in towns.

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Doesn't seem to be one yet.

 

[THANKS]

Oh my word. The storyline in Lonalulu with Kai and the

Spoiler: Spoiler

mermaid

The game has been fairly light-hearted and then... BAM. Wow.

I need to go hug my wife right now...

 

[FSLink]

Are there any good Tockle location write-ups? I know I'm missing three in towns.

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Doesn't seem to be one yet.

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https://dq11.org/dq11_switch5.html

I've been using this + Google Translate.

I just spent about 40 mins to achieve the Wild Side Quest but I'm struggling to get pep coordinated with three characters including my hero. Any tips? It's pretty annoying.

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No quests are missable, just either move on and get lucky, or just tackle it later when you have more party members and can swap them out to keep their pep.

I really wouldn't recommend using the DLC Pep Pops since they're harder to come by and the reward for a quest that you can just tackle later easily isn't very good.

Is there any piece of equipment that gives Hero the blue outfit from the beginning of the game? I kinda miss it

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You can get it back with a late game sidequest, yes.

 

[BFIB]

Just picked this up for the Switch.

My first ever jRPG. I'm 39 years old, here we go!

 

[Dreamboum]

Oh my word. The storyline in Lonalulu with Kai and the

Spoiler: Spoiler

mermaid

The game has been fairly light-hearted and then... BAM. Wow.

I need to go hug my wife right now...

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The Dragon Quest classic

Came for the comfy experience, stayed for the harrowing tragedies

 

[Bjones]

I just spent about 40 mins to achieve the Wild Side Quest but I'm struggling to get pep coordinated with three characters including my hero. Any tips? It's pretty annoying.

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later you canbuy a certain item that will pep everyone at one time.

 

[Aexact]

https://dq11.org/dq11_switch5.html

I've been using this + Google Translate.

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Oh my god.

Thanks for this but I'm kinda realizing the downside of having all the locations and names changed in localization, heh.

 

[Xita]

Finally beat my first metal slime holy shit at the exp

 

[KtotheRoc]

Finally beat my first metal slime holy shit at the exp

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First time in a DQ game? (Is this your first DQ game?)

 

[Balphon]

I just spent about 40 mins to achieve the Wild Side Quest but I'm struggling to get pep coordinated with three characters including my hero. Any tips? It's pretty annoying.

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Hero has a skill in Luminary that immediately puts him in pepped up when used. Very useful.

Might be a little early for you to get it though.

 

[Watershed]

I'm still playing the demo and I am loving this game. I wish I could give it more time though. Astral Chain and Link's Awakening are going ignored because I am enjoying this demo so much!

 

[THANKS]

The Dragon Quest classic

Came for the comfy experience, stayed for the harrowing tragedies

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The trip to the academy afterwards was exactly the levity I needed.

 

[HeRinger]

Finally beat my first metal slime holy shit at the exp

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One of the greatest pleasures in DQ.

 

[Xita]

First time in a DQ game? (Is this your first DQ game?)

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I've played others but haven't gotten too far in them

 

[GreenMonkey]

I kinda think people overstate how easy this game is on Normal. It's not difficult by any means (I think I've only died on the Booga fight up to this point, half because I was blindsided by it and had no MP), but it doesn't seem much easier than most other JRPG's on their default difficulty modes. I've played Chrono Trigger, Grandia II, Skies of Arcadia, and the first two Trails in the Sky games so far this year for the first time and I don't think this game is noticeably any easier than any of those games were.

Guess I could see it if people are more specifically comparing it to previous Dragon Quest games. VII is the only other one in the series I've played so I can't speak to that much.

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So my playstyle is: do all the side quests and find all the treasure, then move on. I have level grinding and don't do it.

I'm a DQ veteran of sorts, having a huge nostalgia for DQ4 (I have a boxed copy). I played DQ8 via BC on the PS3, DQ7 all the way to the end boss (PS1 edition) and almost through it again on 3ds (still working on it from time to time). I have some familiarity with DQ2 via NES and GBC editions. I played through all of DQ1 a couple of years ago via emulator. I'm playing SNES DQ3 right now, since my kids playing DQ11 again made me crave some.

I died once to the almost 1-on-1 Jasper boss battle in the castle (trying to stay spoiler free). But I did have to work very hard to beat some bosses. To me that's not a bad difficulty...a tad on the easy side. If the whole game was that easy I would complain.

Similar in difficulty in my mind to FFX which was a similar experience for me back in the day...1 death.

Poat-game was a different story though. Post game is much tougher. Died plenty. Plenty of fights required reworking parties or strategy or going to find better equipment, or coming back later.

Edit: I'll add that the generally "best" regarded RPGs are not hard at all: Chrono Trigger, FF6 or FF7, etc

 

[Deleted member 40102]

I dont even play JRPGs and this might be my game of the gen. Easily top 3.

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I hate turn based rpg with a passion, but this is easily one of my top games this gen too.

