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Etrian Odyssey 3 - Now includes ships, robots and old people
Pureauthor
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Welcome to the Etrian Odyssey thread, where most of this thread will probably be taken up with discussion of the newest game in the series: Etrian Odyssey 3, but of course if you have any enquiries or questions about the older games we’ll be more than happy to entertain them.
So what’s this game, then?
If you’ve never heard of the sublime greatness of Etrian Odyssey, then I suppose I shall have to educate you on its wonders.
Etrian Odyssey is a game where badasses like this:
And this:
get their shit absolutely ruined by things like this:
And this:
You are an explorer. A novice one, and there’s a huge labyrinth that no one has ever conquered before. Your job is to traverse the Labyrinth, bringing death to countless critters and monsters on the way, until everyone hails you as the greatest thing since swiss cheese and all that rot.
Along that path, you are going to die. A lot.
So this is like one of them Jay Arr Pee Jee things, is it?
Well, it’s more of a dungeon crawler really. It’s like an RPG, except there’s very little story and you draw your own maps to get through the dungeons and-
Wait, wait, what was that about drawing our own maps?
Well, yes. It’s a Labyrinth. The layout is confusing as all get. You don’t want to get lost there and run out of supplies, do you? Use your stylus to draw floors and walls and to put icons to mark things of note you discover there. But be careful, you don’t want to mark your map wrongly and spend hours wondering why there don’t seem to be any exits to the place you found.
That would be a very bad thing. A very bad thing indeed…
Huh. So, who are my party members?
Glad you asked. Since the focus in on Etrian Odyssey 3, let’s discuss the all-new classes specific to that game! Ready? Here we go.
These are Princes and Princesses. They are, without doubt, the single best class in the entire game. They can heal you at absolutely no TP cost in the middle of a fight, at the end of a fight and while walking. That’s a lot of healing. And they can buff you with all sorts of useful stuff like increased attack and increased defence and immunity to status ailments. Yes, you read that right – immunity to status ailments. Holy cow. They can also equip the heaviest armours in the game and they use swords. Sword users are awesome – play any jRPG or watch any anime and you’d know this.
Point is, you need to get yourself a Prince (or Princess).
These are Hoplites. Hoplites are, without doubt, the single best class in the entire game. You know what they have? Survivability. These guys can take a mouthful of teeth to the face and get right back up and kick the thing that bit them right in the junk with a steel-toed boot. Only they don’t even need to do that, because they have spears to stab the shit right out of anything that looks at them funny. And they equip shields too, just to add that extra bit of ‘Fuck you, I’m immortal’ to the mix.
Point is, you need to get yourself a Hoplite.
These are Gladiators. Gladiators are, without doubt, the single best class in the entire game. While others have fancy shmancy skills like switching rows while attacking and recovering TP when your allies die and heck I don’t even know, you know what kind of skills Gladiators have? Hitting things. In the FACE. You need something killed? Gladiators will do it for you by bashing their skulls in, no questions asked. They equip maces, which is pretty much the manliest weapon ever, and also swords, because swords can cut things up really good.
Point is, you need to get yourself a Gladiator.
These are Buccaneers. Buccaneers are, without doubt, the single best class in the entire game. They can equip both Rapiers and Guns. Both. Rapiers. And. Guns. I mean, dude, that’s like illegal in seventeen states but these guys do not give a rat’s patootie because they’re too busy waiting for their teammates to hit the enemy first so they can charge in right behind them and smack the enemy themselves before it even knows what the heck is going on. They can fight from the front line and the back line and can fit into almost any party setup without even trying.
Point is, you need to get yourself a Buccaneer.
These are Ninjas. Ninjas are, without doubt, the single best class in the entire game. They have knives which are short range weapons and are fragile as dandelions, which doesn’t look good at first. But then you realize they have skills that allow them to attack from the back row without penalty and skills that send their evasion through the roof and skills that allow them to make copies of themselves to distract the enemy with while their pingponging off the walls to stab the enemy in the eye. Also they have a skill that reduces their TP cost to almost nothing, so they can keep on doing these other skills almost indefinitely.
Point is, you need to get yourself a Ninja.
These are monks. Monks are, without doubt, the single best class in the entire game. Other classes have to use weapons to fight effectively. How does the Monk roll? Bare hands, baby! They don’t need no weapon when they can walk right up and punch anything that wants to fight them right on the nose. This means you don’t need to waste lots of cash on trying to keep up with the latest weapon, and they can just keep on fighting. Also, they can heal you with their mystical body energy flow stuff that I don’t understand. So basically Monks can kill things and heal things. What more do you want from a class?
Point is, you need to get yourself a Monk.
These are Zodiacs. Zodiacs are, without doubt, the single best class in the entire game. While everyone else has to run right up to the enemy and smack them in the face, Zodiacs play it cool by hanging in the back and just chucking magic at the enemy. Fire, Ice and Lightning – you can’t go wrong with the basics, but if for whatever reason you just want more pizazz, the Zodiac can also summon meteors to drop onto the enemy’s heads too. Also they have a skill that lets everyone else not have to spend TP; how awesome is that?
Point is, you need to get yourself a Zodiac.
These are Wildlings. Wildlings are, without doubt, the single best class in the entire game. Why? They can summon beasts to beat the shit out of the enemies for them while they hang cosy at the back row. And that’s not even the best part. The best part is that these beasts can inflict all those same status ailments that they normally hit you with like Poison, Plague, Binds, and even Curse, so they’re even more screwed than normal.
Point is, you need to get yourself a Wildling.
