Xenoblade Chronicles - Wii

[Alan Stock]

Half way? Woop! Much bigger than I was hoping

Thanks a lot for the pointers. I'd basically got to where I am, and was aware I'd barely explored the previous two areas, so felt like I should go back and do them thoughourly. Of course with the first few areas of the game, I keep popping back to do a bunch of quests, but then your affinity in the area increases and more quests become available, so I've deliberately not been doing too many of them (I'm like level 2 or 3 affinity in the Colonies). It's a great gameplay system but again adds a bit of confusion for a difficulty-regulating player like me. It's funny, normally in JRPGs I charge through, skipping combats and skipping exploring boring areas to advance the story, and then I'm forced to go back and level up so I can progress past bosses. But in this game the side quest stuff is so compelling that you feel a bit worried you're spending too long on that and overpowering yourself for the story stuff!

I just want to give major props to a number of things in the game:

- Voice acting: spot on, took the bar that FFXII set and kept it up there. Apart from *that* really annoying character.

- Script and storyline: the story starts off well but gets a bit tedious around where I am. But what I do love is that there's none of this mollycoddling of the player about the background of the world, not many cheesy one-liners and the characters interact and behave in a far more convincing way than most RPG's I've played. The banter between the characters is great and some of the script genuinely funny (mid game spoiler:

the Nopon village especially has loads of character speech that made me laugh out loud)

. Unlike Square RPGS the emotions of characters aren't horribly overegged and constantly talked about, instead they just get on with it and the facial expressions and character actions tell you how they're feeling.

- Saving/Loading: Saving anywhere... thank you!!!! Load times are amazing for the size of the world and combined with the fast travel and time skip, finally you've got an RPG where you don't dread backtracking for a quest.

- Drip feed depth: the game keeps chucking new mechanics into the combat and the overworld which keeps things fresh, and adds more strategy to the game. Just when you've mastered one aspect of it, there's something new to get to grasps with.

- Interaction: The collectables and the fact you can complete quests in advance make a massive difference to how entertaining it is to travel and explore the world. Although in the recent areas they're a bit too big and labourious, on the whole there's always something to see, attack or pick up as you're running around. So much better than World of Warcraft "point and hold up" movement. Also it's cool that you can add Quick Step gems to increase running speed (do this on your main character and you'll zip around!).

- Combat: Finally RPG combat where you're actually *doing* something most of the time! There's always an Art to use, a movement to make, a button to press. For once, it's combat that is engaging to play, not just watch. It took the best bits of FFXII and FFXIII and improved them.

They've pretty much taken every aspect of a modern JPRG/MMO and made it streamlined and fun. Major props to Monolith Soft.

[Alan Stock]

And now for a little rant, although the mini map is pretty decent, anyone else wish you could enlarge it, and most of all, show the little red quest icons on it all the time! It's so annoying to have to wander around for ages trying to find the dude you need to speak to for a quest, when they only show up on the map at close range. One place in particular (mid-game) is terrible for it:

Nopon village... navigating that place to find the person you want is such a nightmare!

[Nespresso]

Is it necessary to grind at all? I'm now at the part where I need to return to the lab because there's falling debris. There are so many distractions though (read: things to kill/collect).

[Alan Stock]

No, just by doing side quests you'll be fine. Plus, if you do get killed by a story mission you can always pop off, do some side quests or exploring, kill some mobs and level up enough that way. So far I've only once needed to go off and level up, and ended up doing so many quests that I easily killed the boss!

[Davros sock drawer]

I've perhaps been a bit whinge-y about the game so far. I didn't mean to be, I have been enjoying it, but not perhaps feeling the love.

Just got to Guar plain.

I am now feeling the love.

[FinalityJack]

- Voice acting: spot on, took the bar that FFXII set and kept it up there. Apart from *that* really annoying character.

I believe that character has just joined my party and I already hate them. I can tell already that they'll get on my tits.

Anyway, add me onto the general love in for this game, I really can't be arsed to go to work as it gives me only a couple of hours in the evening to properly explore. The environments, the music, some of the monster designs, the massive monsters that you retreat from knowing that you're going to come back to, the combat system.

Just

[Talk Show Host]

I believe that character has just joined my party and I already hate them. I can tell already that they'll get on my tits.

Anyway, add me onto the general love in for this game, I really can't be arsed to go to work as it gives me only a couple of hours in the evening to properly explore. The environments, the music, some of the monster designs, the massive monsters that you retreat from knowing that you're going to come back to, the combat system.

Just

They won't. This is one of the few (along with Persona titles imo) JRPGs that characters don't do that.

[Ste Pickford]

After ages spent wandering around looking for quest givers to finish off quests (especially in

Frontier Village

), I finally noticed something last night: on the page that describes each quest in detail, there's a bit on the left which names the nearest Landmark to the quest giver, which makes finding them miles easier.

I wish I'd noticed this before I spent all that time wandering around Colony 9 looking for people!

I also wish there was a way to list people in the affinity chart by name. I'm spending ages scrolling around trying to find named people on there, just to work out what time of day they are around.

