We've said this many times before, but it bears repeating.
You know it's an Etrian Odyssey game when:
1) your party is composed of small children
2) your five-man party [tiny]of children[/tiny], well outfitted for exploration, survival, and combat, meets its end at the fronds of a somewhat large plant and some ladybugs
At least I'm not the only one who's done this. (Pureauthor)
The members of The Golden Guild. AKA: My faceless party members who, in my imagination, have actual personalities.
Roanda the Ronin
Leader and founder of Golden. A student of the Iai style of swordsmanship. She traveled from the mysterious Eastern lands to find glory in them mysterious Labyrinth of Laggard. Calm and cool like the style she uses. She tries her best to manage the group of people she's ended up leading. Not easy since she's not a social person. This isn't easy since, as a newbie guild... they got some... eccentrics.
Teling the Protector
Daughter of an old knight from the south. Teling was Roanda's guide to the western continents when she first stumbled into the country. Becoming friends and allies, she followed Roanda and was there when she founded the guild. Compared to the quiet Ronin, Teling is outgoing. She enjoys a good story and is always eager for a drink. When not in armor, she surprises people with her strength, due to being rather short and skinny.
Tara the Medic
The youngest member of the guild. And, frighteningly, the key to their continued survival. To call her... eager, is an understatement. She's always is running out to see the latest part of the labyrinth. (Thus she is also the mapmaker) Her eagerness has gotten them into trouble several times. Several FOEs that were ignoring them were turned to wrath thanks to her. At least once they got lost for two hours thanks to her drawing a left turn instead of a right. She once woke up a bunch of ladybugs in the middle of their nap. The giant horrible plants that were called as a result at the very least profitable once they sold their corpses. If it weren't for the fact that she's the second best healer in all of Laggard, Kilya would have probably shot her long ago
Kilya the Gunner
A short tempered girl from the northern lands. She came to Laggard in order to sightsee, but unfortunately ended up losing all her money to some back alley gambling. Stuck without a means of income, and only her very basic fire arms training and even more basic magic skills. She signed up for Golden the moment she saw a guild opening. Determined to make enough money to go home, she has improved drastically in her ability to shoot things in pursuit of this goal. Unfortunately, her temper means that she has a difficult time getting along with many people. Tara and Ashley in particular drive her insane.
Ashley the Landsknecht
Tara's cousin. Like her, a native to Laggard. But while Tara pursued the healing arts. Ashley discovered that she really liked shoving Axes into the heads of things until they stopped moving. A bit more mature then her cousin, she shares the bright personality of Tara, only with more restraint. However, she loves her pranks. And Kilya is her favorite target.
Belle the Hexer
Once, Belle was considered a beautiful girl in her village, desired by nearly every male in a mile radius. Then she learned magic. Taken in by the hexes and somewhat dark spells, she covered herself with a cloak at all times, put on strange makeup, and cut her hair short. Spending most of her time in her room with her books. When she did come it, it was to buy weird spell components, and any interaction with the villagers concisted of frankly creepy conversations and ominous foretellings of their deaths. The boys stopped persuing her after that. Eventually she decided that her farm village did not provide her the needed atmosphere for her work. A mysterious maze filled with monsters seemed like a good idea. And Roanda was happy to accept a skilled magic user like her. She rarely speaks to her fellow guild members, and when she does it's some sarcastic comment or foretelling of doom. (Of course, they've been doomed so often that they tend to ignore those now.)
Woobie the Beast
When they first started exploring the labyrnnth, Tara found a wounded, abandoned wolf puppy. Pitying it, she took it into her home. Spending half her salary on feeding and caring for it. Being a creature of the Labyrinth, Woobie had some strange growth patterns. Namely, that in a month he was a wolf as large as a horse. The townsfolk of Laggard have, thankfully, gotten used to the beasts presence. One day, he secretly followed his master into the Labyrinth, and surprised everyone when a group of Slaveimps were torn to shreds by him after they tried to attack the guild. Since then Roanda's been training him to fight. When heading with them into the Labyrinth, Tara rides him. She's the only one allowed to do this. Anyone else who tries it gets whacked with his tail.
Len the War Magus.
Princess Lenneth, as she likes to be called, (Thus, nobody calls her that) Is in fact, a princess. Granted, a princess tenth in line of succession to her kingdoms throne, but one none the less. She ran away from home after an argument with her father, and soon learned the outside world was full of danger. Thankfully, her skills with sword and spell made sure she could handle that danger. After a year of listless wandering, she wondered if she should head home. However, said year of listless wandering had made her look... less then princess-ly. She decided that she needed more money in order to afford the items of wealth that her kingdom expects a princess to wear. She went to Laggard, figuring that she could earn money that way. Despite looking like a dirty vagrant when she first entered Golden, she demands to be treated with the respect and honor that her station entitles her too. Only Teling actually gives her this, and even then only when she hasn't had any alcohol.