These are Arbalists. Arbalists are, without doubt, the single best class in the entire game. Look at the size of those bows. Look at it. That’s how you know these guys aren’t fooling around. Another way is their awesome skill, which basically makes them stronger when they’re facing a powerful opponent. How does that even work – that probably breaks a few laws of physics, but these guys just don’t care – they just fire arrows… and mortars… and flash grenades into the enemy mobs until they stop moving.
Point is, you need to get yourself an Arbalist.
These are Farmers. Farmers are, without doubt, the single best class in the entire game. Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that Farmers can’t be that good at combat. And what do you know, you’re right. But they have other stuff – like being able to return to the safety of town instantly. And the ability to gather crops. And the ability to boost the experience of the others. And the ability to prevent random encounters from happening.
Point is, you need to get yourself a Farmer.
*~*
Now you’re probably looking at this list of choices and wondering to yourself how you can possibly choose between all these excellent classes. Well, hold on to your hats, because we have two more unlockable classes coming your way!
This is a Shogun. Shoguns are, without doubt, the single best class in the entire game. Why? Look at the picture. She’s holding two swords. Yes. Two. That means she kills things twice as fast as anything else. It is simple mathematics. Also she’s wearing badass Japanese armour despite Japan not existing in this world which just makes it all the more badass.
Point is, you need to get yourself a Shogun.
*~*
There’s also another class called the Yggdroid. Yggdroids are, without doubt, the single worst class in the entire game. They suck so much that I’m not even going to bother providing artwork for them.
What's that? You wanna know why they suck so much? Okay, I'll tell you.
Their first 'main' build involves summoning Bots to do elemental damage. You summon three of these, and you get to use some super powerful energy cannon or whatevs. Problem is, each Bot takes up a summoning slot. Which means you either have a party of three (and no Wildlings or Ninjas either) or you can kiss your super Bot spam goodbye.
The other main build centres around the HP Cannon, which does damage based on the difference between current HP and max HP. And I know you guys are thinking about EO2's Revenge, but this is nothing like it.
First, the Yggdroid's TP pool is abysmal. 60 base TP maximum, can be boosted a bit with TP Up. 'But!', I hear you cry. But we can use Amritas to restore TP. Right. But that's only a third of the equation.
The second third is that the Yggdroid needs to be completely bound to use this skill. Yes, completely bound. We have skills that bind the Yggdroid's individual parts (and one that binds all three immediately), but it's still a waste of at least a turn, and the true suckage still has yet to be seen.
Third, and most damningly, to even get the HP Cannon skill requires 10 points in Overheat. What does Overheat do? Why, it boosts base attack by a massive percentage (read: does absolutely nothing for Hp Cannon) at the cost of draining 100+ HP every time it attacks.
And just for that extra little bit of
, Atlus decided to give the 'female' versions actual faces and hairdos. One of them wears glasses, for crying out loud.Consign them to the trash heap of history and let us be done with these lifeless, soulless abominations.
So these are my options?
Well, not quite. You see, you can subclass things later, where you gain the skillset of an entirely different class. I can barely handle a single subject in school and these guys are all set to master two! There’s lots of awesome combinations you can make, like a Ninja/Zodiac that can create a copy of itself to cast Meteor while the original casts Dark Ether to make the TP cost zero, Gladiator/Arbalists to boost the lousy accuracy of the Gladiator, Monk/Princes for crazy healing and support, Arbalist/Zodiacs to boost the power of Elemental Barrages, and so much more!
Wow! With so many asskickers on my party, this shouldn’t be too difficult at a-
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dB_PVPyn6n8&feature=related
What… what did I just watch?
That, my friend, is a brief introduction to the F.O.E. It stands for “Formido Oppugnatura Exsequens” in English-speaking countries, ‘Field On Enemy’ in Japan, and ‘Fucking Overpowered Enemies’ in the universal language we all carry deep within our soul.
FOEs roam the Labyrinth, visible as floating balls of orange like so:
It sees you.
If you touch one of these, you enter a fight with an enemy that will wreck your face. No, I’m not kidding, and neither is the game when they tell you ‘Don’t mess with these guys’.
FOEs, of course, come in a variety of colours, and I’ve compiled a little chart of the specifics of each type:
ORANGE = RUN AWAY RUN AWAY
RED = RUN AWAY RUN AWAY
BLACK = SHIT IT’S A BOSS FIGHT START PRAYING
BLUE = HOLY CRAP IT CAME THROUGH THE WALL RUN AWAY RUN AWAY
PURPLE = HOLY CRAP WHERE DID IT COME FROM I CAN’T SEE IT ON THE MINIMAP RUN AWAY RUN AWAY
YELLOW = KILL IT KILL IT FOR MONEY AND EXP
RED = RUN AWAY RUN AWAY
BLACK = SHIT IT’S A BOSS FIGHT START PRAYING
BLUE = HOLY CRAP IT CAME THROUGH THE WALL RUN AWAY RUN AWAY
PURPLE = HOLY CRAP WHERE DID IT COME FROM I CAN’T SEE IT ON THE MINIMAP RUN AWAY RUN AWAY
YELLOW = KILL IT KILL IT FOR MONEY AND EXP
So basically you just keep walking through the Labyrinth and fight things (and die?) I dunno, sounds like it could get repetitive.
I’m sorry, what was that? I can’t hear you too well, you see, because I’M ON A BOAT
New to Etrian Odyssey 3 is the ability to hop onto a boat and sail the wide open seas, limited only by your imagination… and your provisions, of course. Fight pirates, discover new trade routes, fish for rare sea creatures to sell off, deck out your boat in awesome modifications like cannons, [strike]find One Piece[/strike] and more! How awesome is that? So awesome, that’s how awesome it is.
I dunno...
What? Would I lie to you? Well, yes I would, but that’s really beside the point. If you won’t trust me, then trust these guys.
Lunker wrote:I think getting almost instantly mauled by the deer on L2 of the first EO is what made me fall in love with the game, to be honest.
