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Shin Megami Tensei |OT| Choose a new Reason
- Thread starter HylianSeven
- Start date
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Found the dungeon. I'm not sure if the floors are randomly generated or what. There seems to be a boss in each floor, but if I understand correctly, you're only allowed a certain number of steps before you have to leave.
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I can take some screens. I posted this on the MegaTen Discord earlier.
https://i.imgur.com/lSiApyK.png - Actually I'm gonna be safe than sorry and say this is potentially NSFW?
I'll dump a few screens here.
Some loading screens, a shot of the main city map, some of the gatcha stuff, etc.
Some loading screens, a shot of the main city map, some of the gatcha stuff, etc.
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Oh lord no, I wish! I was just showing the gatcha screens and the rates for the 3, 4, and 5 stars.
Here's a random video from my phone. Shows live chat, home screen, your main base, teams, gatcha screen (sorry for the weird loading here), the shop, and a few other odds and ends.
There's a few things here I didn't go into as well like fusion and other skill related stuff. The game is dense with systems and everything you would expect from modern mobile games, but I'm not sure if it's actually fun...and right now the balance seems skewed towards making you pay as opposed to drip feeding you enough free currency to get you hooked.
Wow this game looks... all over the place. The aesthetic feels SMT, and yet... I don't know. Like it's a mishmash? The OST is on point, at least.
Have you played the Onmyoji mobile game? I'm currently playing it and I find it fun. Just wanted to know how it would compare as they seem similar enough with the demon (shikigami in Onmyoji) collecting and turn-based battles but without the dungeon exploration.
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Yeah the aesthetic is strange. Not being able to read anything, I honestly have a hard time telling if this game is completely pre-apocalypse or not. With the way some of the characters are dressed (the dude with the funny goggles or the girl with the mouse ears hair), it's hard to tell.
Looking more into the dungeon, it seems it's open at certain times you can go in? There's bosses in there and it seems to be some kind of raid? I went in there once and ran into Zouchouten he was wrecking my shit pretty hard first turn, then I got a "group attack" or something and it showed a bunch of players and then he took like 99,999 damage and died instantly. I feel like that was just showing the concept and not representative of usual boss difficulty.
I like that the spells are marked where I can tell what the majority of them do. There's icons on what element they are as well as if they hit one target, all targets, or random targets. Only the healing and buff spells (if they exist?) are not marked clearly, and just have a grey box. I wish the healing spells had the heart and buff spells had the icon they do in SJ/IV/IVA. I haven't encountered Makarakarn or Tetrakarn, but I'm barely above level 10 in general so I don't expect to yet if they are even in the game.
I'm still trying to understand what lets you negotiate with a demon, because I feel like I'm starting to run out of demons to keep fusing and fill up three characters slots of four demons each. There was once it just let me negotiate a Bicorn randomly after the tutorial. It had the Talk icon above it. Is there something that triggers or is it just random?
If you're talking about the Gate dungeon then yeah it's only open from certain times (1200 - 1300, 1700 - 1800, 1900 - 2000, 2200 - 2300 Japan time). I've missed the few times it's been open and haven't had a chance to dig in beyond the tutorial stuff that goes on there.
Here's a longer video I took yesterday while testing the screen recording feature. It's from the beginning of the game's story.
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I died and this was surprising to see (the grim reaper that is). There's some boss fight thing open right now next to where the dungeon is where you go through a couple of battles and then fight Fenrir. Fenrir wrecked my shit. His weakness is fire in case anyone else wants to attempt it.
This might be the point where the language barrier makes me wait till the English release. I can't figure out how to trigger more negotiations, I haven't seen anything about a compendium, and of course if I fuse my demons all off, I won't have enough to fuse for a different situation. I have Ares with Fire Dance, but he still got rekt.
How is the difficulty curve on Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse compared to vanilla IV?
I thought I had steeled myself for the difficulty of a modern Shin Megami Tensei game after making it well into the (archaic) Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei remake on SFC, but Minotaur stomped me hard and I lost interest quickly after a few attempts. I read that it was a pretty difficult fight even for seasoned players, so I'm hoping that was maybe a one-off and not repeated in Apocalypse.
I thought I had steeled myself for the difficulty of a modern Shin Megami Tensei game after making it well into the (archaic) Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei remake on SFC, but Minotaur stomped me hard and I lost interest quickly after a few attempts. I read that it was a pretty difficult fight even for seasoned players, so I'm hoping that was maybe a one-off and not repeated in Apocalypse.
