Macross City, CA
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 8,763
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Etrian Odyssey

There hasn't been a thread about it since 2006 (at least a thread that spelled it correctly that I could find using the search function).

Well, the game just came out over the last weekend. Anyone else playing it?

I'm enjoying it quite a bit, especially since it's much harder than than the last, rather easy and boring RPGs I played like Oblivion, Popolocrois and such.

It's very much a "Dungeon Crawler" and feels like you're playing out of a pencil'n'paper game book when you come up to objects, enemies or events and it's detailed to you in a story telling-like manner.

I was turned off that the battles are like Earthbound in that your characters in a battle are just boxes and your enemies are basically pictures, but the clean interface/menus, good sounds/music, and the game's tendency to force you to strategize and to learn your Party's limits have really distracted me from that one little thing and pulled me into the game. Now I play it for hours and feel attached to the parties that I've created.

I love finding event areas and wondering, should I drink the water? Should I stick my hand in the bush? Should I take and eat the fruit from the tree? Your choices could help you or dig your grave.

If you're unfamiliar with the game I'm talking about, you can check out the official site here. The official site was pretty well done. I went there to get some good ideas for starting parties (they have a nice submitted Party ideas section as well as a Director's Diary with some handy notes) and some basic info.

Elk Grove, CA
Join Date: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,357
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I'm playin it; the game is AWESOME, and challenging in a good way (I don't feel like I'm being slapped around by cheating AI or anything). I'm only on the third floor, but I love it. The mapping feature is very cool.

Personally I like the way the battle is set up, it's like Phantasy Star to me (the first one) and the way you move through dungeons...also similar. This is a game for the old skool crowd for sure.

And similar to your feeling of it being like an old pen and paper RPG, it feels like a Rogue-Like to me which is also kinda cool.

Macross City, CA
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 8,763
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Man, I must be a masochist. Every time I get to a new floor, I get my ass handed to me, but never quit, just restart from town, head out to hunt and when I feel ready again, I go to get owned again until I finally surpass the boss or F.O.E. that had been raping me sideways.

I can't put it down. Must... defeat... F.O.E...

Elk Grove, CA
Join Date: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,357
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Hehe, I still haven't found a quick way to return to the floor you wish, I hate walking down each floor (especially when you want to get one lower than you probably should be...and the monsters on the floor above it just drain your skills and hp too quick). But yeah, I'm the same way, it's addicting. I love gettin my ass kicked...must be my gaming spirit's thirst for all those candy ass j-rpg's I've played where dying is impossible.

Silent Hill
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 6,116
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You guys still playing this?

I haven't even killed the first FOE yet (oh, but I tried), and I really digging the game. The grind isn't bad at all, really, and kinda addictive.

I was kinda disappointed you don't have more control over character creation and stats, but it really doesn't make much differance. It takes 5-10 minutes to put a good party together, I'm sure that's better than taking hours like the old dungeon crawlers.

Any starter tips?

I'm going with a pretty basic party of The Warrior, Paladin and Dark Knight in the front, and Wizard and Cleric in the back (or the equivalents).

I've been upgrading Shield for the Paladin hoping to get some cool new skills, but it's not getting me anywhere. I've been building Fire and the fire spells on my Wizard and he's doing 80+ damage (think my party is level 6 or 7), so I think I'm going in a good direction there.

Are the other classes (the ranger and bard equivalents, and the two you have to unlock) worth using?

Also, what's the best way to make money?

Macross City, CA
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 8,763
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My line is:
Front: Landsneckt, Crusader
Back: Alchemist, Healer, Troubadour

I like the troubadour, mainly for F.O.E.s and Bosses. I like to use him to endow my front row with fire element and weaken the fire resistance of the enemy.

For your Crusader, keep bumping your Defense and Shield skills every level. Mainly your Defense first.

As for the Landsneckt, get Axes and Swords to Level 5 each and you'll unlock the 2-hit skill which is a passive skill that gives you a chance to hit twice with your regular attack. Very awesome.

Dark Hunter I found rather useless. You could try it though. Whips are cool.

The first boss was easy, it's just that freaking F.O.E.s will keep jumping into the boss fight, adding to the annoyance.

Silent Hill
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 6,116
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Thanks for the advice.

Any money making tips?

I'm finding money to be extremely tight, I've had to grind just to get enough cash to resurrect my party after I killed the first FOE.

Macross City, CA
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 8,763
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In the first area of the forest, check the wall of trees in the little square area that you start in, you might find a nice surprise...

Also, you should have at least 1 Survivalist with nothing, but the Chop skill as high as you can get it. First you'll find areas to chop in. Sell pretty much everything you get from chopping. Later you'll find places to mine and even later you'll find places to gather.

Silent Hill
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 6,116
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Thanks for the tip. I probably never would have found that short cut.

Switched up my party to a Landsneckt and Dark Hunter up front, with an Alchemist, Troubadour and Healer in the back (pretty much the same as yours).

Elk Grove, CA
Join Date: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,357
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This thread got more posts! WoW

Front Line: is Protector, Landsneckt
Back Line:Alchemist, Survivalist, Medic

I created a bunch of other characters but haven't used them yet. Still not that deep (not passed the first area yet) like floor 4 I think. Been a while, but I do play a bit now and then. Part of the reason I haven't played much deeper is that it takes so long just to get back to the floor I want to be on. I hate that you can't just warp right to the floor (and if you can I haven't figured out how).

Still love the game though. Money is always a bish. Make a team of Survivalist/Healers (they both seem to have "chop" readily available) and go down and chop your heart out in the first level. Good way to make money quick. And the team can survive on that floor w/o fail.

I think about playing it every time I feel like playing DS, but that's been less and less recently thanks to a couple games on my PC and less desire to play games while I'm out of the house because of those.

Macross City, CA
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 8,763
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Once you get past the first boss, you'll be able to get to the next Stratum and be able to start at floor 5 in the first stratum. So you can go backwards.

Elk Grove, CA
Join Date: Nov 2001
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Well that's good, may give me a little more incentive to push on. I know it's only 5 floors but I am level 10 or so, and still have trouble on the 3rd floor. So by the time I get to the 4th it's time to escape.

Macross City, CA
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 8,763
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On the 4th Floor, push on a little farther, and be careful to avoid the first two F.O.E.s in the square rooms. You can just walk directly to the door to get past the first and the second, you can trick into walking towards, you, then walk around him (he can only go in back and forward, but you can go in 4 directions).

They are seriously unbeatable at the time you run into them.

I say push on and explore more of the south part of the 4th floor. You'll find a couple of people somewhere in the southern part that will help you so that you won't need to go back to town so often.