John Tucker on RPGFan wrote:But playing Etrian Odyssey III is the first time that I spent a fair amount of a game convinced that the game didn't care one way or the other about my success or failure. It wasn't going to get in my way, but it wasn't going to help me move forward, either, even by explaining its own gameplay mechanics to me. And after finishing my playthrough, I'm not sure that's a bad thing.
ystael wrote:It was even more awesome because it was a deer. Not a giant insect, not some kind of humanoid goblin, not a great cat with big predator teeth. We were massacred by a deer.
For weeks it seemed like everywhere on the internet you saw the conversation: "deer wtf?!" "lol rapealope lol"
GameCritics wrote:For those new to the series, expect a first-person dungeon crawl that features tons of grinding for experience, frequently going broke buying equipment that only increases a character's strength by two points, drawing a map by hand through floor after floor of twisting labyrinth, and being crushed by random encounters in the first round of battle.
Tycho Brahe wrote:Etrian Odyssey III only has one difficulty, and that difficulty is motherfucker.
You see? How can you not love this game?
*~*
So in summary, buy and play this game.
Or this monk here kicks you into next goddamn week. (She could use an easy opponent.)
SS FC: 1334 0950 5927
Platinum FC: 2880 3245 5111
Platinum FC: 2880 3245 5111
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Skill Simulator
This is the Etrian Odyssey Skill Simulator, meant to help people plan their builds out and see what each Skill Point invested in each skill actually does. Credit for this goes to Zaraf.
Forge Effects
HP/TP +5%
ATK: increases physical damage by 3%
HIT: increases accuracy rate by 3%
CRI: increases critical rate by 3%
SPD: increases action speed. 1 SPD is worth about 2 AGI
LIM: increases the average increase by 0.5
Element: Fire, Ice, Volt, Slash, Pierce, Blunt
Weapon - inflict +10% of base damage as element
Armor - resist +10%. 10 => single digit damage
Binds, blind, sleep, poison, paralysis, plague, confusion:
Weapon - inflict @ 6% for 1, 3% each for more. 6 => 21%
Armor - resist @ 10% each. 10 => immune
Death, Petrification:
Weapon - inflict @ 4% for 1, 2% each for more. 6 => 14%
Armor - resist @ 10% each. 10 => immune
Xenogears of Bore's (and Henroid's) Guide to Subclassing
More to come later, I guess…
*~*
Guild Paragon
First up, profiles for my guild.
"A mere five hundred En for travel expenses? Has my father lost his wits?!"
Alexis reined in a sigh. "Your Majesty, the entire point of this expedition was to prove that you could stand on your own two feet. As it is, five hundred is more than sufficient for our needs."
The prince sighed dramatically and the next leg of the journey was carried on in silence until the crest of the next hill was traversed, and they were now staring at a collection of buildings and roads.
"So that's Armoroad," Jules said softly, almost to himself.
"Please try to remember that your actions here reflect on not only your family name, but the entirety of the Empire," Alexis said softly.
There was a brief chuckle. "Not to worry, Alexis, I'm sure your incessant nagging has thoroughly drilled it into my head by now."
Lord and retainer shared the briefest of smiles. And then, on an unspoken signal, the two stepped forward towards Armoroad.
*~*
Jules Vernessus Maximillian the Fourteenth
Male Prince
Age: 20
Hit: Exotic Dishes
Miss: Scratchy Clothing
"No, I didn't bring along an 'Arad Knee Thread', whatever that is. Why do you ask?"
A longstanding tradition of the sons of the Maximillian Empire was that at their Coming Of Age, they were to proclaim a vow before the Goddess and make good on that boast. A minor prince of the bloodline, Jules was no exception. Owing to the consumption of a rather unhealthy amount of alcohol the night before the ceremony, Jules' next clear memory was of servants helping to pack his things and set out for Armoroad. He was understandably rather dismayed, but perked up considerably when Alexis pointed out that Armoroad was famed for its wide variety of exotic seafood dishes.
Attempts to project a regal air, but his rather embarrassing ignorance of relatively mundane matters tends to leave him with egg on his face more often than not. Not too proud to realize that he is less experienced than many of the people he hires, he prefers to stay in the back row and focus on rejuvenating his allies.
*~*
Alexis Wulfenbach, Knight of the Golden Eye
Blonde Female Hoplite
Age: 20
Hit: Armour Polishing, Jules
Miss: Rust, being mistaken for a boy
"No, your Majesty, I do not believe that mushroom to be edible. Please put it down."
Prince Jules' childhood friend, confidante, trainer and bodyguard in equal measure, she has served him and the Maximillian family faithfully for as far back as she can remember. When Jules inadvertently swore to conquer the Yggdrasil Labyrinth, the Emperor personally requested Alexis to accompany the Prince to aid him in his trials. (Unspoken was the tacit understanding that he wouldn't last a week without her.)
Alexis also finds herself rather attracted towards the Prince, although her station prevents her from making her feelings known.
Mindful of value of balance in all matters, Alexis is continuously studying both the spear and the shield to maximise her effectiveness in combat. Her study into the cartographical arts also means that she's stuck with drawing the maps.
*~*
Geoffrey von Paulus
Aged Male Monk
Age: 56
Hit: Bodybuilding
Miss: Unnecessary violence
"How hard you kick and punch is all in the mind."
Having practiced the fine art of focusing his Qi for a lifetime, Geoffrey has mastered the techniques of manipulating Qi for healing and aiding others, and has taken on an apprentice. Unfortunately and much to his dismay, said apprentice apparently prefers the more physical aspects of the ascetic path instead of the healing and gentler properties.