 

[Apopheniac]

Spoiler: Mural

I don't know if I got lucky or if I had a good setup, but Dora was the first boss in a while I've beaten without anyone dying. Ran Hero/Sylvando/Veronica/Serena around Lv. 27 and while it took a bit of a slog, she wasn't really that threatening.

Is this Magic Key for the red locks, the silver locks, or something else?

 

[JooJ]

So I arrived in Gallopolis and couldn't help but imagine a more suitable soundtrack that's not the generic town music.

This was one of the first to come to mind:



Makes me want to make a decent playlist for towns.

 

[JordianKnot]

Man, it's crazy to me how much of a difference the DQ8 music makes. I played about 25 hours or so on the Ps4 version and the repetitive overworld music drove me absolutely bonkers. The orchestrated version honestly isnt much better. So happy the DQ8 option is there!

 

[dock]

Thanks for the pep talk, everyone! :D

Hero has a skill in Luminary that immediately puts him in pepped up when used. Very useful.

Might be a little early for you to get it though.

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Good to know! I think this quest will be easier to save until later

 

[Clay]

Tickington is fairly episodic. You can kick it off and you'll be fine, but you'll need to come back.

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Oh what, I thought Tickington was optional. Do you need to fully complete it to beat the game?

I know it's a small petty thing, but that bumping noise in 2D nose annoys me enough to put me off the mode entirely. It's hard to even talk to someone without "bumping" into them and getting that noise. I know I can't walk through people and walls, I don't need an obnoxious sound effect to constantly remind me.

 

[NovumVeritas]

Just unlocked Tickington in 2D mode. Blast from the past, really cool addition. Just reached Gallipolis. Never would have thought that replaying the game in 2D mode could be fun again after completing it with the first release.

 

[werezompire]

I kinda think people overstate how easy this game is on Normal. It's not difficult by any means (I think I've only died on the Booga fight up to this point, half because I was blindsided by it and had no MP), but it doesn't seem much easier than most other JRPG's on their default difficulty modes. I've played Chrono Trigger, Grandia II, Skies of Arcadia, and the first two Trails in the Sky games so far this year for the first time and I don't think this game is noticeably any easier than any of those games were.

Guess I could see it if people are more specifically comparing it to previous Dragon Quest games. VII is the only other one in the series I've played so I can't speak to that much.

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A lot of popular JRPGs are really easy - for example, Chrono Trigger is well known as a beginner JRPG, Grandia 1 & 2 are very easy, etc. From what I understand, DQ11 is more pronounced than most in that its difficulty scales more based on how far you've played so the beginning is incredibly easy but I believe (haven't actually tried normal mode past the first 10 hours or so) that it reaches an okay difficulty by the time you beat the game & reach the post-game. Also, DQ games used to be more challenging, but they've been lowering their difficulty for a while.

I feel like DQ11 has so much cool stuff going on with its gameplay design & balance, but you don't see it unless you use draconian mods. Conversely, I see some people try the draconian mods & think it's unbalanced because they try to brute force it rather than figure out how the game works. I think the game has fantastic gameplay if you really dig into it - on my second-playthrough and I'm still figuring out new things.

 

[Meows]

Welp. My game crashed right after the major boss fight in Gondolia lol.

 

[Deleted member 19782]

So I just finished the mermaid quest. Holy shit. I haven't been able to cry for months but this was just so close to making me do so. As a first timer of the series, I have fell in love with this game.

I had to stop playing for a little while after that quest. I hope I did the right thing. After all, the truth is important.

There's a decent grinding spot on an island north of The Strand.No save spot but there's a cabin with a bed you can sleep in to rest up.

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Anyone who's having trouble with this boss should try talking to the NPCs in Lonalulu before sailing away to fight. One gives you an item that makes the fight considerably easier.

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Bumping this for those struggling with Tentacular. Xita Feltrol

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Thanks for the help! Finally beat him. Felt so good I must say.

 

[JooJ]

I hate turn based rpg with a passion, but this is easily one of my top games this gen too.

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Just curious because DQ is the quintessential JRPG, what do you love about it that's not in other JRPGs?

 

[Aexact]

Welp. My game crashed right after the major boss fight in Gondolia lol.

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I had that too! Error black screen. All that emotional high deflated.

I'm very grateful for the modern convenience of generous autosaves. No idea what caused it so I took off all my costumes in superstition.

Put them back on in a few hours. Whatever it was, it wasn't that.

 

[Deleted member 40102]

Just curious because DQ is the quintessential JRPG, what do you love about it that's not in other JRPGs?

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Oh what I love about dq 11?
Well there is the

1- one of the most beautiful games I have seen and I'm only playing handheld.

2- Semi smart ai for leveling up without worrying too much.

3- characters have more characteristics than any other jrpg I have played.

4- high quality cut sense.

5- cool crafting system.

6- very cool monster designes.

And so much more.