Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.

[NotMiki]

Re: Phantom Brave. I think this is the first time I've seen a DL member who had any distaste for PB. PB's probably my least favorite N1 game (I like it, but it's not my favorite for those same reasons), so I've always been a little confused by the reaction the DL has for it.

I figured it out, by the way.  You know what Phantom Brave is?  It's Little Lord Fauntleroy, but replace 'rich' with 'special' and hold the blue satin suit.

[Clear Tranquil]

Eternal Sonata - Reached the tenth floor of the optional dungeon, I have no idea how I've managed to get this far in this maze like place but where the freak is Salsa's weapon  =D I have pretty much everyone else's upgraded ultimates but not Salsa's =-(

SO4 has a creepy doll like loli,  elf like, a cat girl, emo badass, jugs, cyber man , girls with glasses ... just about every form of fanservice ...  all advertised before the game came out, did anybody expect it not to fail? ;P As always I care more about gameplay worth/character battle prowess more than anything else when it comes to this type of game.

[Hunter Sopko]

P4- Done with Heaven. Maxed pretty much all the social links. Not touching Empress. Up to 12/2, right after the final exams. Gonna go for the True Ending!

[Shale]

MMXCM: Dr. Psyche was a pain in the ass. Partially because I forgot he had a second form and didn't conserve subtank energy for it, but mostly because said second form kept dodging at the worst possible times, i.e. when I used 100WE Action Triggers. Bah.

After that I ran through the dungeon again to power up Cinnamon (who shall hereinafter be known as Robo-Mint - she's even got the hat) and get treasure I missed, and managed to steal a Gatling Buster, which combos very well with Hawkeye. So that's neat.

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

P4- Done with Heaven. Maxed pretty much all the social links. Not touching Empress. Up to 12/2, right after the final exams. Gonna go for the True Ending!

For Empress, there's a FAQ that gives you all the necessary steps for the fusions she requires. You can do the entire link in a single day if you're so inclined. It's not too bad an idea, since Empress gives you good personas.

[074]

SN: Stomped the shit out of that fight with a Seraphim off of Los Banditos.  Destroyed the next fight too, when I think of it.

Gained Layna and regained Endorph.  Now is probably a good time to redistribute my troops as a whole...

Also: Schemestresses are too awesome for words.  Or is that just me?

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

Schemestresses are actually sorta awful. Terrible accuracy and they just deal cHP damage. If you're getting use out of them, though, more power for you. I found more practical to use less gimmicky classes.

[Sierra]

VP2: Picked up an unfinished file from last year, going through the Seraphic Gate. Gungnir acquired, game weeps. About to fight Freya now.

Someone remind me what the trick is for getting to the top of the Great Spear Dinosaur room?

[074]

Schemestresses are actually sorta awful. Terrible accuracy and they just deal cHP damage. If you're getting use out of them, though, more power for you. I found more practical to use less gimmicky classes.

Timeslip is the big reason why they're good.  AKA: SRW Counter.  Only for squads.  It's been a big help at times, though, that's for certain.

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

VP2 - urgh valkyries you suck in comparison to the archers before the sg.

[Tonfa]

Schemestresses are actually sorta awful. Terrible accuracy and they just deal cHP damage. If you're getting use out of them, though, more power for you. I found more practical to use less gimmicky classes.

Timeslip is the big reason why they're good.  AKA: SRW Counter.  Only for squads.  It's been a big help at times, though, that's for certain.

The cHP damage (HP halving to be specific) is back row only. In middle row they have an effective row-effect stop for the duration of the combat, which can wreck certain dangerous enemies. And they actually have the highest straight-up INT damage in the game from the front ro-*gets OHKOed*. But yeah, they are rather tricky to use well. A bizarre set of attack matches, too.

EDIT: Well, they're the ONLY class with an INT attack from the front row. Still of dubious use on anything but suicide squads.

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

TANK SCHEMESTRESS SQUAD AW YEAH

[Pyro]

Alternatively just stick them in that Intitiative Triple-turn room for even more brutal overkill?