He has journeyed to Armoroad along with his apprentice to join a Guild and hopefully let her see the value of teamwork and supporting one's comrades. Spends an inordinate amount of time in the Butterfly Bistro, much to his apprentice's chagrin.
*~*
Adrian Sanders
Red-haired Female Monk
Age: 16
Hit: Folk songs
Miss: Alcohol
"Never met a beast whose lights I couldn't punch out."
Geoffrey's apprentice since young. While her master has devoted himself to mastery of the Arts of Healing and Rejuvenation, Adrian herself has taken an inclination to the Art of Punching Things Really Hard. Despite their apparent disagreement on how one should use the energy of their bodies, the two remain close, and when her Master requested she join her on their expedition to Armoroad, she readily agreed. Part of her enthusiasm has to do with the prospect of meeting 'cute, tough guys', seeing as she appears to value both attributes in equal measures.
Wears a wooden amulet on a necklace under her clothing, and is reluctant to talk about it beyond claiming that it is a keepsake.
*~*
John Rook
Young Male Buccaneer
Age: 18
Hit: Sea shanties
Miss: Eyepatches
"No, I don't draw out my 'R's. And I find the suggestion that I should rather baffling."
A former privateer, Rook has decided that he'd prefer to earn his coin in a slightly more legal profession and has taken up the mantle of adventuring. Owns the 'St. Eris' which he lets the rest of the Paragon Guild use whenever the feel an inclination to head out to sea for a bit. Feels most comfortable when wielding a rapier, and his nimble footwork allows him to follow up ally attacks with his own.
Has taken up a friendly rivalry with Midori, and has a secret crush on her.
*~*
Midori Ayasatoi
Young Female Ninja
Age: 17
Hit: Kitsune masks
Miss: Insects
"I'll name this one 'Fluffykins Cuddlypoops'."
Found unconscious in a back alley of Armoroad, Midori has relatively little memory of her past, but her body has apparently not forgotten her skills at stealth or combat. Hidden memories of some terrible secret of the Labyrinth has led her to seek out work at the Guilds in the hopes of discovering more about her past.
Is also in love with fox masks and her room at the inn is stuffed to overflowing with them. She also names each of them, to her Guildmate's minor discomfort.
Has a friendly rivalry with Rook, and a secret crush on him.
*~*
Pure
Blonde Male Farmer
Age: 15
Hit: Naps
Miss: Work
"*yawn* Huh, whassat? We leavin' 'ready?"
A young and lazy farmer, he joined the Paragon Guild with the understanding that his primary task was to help them gather resources.
He later found out his secondary task was to help them fight monsters, and is now frantically poring over his contract, looking for an escape clause.
*~*
'Clay'
Dark-haired Gladiator
Age: 25
Hit: Arm Wrestling
Miss: 'Softness'
"Heh... cute. I can take you all!"
Left homeless and destitute after a war rolled over her sleepy home village, the young woman was eventually captured by the victorious invaders. Eventually they decided that they would have her fight for their amusement and sent her into the gladiator's ring.
Luck and skill was with her, and a quick string of unbroken victories made her a fan favourite - and her owner's prized slave. One night, she seized an opportunity caused by an errant fire in the estate and fled, eluding her pursuers as far as Armoroad, where she joined the Paragon Guild under the assumed name of 'Clay' to elude her pursuers. She has thus far refused to reveal her true name to anyone.
Fights most comfortably with a club to smash through the enemy. General antipathy for authority makes her not get along with Jules, and she sees Alexis as a rival, although the Hoplite remains entirely unaware of such things.
*~*
Alice 'Sidney' Marguerite
Young Female Arbalist
Age: 19
Hit: The Butterfly Bistro's Quencher Special
Miss: Fancy dresses
"Ain't nothing gonna survive a four foot arrow through the craw!"
A native of Armoroad, and daughter of one of the more prominent merchant houses (for what that was worth after the Calamity had wrecked their shipping lanes a hundred years ago), Alice had always entertained dreams of helping to restore Armoroad to its former glory. However, her temperament and lack of talent at niceties and negotiation meant she was unlikely to be able to do a good job in taking over her father's financial empire when it was time for the reins to be passed down.
And so she settled for the next best thing - venturing into the Labyrinth, finding out the secrets of the past, and hopefully amassing enough loot to help with the restoration of Armoroad. Quickly became fast friends with Adrian upon joining the Paragon Guild.
*~*
Melina Koolhaas
Brunette Female Farmer
Age: 15
Hit: Mushrooms
Miss: Dark, damp places
"Hoo, this trek... is more draining than I thought! ... I'm perfectly fine though, don't worry about me."
The daughter of two great adventurers, Melina had always longed to follow in her parent's footsteps, but lacked the endurance and skill to become a full-fledged warrior in her own right. When the Paragon offered her a spot in the Guild, she quickly joined up, vowing to improve herself as much as possible so she could become a great explorer herself.
Until then, her constant study of the Labyrinth has given her invaluable insight into the nature of the flora in the area, not to mention she knows how to harvest its plentiful resources, so she's still useful to the Guild.
Is irritated by Pure's lackadaisical attitude towards work, and is constantly pushing her fellow Farmer to help out with the Guild's duties more.
*~*
Sar'Vok Atahualpa
Older Male Wildling
Age: 32
Hit: Roughing it
Miss: Being indoors
"..."
The former Tun'Ga of an island tribe to the East, Atahualpa has handed the mantle of Leadership over to his eldest son and set off for greater challenges. Eventually, he heard tales of the wondrous and unconquered Labyrinth, and has journeyed to Armoroad to test the forest and prove his strength.
Unused to the local tongues, he rarely speaks save for acknowledging requests and commands. Midori, feeling similarly displaced, has taken to spending more time with him. (She's also trying to get him to learn how to summon foxes, with little success so far.)