The original IV pretty much becomes a joke right after Minotaur but Apocalypse is relatively easier than that the whole way through aside from a couple of endgame bosses.
And if you think it's too easy (IMO it is), hard mode is quite great and never unfair, so there's that too.
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I think Apocalypse's War difficulty hits the sweet spot in difficulty, especially when some of the situations of multiple boss fights in a row with no break in between. I played the whole game that way, and even kept it for the Compendium prices too, however those are kind of bullshit.
I thought the difficulty in Apocalypse was fine - at the point where regular encounters start to become trivial for the area you're in you'll generally come to a boss fight that keeps you more on your toes.
I ran with a magic build and the boss fights with...
... tended to set the pace nicely in terms of challenge/shift in gear.
It's more even than IV.
I ran with a magic build and the boss fights with...
Shesha
... tended to set the pace nicely in terms of challenge/shift in gear.
It's more even than IV.
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Regarding the Play Store reviews of Dx2: My guess is it's the gacha rates, and how Japanese audiences generally prefer gacha. I like the game being less reliant on it, and this sounds really dumb, but I've realized it might not be that bad that 5 star demons are that low. Since you can fuse for 4 star pretty easily, most people will be running with those. You might see the occasional lucky dude with a 5 star Mara, but generally everyone else will be running 4 stars, and 5 stars will actually feel like a rarity rather than a standard.
I'm really liking the fact that this game doesn't rely so much on gacha, although I wish I understood how to trigger opportunities to talk to demons. I also notice sometimes when they're pretty low, they'll talk and want to join you. I had that happen twice recently. There also seems to be some scroll item that lets you pass a negotiation successfully. I'm curious if you can go back to stages where you saw demons that you could talk to and try to recruit them again if you failed.
I have to say I really love the battle theme in this game.
I'm really liking the fact that this game doesn't rely so much on gacha, although I wish I understood how to trigger opportunities to talk to demons. I also notice sometimes when they're pretty low, they'll talk and want to join you. I had that happen twice recently. There also seems to be some scroll item that lets you pass a negotiation successfully. I'm curious if you can go back to stages where you saw demons that you could talk to and try to recruit them again if you failed.
I have to say I really love the battle theme in this game.
Thanks for all the information everyone! I'll grab Apocalypse then and maybe return to vanilla IV down the line if I'm jonesing for more and feel like overcoming Minotaur.
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Can anyone clue me in on why I can't do this? (Most likely people that can read Japanese).
I'm trying to fuse a Lailah, seeing the combos available, I want to use Principality + Byakko here, but the button is grey and it won't let me for some reason:
However Byakko + Hathor is fine? I have enough Mag for both...wtf game.
I'm trying to fuse a Lailah, seeing the combos available, I want to use Principality + Byakko here, but the button is grey and it won't let me for some reason:
However Byakko + Hathor is fine? I have enough Mag for both...wtf game.
Likely that one of the characters you want to use for fusing is part of your dueling team. I ran into that same issue.
If it's not that be sure that the demons you want to use aren't conflicting types.
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I had both Byakko and Hathor in my party, but I ended up going for another combination to get Lailah. I'm not sure what it was, or why they would even show the combination as possible if they were races that you couldn't fuse.
I wish there was an easy way to tell what the buff and debuff spells were. I don't think I have anything with Recarm, and I'm not even sure Recarm exists in this game. I do have demons with Dia and Media though. Lailah seems to have Media, which has been quite useful. Dunno why they couldn't just use the heart icon for healing and buff/debuff icon from SJ/IV/IVA.
Was there any reason given for not using Kazuma Kaneko's art for Strange Journey Redux? The new art is serviceable but man, I really can't get over Gore and Jimenez.
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I honestly don't know. I have a two theories on the matter.
1. SJ was originally made to appeal to a western audience. Perhaps they thought they needed an art direction change to put it in more of a middle ground. I don't know how well the original SJ sold in Japan though.
2. They thought Alex might clash with the rest of the cast, so they had to redraw everyone. I honestly doubt this one, as you could extend that argument to all the Kaneko demons, and those aren't redrawn, including Mastema and he's a central character.
They also added portraits to characters that were just sprites originally. It's not only Alex (she's the only one actually credited to an artist though, while the redesigns and minor characters are just from the "Atlus Design Team").
I'd say there's less focus on making demons look uniform, which is why they weren't an issue.
I'd say there's less focus on making demons look uniform, which is why they weren't an issue.