Speaking of quests, I got a quest last night in the location spoilered above, and it required me to switch characters to someone with mechanical knowledge before giving me the quest. Anyway, the dialogue mentioned two mechanical parts he needs, and where to find them, but I skipped past it without paying too much attention. Then I looked on the quest page it just says "find the two parts" or something like that, with no clue what or where they are. Can anyone remember the quest I'm talking about, and give me a clue?

[Mr.Jeff]

If it's the quest I'm thinking of, it'll be the "I need materials for a mixer" quest.

The items for that can be collected from Mechon on the Bionis' Leg, specifically on the road which leads to the upper level.

For specific names(nicked from gamefaqs):

2x Generic Shaft from Mechon M64 on Maguel Road

2x Generic Blade from Mechon M53X on Maguel Road

[Barny]

I'm jealous of all of you. It better be here for the weekend

[Ste Pickford]

Cheers Mr.Jeff - that's the one!

[Davros sock drawer]

My missus thankfully loves watching me play this, and hums along to the music. We've been busy at weekends recently, but we've just agreed to have a sofa weekend "playing that nice game". Score!

[Barny]

My missus thankfully loves watching me play this, and hums along to the music. We've been busy at weekends recently, but we've just agreed to have a sofa weekend "playing that nice game". Score!

Bitchez need to lern to respect gamez!!!

[Ste Pickford]

My missus thankfully loves watching me play this, and hums along to the music. We've been busy at weekends recently, but we've just agreed to have a sofa weekend "playing that nice game". Score!

Not fair!

My missus saw it and just said, "oh, it's one of *those* games," and I've been banished to the basement to play it on my own while everyone else watches telly.

[Barny]

.....to the basement to play it on my own while everyone else watches telly.

But.. Isn't that what every gamer with a family dreams of?

[Talk Show Host]

Not fair!

My missus saw it and just said, "oh, it's one of *those* games," and I've been banished to the basement to play it on my own while everyone else watches telly.

It's their loss.

[daveodeth]

Is that a dolphin shot?

[Talk Show Host]

Is that a dolphin shot?

Probably. I just picked it up from google and there was the neogaf logo in the background.

[Mr.Jeff]

I've stood in that spot a number of times, looking out on that exact same view and it never fails to impress.

Also, I note you're keeping one of your party members classily dressed.

[Talk Show Host]

I've stood in that spot a number of times, looking out on that exact same view and it never fails to impress.

Also, I note you're keeping one of your party members classily dressed.

Hey, that's not mine!

My Charla (it's Fiora) is properly dressed.

[Mr.Jeff]

I hope I'm not the only one who deliberately picks out armour that doesn't look ridiculous for their characters even if it's at the cost of slightly better stats.

Except Rayn. He always gets the silliest armor. He's currently wearing a helmet with bat wings and a face on the back of it.

[Talk Show Host]

I hope I'm not the only one who deliberately picks out armour that doesn't look ridiculous for their characters even if it's at the cost of slightly better stats.

Except Rayn. He always gets the silliest armor. He's currently wearing a helmet with bat wings and a face on the back of it.

I certainly don't do that!

of course I do!

[revlob]

My Charla (it's Fiora) is properly dressed.

There are outfits for Sharla which you'd classify as "proper"?

[Barny]

Dat ass, woot!

Mine arrived today! Well, Mr. Postman wanted to deliver it while I was at work. But I can pick it up tomorrow at the post office. Oh the joy!

[Talk Show Host]

There are outfits for Sharla which you'd classify as "proper"?

I have a top that's amazon like and makes the bottoms look less slutty.

Still not enough though.

[Mr.Jeff]

It breaks the seriousness of the storyline with some of the outfits in places. For example, for the 2nd female party member:

During her very serious ceremony, her optimum gear ended up being her in a swimsuit. To make a pun of it, it's wasn't so much a case of gravitas as it was gravit-dat-ass.*

*Sorry

Only a minor thing and you can generally find something acceptable to strut around in.

[Nate Dogg III]

I love the fact that different kit actually changes your appearance. Last night I got to the Xord battle in the Ether mines, and got royally humped by him the first time. You respawn up a slope, but can see him at the bottom of it, and he can see you. Before I ran down there for another go I realised I'd forgotten to level up my arts in ages, so did that, then changed everyone's equipment to give them the best possible protection. When I was done they were all in these medieval-looking suits of armor, pretty much.

As I started heading down the slope for round two I suddenly saw it from Xord's perspective - that he'd absolutely battered this bunch of humans and they'd retreated, stuck on breastplates and big boots and, in Sharla's case, a silly green cap, then gone jogging back down the hill towards him like it weren't no thang. I actually had to pop the pad down for a second because I was giggling like a twat.

Still won though.

[Kayin Amoh]

It's their loss.

Tell me more about dolphin emulation. That's way, way better than the game looks even through component on my TV.

[Davros sock drawer]

I was considering taking the Wii upstairs as we have a CRT in the bedroom, but after a bit of tinkering it actually looks pretty good on my LCD over component. You get used to it enough to enjoy the views anyway.

[Nespresso]

Just got the controller and the game plays so much better now.

Can someone explain Affinity to me?

As far as I know you earn Affinity through means of battle and heart-to-hearts. Affinity is then used in battle to enhance the co-operation between characters to increase their battle efficiency (like a combo of Chain Links)?