*~*
Asmodeus Frei Varn
Young Male Zodiac
Age: 24
Hit: Quiet and solitude
Miss: Socializing
"Hmm... intriguing. Our chances of survival refuse to go any higher no matter our actions."
A student at the Great Library of Sovelude, Asmodeus was commissioned by his teacher to venture to the Labyrinth and to attempt to gather what knowledge he could for the sake of Library. Considering it largely a fool's game, he nonetheless fufills his duties to the best of his ability.
When not called to go Labyrinth hunting, he is usually found by the port, head buried in one tome or another. Has no real friends in the Guild, but no real enemies either.
An Ice specialist.
*~*
Jared Rayleigh
Red-haired Buccaneer
Age: 31
Hit: Relena, a good tussle
Miss: Vegetables
"Arrrrrrr, shiver me timbers, we'll keelhau all ye scurvy dogs and make ye walk the plank! AR HAR HAR HAR!"
Operating around the trade city of Batavia, Jared's ship, 'The Black, One-Eyed Mangy Mutt' served as an unofficial patrol that kept pirates out of the city's waters. After the St. Eris cleared a route there and helped blow up the Pirates operating in the area with their newly acquired Cannon, Jared decided to dock his ship up and join the Guild to seek adventure.
Boisterous and loud, he's a crack shot despite having only one eye, and can usually be found by at the Butterfly Bistro quaffing the latest brews. In a stunning display of self-control, he manages not to ogle Missy every time he enters, mostly because Relena would kick him through the ceiling if he did.
Jules was not overly keen on allowing him into the party, but more level-headed than her lord, Alexis realized he had enough skill to be a worthwhile addition.
*~*
Relena Rayleigh Mallorn
Older Female Ninja
Age: 32
Hit: Jared, puppies, kittens
Miss: Coffee
"For heaven's sake, Jared, stop making a fool of yourself and get down from the mast before you hurt yourself."
Jared's wife, Relena was of a mixed birth, and largely shunned by her peers and colleagues throughout her childhood. She found her calling when an aged master noted her natural talent and agreed to train her in the way of the Smoke Knights. A promising career in the ranks of Sheba's stealth-based warriors was abruptly cut short by a murder of one of her rivals for the position and the blame falling upon her. With no other choice, Relena fled South, eventually ending up in the trade city of Batavia, where she met Jared. Having no reason to refuse an able warrior, Jared welcomed her on board his ship. Eventually, the two of them got married, and they have one of those kind of relationships. You know, the 'no one says that about my husband but me!' kinds.
Strict and no nonsense, she helped him renovate the 'Mutt' into a truly splendid ship, and when he decided to go spelunking she was right there at his side. Serves as a sort of team mom to those who are young enough to need it.
*~*
Rossa Frei Astet
Young Female Zodiac
Age: 13
Hit: Flowers
Miss: Early bedtimes
"Star of Calamity that shines above, Earth of Foundation that rests below... let your power gather and smite my foes! ... Yay! I did it correctly!"
Asmodeus' younger sister and a prodigy in the astrological arts, Rossa fled from her school and studies when she heard about her brother venturing to challenge the Yggdrasil Labyrinth to join up with him. Despite repeated attempts on his part to make her leave, she insists that she can do anything her brother can do, and that she's going to stay to keep him safe.
Asmodeus is rather jealous of her natural talents, seeing as how her power has come to her so easily when he had to struggle for it all his life, but he manages to keep it in check... most of the time.
*~*
Juliana sel Arcadia Nordel Bathomys Dagflan of House Staragad, Daughter of His Esteemed Majesty Vandel wen Rumanos Milg, Ruler of the Western Shelf
Young Female Princess
Age: 17
Hit: Her embroidered napkin collection
Miss: Bad hair days
"Ohohohoho! These beasts shall be as nothing before my radiance! Sally forth, men!"
Owing to a combination Jules venturing out to sea in the St. Eris on his own (presumably to get some time away from Alexis' wrath after messing up the party records), a bad storm, a Hammerhead Shark, and seventeen pounds of bagels, Jules ended up getting rescued by Princess Juliana and her entourage, who promptly blackmailed him into letting them join his Guild after having failed to make the cut as a true Guild themselves (mostly owing to the fact that none of the three knew the slightest thing about mapmaking).
Jules is, understandably, less than pleased with this arrangement. Especially after Alexis pointed out rather bluntly that Juliana's father was currently engaged in talks with a federation of nations with the goal of banding together to challenge the Maximillian Empire's domination of the continent.
Juliana, however, doesn't appear to have the slightest idea of any of this, as she's simply glad that she'll be able to make a name for herself at long last. Brash, arrogant, and more than a little out of touch with reality, she is nonetheless good at heart, and skilled enough in battle.
She wields rapiers and books into battle.
*~*
Wooster Albericht, Stagarad Knight Commander, Third Division
Younger Male Hoplite
Age: 29
Hit: Blueberry muffins
Miss: Potatoes
"Whatever you say, milady!"
Dubbed 'The Shield of Stagarad' for singlehandedly holding a bridge against a barbarian horde for nearly six hours, Wooster was assigned to be Juliana's personal bodyguard as she ventured forth to the Armoroad Labyrinth.
None too bright, he's nonetheless devotedly loyal to her Royal Highness and follows her orders without question. Repeatedly butts heads with Alexis over her refusing to treat Miss Juliana with the proper respect. Alexis' standard response is that she doesn't treat her own prince and lord any different, so would he kindly shove off.
*~*
Zachary 'Zack' Efrons
Redhead Male Gladiator
Age: 19
Hit: The smell of the sea breeze
Miss: Snakes
"Lady Juliana saved my life. So I'll protect hers. It's that simple."