[Tonfa]

Yes, because you're getting three actions with a Schemestress melee squad.

[Pyro]

Oh yeah counters. I was just hyping that because I did it with Pyre mage squads. Terror Blaze hype and all that.

[Bardiche]

Everyone knows the only squad worth using is a 9-man Soldier squad.

[Tonfa]

VICTORY DIIIIIIIIIIIIVE

Oh yeah I guess I play things too

FF7: Yep, that playthrough. I always tend to get discouraged by not feeling like putting together the best strategy. Then I come back into the game, half-ass the setup and it's easy anyway. FF7 difficulty!

[Cotigo]

VP2 - urgh valkyries you suck in comparison to the archers before the sg.

Be less overlevelled?

[Bardiche]

VP2: Forgot the Poem in Dipan. Guess I won't be getting tri-Emblem this playthrough. I'd be more crushed if I actually cared for the trinket, but I dunno, I'll just get the three special weapons to compensate or something. Fairly convinced I'll be able to beat the game without the tri-Emblem anyway.

DQ3: Raging so hard at the thief still. Fucker just got the highest Int stat among my party, and that's kind of pathetic. What's more pathetic is that Bard the Knight is being OUTCLASSED IN HP, STRENGTH AND VITALITY by the Thief, to say nothing of the Agi stat and... yeah, I should ditch that knight or just get a more reasonable thief.

[hinode]

Bear in mind that Int has no effect on how your spells work whatsoever. It only influences MP growth.

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

VP2 - urgh valkyries you suck in comparison to the archers before the sg.

Be less overlevelled?

The valkyries start underskilled, mainly, and besides Silmeria (lol), they can't take advantage of Stone Hurler Wrath. They look a lot less impressive in comparison to a party that has been enjoying the 200% power boost from it for the entire game when they all have weapons of comparable powers and have their skills built up. Levels have little to nothing to do with that, they were in the same level range.

[superaielman]

I'll second that, Hrist had decent weapons but neither Lenneth nor Silmeria were worth using at all.

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

I'll second that, Hrist had decent weapons but neither Lenneth nor Silmeria were worth using at all.

The bigger issue is that Silmeria never becomes worth using. Lenneth at least surpasses Alicia in the Seraphic Gate (actually has an argument over Alicia in the maingame too, better spellset, although the offense skillset is notably worse at endgame levels. Glance Reviver probably has more uses in Alicia's hands in the endgame, regardless), and we all know what Hrist does to the SG with Gungnir. Silmeria, though? Nope, forever outdone by Rufus, and archers in general sorta get the shaft in the Seraphic Gate anyway.

[Dark Holy Elf]

Lenneth's maingame weapon was better than Hrist's...

Found the non-Silmeria valkyries very effective first playthrough, but maybe I didn't have the best party? I never found an adequate replacement after losing Dylan, and Lenneth upgrades on Alicia pretty nicely (better stats + more spells, [edit] though yeah, less damage). Still, given the skill problem fixes itself in like 3 battles (against godawful scrubs at that) I found the first three C6 recruits to kick ass generally.

Granted, Stone Hurler Wrath + elemental twinking is sick so Snow's reaction at least makes sense.

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

Lenneth's maingame weapon was better than Hrist's...

Found the non-Silmeria valkyries very effective first playthrough, but maybe I didn't have the best party? I never found an adequate replacement after losing Dylan, and Lenneth upgrades on Alicia pretty nicely (better stats + more spells, [edit] though yeah, less damage). Still, given the skill problem fixes itself in like 3 battles (against godawful scrubs at that) I found the first three C6 recruits to kick ass generally.

Granted, Stone Hurler Wrath + elemental twinking is sick so Snow's reaction at least makes sense.

I had the same reaction you did in the first playthrough, actually. It's just sorta shocking to see the stark contrast this time around. Also a testament to how fucking sick VP2 archers are in the maingame, really. I just didn't really fully tap into their brokenness until now.