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That is true, I forgot Jack and Ryan actually have portraits in this one, and they look pretty good actually.
I mentioned this in the Discord a while back, but it didn't hit me until then that their names were a reference to Jack Ryan, the main character in a lot of Tom Clancy books.
Oddly enough SJ contains a lot of weird western references like that. It's entirely possible Gore's name, and the fact that the story involves an environmental hazard at the south pole kind of like the ice caps melting, is a nod to Al Gore.
Okay, killed Haniel and Echidna. I'm still law aligned it seems but hopefully I can escape that soon...
Now where to go next...
I haven't fully explored Ginza B2, Destiny land, or the upper floors of Ueno (fled those transport rooms :P). Or I guess the world map. I've also left Bishamonten et al. still standing.
I'll start looking in Ginza, I guess. IDK I took a break a while back and I don't remember any hanging dialogue clues.
Now where to go next...
I haven't fully explored Ginza B2, Destiny land, or the upper floors of Ueno (fled those transport rooms :P). Or I guess the world map. I've also left Bishamonten et al. still standing.
I'll start looking in Ginza, I guess. IDK I took a break a while back and I don't remember any hanging dialogue clues.
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Today is apparently the 14th anniversary of Nocturne's Japanese release. The MegaTen Twitter tweeted about it, and if I understand the Google translate correctly, referenced the fact that the "Featuring Dante from the Devil May Cry series" became a meme.
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I finally found uploads of some of the music from Dx2, it's quite good:
Battle theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_XH5a1rkV0
Boss theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzmmL1kSfq8
Battle theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_XH5a1rkV0
Boss theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzmmL1kSfq8
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Yeah, is the composer for Dx2 named anywhere? The music from that game is way better than I would have expected on a mobile game.
Also, I read that apparently Atlus oversees the lore for Dx2, is that true?
Also, I read that apparently Atlus oversees the lore for Dx2, is that true?
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Bayonetta?? Ohh man that explains a lot. Good pick for this game.
So...I just went back to the cathedral after killing Tokyo's guardians. Long trek through the Ginza basements. Then Lich appears, Mudos the hero to death and paralyzes the heroine. I can't use any items to revive or the computer to summon my demon with paraladi lol. Ugh. Don't want to do it all again.
Wasn't expecting a second such event (after coming back to the cathedral from having killed the guardians)! SMT 1 is really epic in scope. Personally, I think the locales and stories are most engaging through Roppongi. The game is really on point through there and just displays a very strong vision. I think it bogs down a bit with Ginza, Shinagawa, Ueno, and the Police Station. There is just less narrative to the places and the dungeons start to drag (partly because they are more obtuse, partly because they are generally easier, imo, than, say, that spirit place after the first act or the girl's mind). Ikebukuro and Destiny Land are the highlights of this part imo and the game gets back into its flow with Echidna/Haniel.
I'm in the Shinjuku Government office and killing another pair, being neutral. I've met Masakado and that sword is really really good. Just was not expecting this turn of events at all. I guess I had similar feelings when I arrived in Blasted Tokyo in SMTIV, but just really impressed by the scale of this game. It seems to hit all the SMT beats. I wonder how much I actually have left...but I think I've got to be approaching the end.
I'm in the Shinjuku Government office and killing another pair, being neutral. I've met Masakado and that sword is really really good. Just was not expecting this turn of events at all. I guess I had similar feelings when I arrived in Blasted Tokyo in SMTIV, but just really impressed by the scale of this game. It seems to hit all the SMT beats. I wonder how much I actually have left...but I think I've got to be approaching the end.
Oh wow. Just realized that I appear to be losing Macca to the Magnetite counting glitch (not sure if it is just an English patch thing).
When a demon gives me magnetite when I talk to them already having them in my group and this puts my mag total over 99999, my macca becomes 99999 and my mag becomes 0#### until it is fixed by gaining mag at the end of a battle (and I'm given 60K or so and the thing returns to 99999) but the macca counts up from 99999 so I'm repeatedly being thrown under 100k macca and losing my gains above that threshold between occurrences.
When a demon gives me magnetite when I talk to them already having them in my group and this puts my mag total over 99999, my macca becomes 99999 and my mag becomes 0#### until it is fixed by gaining mag at the end of a battle (and I'm given 60K or so and the thing returns to 99999) but the macca counts up from 99999 so I'm repeatedly being thrown under 100k macca and losing my gains above that threshold between occurrences.