An empoverished youth who had always dreamed of becoming a hero, his dream seemed to come to a crashing end when he was caught stealing bread and promptly thrown into the dungeons to become a gladiator for the amusement of the masses.
However, his first fight out in the arena happened to be the Lady Juliana's first visit to watch. His first bout ended up with him the victor, but collapsing immediately after from the severity of his wounds. This so horrified Juliana that she demanded, in front of the entire stadium, that the both of them be brought to her personal physicians for treatment immediately.
Zack survived, but his opponent did not. Later, while recuperating in the most comfortable room he had ever known, he was visited by Juliana, who wanted to know how he had ended up the way he did. A short conversation, some pleading with her father, and a signed scroll later, Zack had been officially sworn into Juliana's service.
Juliana appears to trust Zack deeply, and often consults him on matters she knows little about. Wooster apparently disapproves of what he considers a scruffy vagabond, but knows better than to speak his mind in front of the Lady. Cheerful at being given a new lease on life, Zack is friendly and outgoing to the other members of the Guild
*~*
Dwayne 'Tinker' Federer
Male Arbalist
Age: 34
Hit: Explosives
Miss: Ketchup
"Anybody else wonder what that monster would look like if you blew it up? Anyone? ... Oh. M - me neither, I guess."
Kicked out of Armoroad's naval corps for what was deemed to be an unhealthy love of explosives, Federer wandered destitute through the back alleys of the ocean city before deciding to combine his love for blowing stuff up with a career in which it would actually be productive and promptly set out to find a guild to join so he could go into the Labyrinth and blow things up.
Initially hesitant to allow him into the guild, Alexis finally decided that they had enough nutcases already and on more wouldn't make a difference. In defiance of common logic, he insists on taking a battle position in the front so he can 'see the pretty explosions up close'. Also something of a gadgeteer, he's earned the name 'Tinker' for himself.
*~*
Zeetha Chunipel
Female Wildling
Age: 25
Hit: Birds
Miss: Bees
"Kurrooooo! Kurooooo! ... I suppose there aren't any Greater Spotted Bluecrests here, then."
Zeetha's father was a famed wildlife researcher, and he often brought his daughter along with him on his frequent expeditions. This led to a lifelong fascination with animals, and an affinity for the wilds. Now she wishes to follow in her father's footsteps by researching the vast numbers of unknown creatures that lurk within Armoroad's Yggdrasil Labyrinth.
Somewhat scatterbrained, she often forgets that most of the Labyrinth's beasts are very, very hostile to humans, and her teammates often have to bail her out of whatever mess she gets herself into.
*~*
Miko Miyazaki
Female Shogun
Age: 23
Hit: Battle
Miss: The dark
"I've no use for the idleness of peace."
Raised in a war-torn country from her birth, Miko had never known anything other than constant battle. As she fought and killed all who stood against her, she never questioned if there truly was anything else than war and battle. Abruptly, the war ended, and as the dazed survivors began to pick up the pieces of their ruined land, Miko stood baffled as to what she was to do without any more battles to fight. Finally, she set out over the vast expanse of the world and finally stumbling upon the Yggdrasil Labyrinth of Armoroad.
Not caring if she lives or dies, she charges forward with reckless abandon in combat, seeking worthy foes to test her limits against. When not hunting in the Labyrinth, she sits and observes her Guildmates, trying to catch a glimpse of a life she never had. Midori and Alexis have taken to spending time with her and talking to her.
*~*
Mr. Yamato
Elder Male Shogun
Age: 67
Hit: His twin swords, 'Iceheart' and 'Prestige'
Miss: Pirates, cowardice
"Rally, men! We'll see this battle won yet!"
A retired general of Armoroad, he gained fame for directing a masterful campaign against an invading pirate fleet that resulted in their annihilation, and gained notoriety for personally executing his only son for desertion. Those close to him say that this act left him a broken man, and he shortly left the service of the crown entirely and shutting himself up in his home.
Now, after hearing tales of the daring exploits of a Guild that had successfully breached the 3rd Stratum of the Labyrinth, he has taken up his blades once more, seeking to offer what aid he can to the younger generation of warriors. A skillful commander and warrior, he has been instructing Jules on the ways to keep up morale amongst the troops, and appears to view the prince as a surrogate son.
*~*
Rocket
Yggdroid
Age: Unknown
Hit: Freedom
Miss: Regulations
"Hey there! Wanna arm-wrestle? I'll limit myself to a human's strength. Honest, I will!"
Created with a programming glitch that resulted in a more... outgoing and independent personality than usual, Combat Yggdroid DPF26-64S2 was quickly deemed unsuitable for integration into the standard combat corps of Armoroad. As such, he eventually found his way into service at the Twinkling Tavern. Quickly growing bored with the routine nature of his work, a chance meeting with the Paragon Guild allowed him the opportunity to test his skills and to enter a more loosely regulated environment.
Eccentric and quirky, his disconnected and rapidfire mannerisms leave many unsure of how to respond to him. Rocket seems to take that as a personal badge of honour, and often performs like a buffoon for the sake of amusing (or annoying) his comrades.
Has formed a friendship with Rossa, and the young Astrologer often helps him with his maintenance work.
*~*
AL1-7A 'Alita'
Yggdroid
Age: Unknown
Hit: ...
Miss: ...
"..."
Created by one of the more unique (read: creepy) individuals of the Deep City, AL1 served in the capacity of a housekeeping unit for an indeterminate period of time before her creator and master was eventually arrested by the authorities on several charges of unsavoury conduct. Al1, by contrast, was handed off to whoever would take her, which more or less boiled down to the Paragon Guild.
Programmed with a quiet and unassuming personality, AL1 mostly follows orders and does little else. Rocket, however, appears fixated on teaching her to have more of a personality, and has roped several other members of the Guild into the task. Only time will tell if he succeeds.
*~*
Platinum FC: 2880 3245 5111
Entry One: First Arrival
Entry Two: One Last Night of Quiet
Entry Three: The First Foray
Entry Four: Money Matters
Entry Five: This and That I
Entry Six: Brevity
Entry Seven: New Recruits I
Entry Eight: Night Trek
Entry Nine: This and That II
Entry Ten: Training Session I
Entry Eleven: Mud
Entry Twelve: New Recruits II
Entry Thirteen: Vs. Meregho Saeno, the Heavenly Avian
Entry Fourteen: Poison
Entry Fifteen: Agata and Hypatia
Entry Sixteen: This and That III
Entry Seventeen: New Recruits III
Entry Eighteen: Fish Hunt Festival
Entry Nineteen: One Last Night of Disquiet
Entry Twenty: Vs. Narmer, King of the Catfish
Entry Twenty One: New Recruits IV
Entry Twenty Two: A New Stratum
Entry Twenty Three: Training Session II
Entry Twenty Four: This and That IV
Entry Twenty Five: Vs. the Cruel Roamer of the High Seas
Entry Twenty Six: Taking It Easy
Entry Twenty Seven: This and That V
Entry Twenty Eight: New Recruits V
Entry Twenty Nine: Encountering Difficulties
Entry Thirty: Discontent
Entry Thirty One: A Night Under the Ocean Waves
Entry Thirty Two: Blood Pain
Entry Thirty Three: Moment of Epiphany
Entry Thirty Four: This and That VI
Entry Thirty Five: Recovery and Resolve
Entry Thirty Six: New Recruits VI
Entry Thirty Seven: Vs. Hammerhead, the Devil of Ayutthaya
Entry Thirty Eight: Encounter in the Depths
Entry Thirty Nine: Training Session III
Entry Forty: Fog in Armoroad
Entry Forty One: Watery Graves
Entry Forty Two: This and That VII
Entry Forty Three: Training Session IV
Entry Forty Four: Decision
Entry Forty Five: The Dangerous Ocean
Entry Forty Six: Vs. the Ghost Ship, Jolly Roger's Legacy
Entry Forty Seven: Vs. Oceanmaster Ketos
Entry Forty Eight: The Deep City
Entry Forty Nine: Diplomacy
Entry Fifty: A Moment of Rest
Entry Fifty One: The Third Stratum
Entry Fifty Two: This and That VIII
Entry Fifty Three: Darkness of Doubt
Entry Fifty Four: Training Session V
Entry Fifty Five: Menaces Abound
Entry Fifty Six: A Friend in Need
Entry Fifty Seven: On the Waves
Entry Fifity Eight: Danger Takes Many Forms
Entry Fifty Nine: Preparations I
Entry Sixty: Vs Corotrangul, the Tyrant of the Tides
Entry Sixty One: This and That IX
Entry Sixty Two: A Safe Return
Entry Sixty Three: Training Session VI
Entry Sixty Four: Red Night
Entry Sixty Five: The Eldest One
Entry Sixty Six: The Menace of the Deep
Entry Sixty Seven: Preparations II
Entry Sixty Eight: Festival of Lights
Entry Sixty Nine: Orders From Above
Entry Seventy: This and That X
Entry Seventy One: Vs the Golem, Silent Sentinel of Stone
Entry Seventy Two: Ghosts of the Past
Entry Seventy Three: A Precarious Decision
Entry Seventy Four: Uncertain Future
Entry Seventy Five: Vs the Gatekeeper, Guardian of the Abyss
Entry Seventy Six: The Fourth Stratum
Entry Seventy Seven: New Recruits VII
Entry Seventy Eight: Vs. The Wicked Queen of the Swarm
Entry Seventy Nine: This and That XI
Entry Eighty: Training Session VII
Entry Eighty One: Unexpected Encounters
Entry Eighty Two: Rescue
Entry Eight Three: New Recruits VIII
Entry Eighty Four: This and That XII
Entry Eighty Five: Metal Boots
Entry Eighty Six: Troubling News
Entry Eighty Seven: Vs. the Manticore, Carrion Beast of the Wilds
Entry Eighty Eight: Training Session VIII
Entry Eight Nine: Grey Nights
Entry Ninety: Wounds
Entry Ninety One: Preparations III
Entry Ninety Two: A New Resolution
Entry Ninety Three: Vs Ruin Caller, the Sealed Guardian
Entry Ninety Four: On The Brink
Entry Ninety Five: This and That XIII
Entry Ninety Six: Pushing Forward
Entry Ninety Seven: Preparations IV
Entry Ninety Eight: Vs. Kirin, Proud Lightning-Clad Beast
Vs. Shin, Lady of Mist and Illusions
Roadblocks
Platinum FC: 2880 3245 5111
Just managed to do the Manticore sea quest 11 levels under the AI party members.
It might have been challenging, except for the fact thay my Princess can use Prevent Order every turn and get a net gain of TP.
Used a Formaldehyde on him since there is no way I'll be able to complete his condition drop anytime soon. Normal drop turns into 64 DEF armor with 3x Slash Resist. Conditional Drop turns into 125 DEF Wildling only armor with Luck and Strength.
Finish EO2, or buy EO3.
Goddamnit.
Buy 3, then finish 2. 3 will wait there for you. But you'll have it ready.
Pure, I know you dislike all things droid, but we could use some info about how they are useful.
Clearly you mean the mathematical, inclusive "or" there.
I think I'm going to replace one of my characters with a Buccaneer/Arbalist. I could really use the head-binding, and they have enough spare skill points to attempt the Arbalist shenanigans.
Slavedriver.
I'll fix that up sometime tomorrow. Now, sleep.
Platinum FC: 2880 3245 5111
Sleep, sleep. Great OP all the same.
Gladiator Buccaneer Princess
Hoplite Ninja
I'm around level 9 now. And I'm thinking about either resting the hoplite or swapping out for a different class.
The problem is, I put 5 points into taunt, but it seems as if it only works for about 75% of incoming hits.
Is it because I need more points into taunt? Or is it possibly because she is in the back row?
I was thinking I might just rest the character, forget about taunt, and dump points into the spear skills.
But then going without a true tank I think I would want to fit a monk in somewhere to resurrect. But I really like all 3 front line characters currently in my party, grr!
Wait, is that highest-HP thing true for the other EO games as well? So buffing my Protector's HP will stop my Landshark and Ronin (Whose HP is only about 5-10 hp lower at level 15) being hit as often?
It's used more often in this game though. This game has a penchant for row based attacks where it picks a row and then the target.
All the pictures lining up nice. Good info all around. Probably the only thing missing is common solutions to sea faring problems, especially early ones.
Maybe a good section on class combos. Shinobi+Zodiac for one tp meteors, Arbalist+Zodiac/Zodiac+Arbalist for insane elemental AOE damage, Hoplite+Shinobi for double row line guards and dual elemental protection, Monk+Princess/Princess+Monk for passive healing/active healing. Shogun+Buccaneer for crazy number of hits per turn.
Have a Ninja learn the ability to do slash attacks vs everyone on the screen w/clone. (Or just use the clone to do 2X slashes a turn.) Make sure Buccaneer is set on follow-up slash.
Laugh and laugh and laugh.
Take 1 point in each Arbalist AOE skill, and then a bunch of points in the Zodiac +fire/+ice/+volt skills?
1 point in each Arbalist AOE skill, and then put points toward the Zodiac skill the boosts damage to weakness?
Official PA Forums FFXIV:ARR Free Company <GHOST> gitl.enjin.com Join us on Sargatanas!
I will finish EO2 first though, dang it. Stupid final boss. (Fifth Stratum, second form.)
I hope there's something I'm missing and I don't need to do that damn 3-days on floor 4 quest to get high enough levels.
Each point in a barrage increases its damage by 5%.
You should notice that Masteries are a terrible waste of skill points. You may also notice that Singularity, Giant Kill and Elemental Barrage each increase damage by 5% per skill point, but under different conditions. Singularity assumes you hit a weakness, Giant Kill assumes you're fighting a healthy opponent, Elemental Barrage increases the damage for only one skill.
You may also want to consider instead investing in Front Mortar, and placing your Arbalist on the front line. This gives you a character that excels at fighting FOEs, but can also deal elemental damage when required.
Wait...there is an artbook?
Damnit......
Official PA Forums FFXIV:ARR Free Company <GHOST> gitl.enjin.com Join us on Sargatanas!
Check backwater GameStops, they're bound to still have it.
Are the adds giving you trouble? A Lure Bell or similar item will cause the extra FOEs to fly towards you without needing to engage the boss first. Once all the purple FOEs in the area are down, the boss is significantly easier.
Epic OP BTW. Will read again. Beeeyoootifull art.
"Etrian Odyssey 3? One second......Yeah we have one left. Artbook? Oh yeah I'll throw one of those in there"
I love my Gamestop. It is like a shining jewel of awesomeness in a sea of sand and loathing that is the rest of the Gamestops out there.
Official PA Forums FFXIV:ARR Free Company <GHOST> gitl.enjin.com Join us on Sargatanas!
EO 1:
Pros:
Best Story of the Lot
Best Music
Gorgeous Art
It was the Original!
FOEs give EXP.
Cons:
Fewer mapping options
Hard to read font
Unbalanced classes-Both of the optional classes suck.
Hard to level
Semi
EO II: Heroes of Laagard
Pros:
Strafing
More Map options
More FOE types
Three New Classes+Rebalanced Classes
Improved Limit Break System
Bonuses for Completing EO 1
New Retirement bonuses scale according to level
Improved Font
New Level Cap via retirement at max level. if Clvl=max then max=max+1
Boss conditional drops now 100%
Cons:
Feels like an Expansion pack with only Three New Classes.
Limit System Eventually Breaks the Difficulty
FOEs don't give EXP.
Pumpkin FOEs take an annoyingly long time to fight. :P
EO III: The Drowned City
Pros:
All new classes
Ship mini game
Sub classes
FOEs give experience again!
Quests give a ton of exp!
The classes are very well balanced
One and a half joke characters
Best art in the series
Better framerate too
Music closer to EO 1's greatness.
Cons:
Are there any????
Because everyone should own a DS. It's that good.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Now I guess I'll go start EO1, since I never got past the first floor of that one. I hear there's a cute deer awaiting me on Level 2.
Personally I think it is partially true. Stand Alone Expansion is a much better term for it.
Other good examples include LFD2, Super Mario Bros. Lost Levels, Advance Wars: Black Hole Rising, and one of the greatest games of all time, Super Mario Galaxy 2. It's more of a design philosophy then anything else. Why change what wasn't wrong in the first place?
ANYWAY: Fifth stratum five-farmer runs are ridiculously profitable, with each rare take worth 1,000en and I can usually take about twenty (plus some lesser takes) back with me each trip.
Steam profile.
Getting started with BATTLETECH: Part 1 / Part 2
I can agree to the "stand-alone expansion" thing of EO2. It doesn't make it bad, it's just a better way to summarize what's different between it and part 1. It became more apparent to me when I sunk my teeth into EO3.
By the way Pureauthor I dunno if you changed things written up regarding endings but I appreciate it being done with as little spoilers as possible, much kudos.