Likel the Trabudor
A cheery girl who one day just walked into Golden Offices (AKA Roanda's Inn Room) and asked if they could use a bard. Nobody really knows what's up with her, but she's always cheerful and polite to everyone. Plus, she has near supernatural luck, which has saved them in the Labyrinth a few times, as well as being immune to Ashley's pranks. She seems to like Belle, always spending time with her. Despite Belle rarely saying anything, she's also not creeped out by anything she says, a miracle.
TL;DR: I have an active imagination and here's my own private Etrian Odyssey fanfic which I am now posting on the internet because I have no shame.
So I'm leveling up a gathering Survivalist, on the 5th floor when I remember there were two chests I never got because they were in a room with two Stalkers, and I am generally not suicidal.
But, I figured since the plot said that Chimera was calling the super powerful beasts, and since I had beaten the Chimera, I would be able to get those two chests now.
How wrong I was.
I entered the room, went to the chests... and the FOEs showed up on the map.
I tried to get past them, but I ran into one. And the battle began.
My party was, Ronin (<3 Ronins) Defender, Medic, Hexer, and a level 4 Survivalist.
So basically I was fighting a Stalker with a four person party.
Then the second one joined on.
At this point I was panicking.
Every turm Defender would alternate between Provoke and Parry, Ronin would use Kubiuchi, Medic would keep everyone alive (Mainly Defender)
Hexer cast Poison every turn.
It wouldn't stick.
TP was running low, HP getting lost. And the Hexer had one spell left. Using the last of her TP she managed to get Poison to stick... on one of the Stalkers.
Focusing all my attention on the one that wasn't poisoned, I went all out. Even Defender attacked. The Poison killed the one, leaving one left. Three characters were in the red, Medic was out of TP... and I won.
Wooooooooooo!!!!
As a reward I got two scythes, which I sold and then was able to give Ronin a sweet new Katana.
When I fought my Stalker for the first time, I won.
I keep trying to play EO2, but my problem is that I'm a chronic restarter. I love building parties up from scratch, but then I lose steam midway through the game. (This happens with almost every RPG I play.) So I end up picking up EO2 after a long while, wanting to reconfigure my party just because, starting to level some new characters and then losing interest.
I'm on floor 10. I was running a Beast/Ronin in front, Gunner/Survivalist/Medic in the back, but I'm trying to come up with something different that works. I switched to B/L/R in front, H/M in the back just for kicks, but I find that Hexers and Alchemists run out of MP far too often for my tastes. What other party configs are people using?
I'm at the end of the sixth stratum and I've got: B/DH/W // G/G
Had an Alchemist in the back for a long time, once I got the Gunner's best weapons I found they were much more useful (Force Skill and otherwise) so I ditched her.
The Beast is definitely the slacker of the group, but I love him and he's done my party well.
I don't know if it's me getting old or what, but I have virtually no patience for stupid-hard postgame content anymore. So the sixth stratum will pretty much not exist for me, much like the X missions in Trauma Center or any multitude of optional JRPG bosses.
I love my Beast, but I think I'm also one of the few EO fans who really isn't interested in min/maxing my party. I find his defense invaluable, the Doze Off cheap healing excellent and he's got enough FOE manipulation skills to help out while traveling.
I had been playing the hell out of this game when it first came out, but I got the the boss of the third stratum and realized my survivalist was just holding the group back. I'm running P-R-G-M-S, and I couldn't decide what would be most beneficial to pick up. Would I be best off with an alchemist, or should I grab a Hexxer? If I go Hexxer, I can drop the bindings that my gunner had been putting points in.
The problem I had with my Beast is that despite having giant defense, it was useless for taking hits. Apparently it works off the defense of the person he is defending. Which is stupid.
I had been playing the hell out of this game when it first came out, but I got the the boss of the third stratum and realized my survivalist was just holding the group back. I'm running P-R-G-M-S, and I couldn't decide what would be most beneficial to pick up. Would I be best off with an alchemist, or should I grab a Hexxer? If I go Hexxer, I can drop the bindings that my gunner had been putting points in.
Hexers are the best in the game. Keep him at one hp and spam revenge. Instakill really.
The ultimate whip is so damn awesome. It increases how fast your force charges by, so you can just totally bind a person every 5 battles and then ecstasy them for AWESOME damage.
If Loyalty is proving such a massive problem, why not Rest the Beast and pick new skills?
The problem is that the whole point of a Beast is for Loyalty, pretty much.
Without it, they're just a mediocre damage dealer and a Landshark/Ronin can do that job much better.
It's really too bad Loyalty doesn't work based on the Beast's defense, it would make them so much better. It almost seems like they were supposed to work that way, but (much like how broken Immunize was in EO1, when it really shouldn't have been) they messed it up.
Without Loyalty, the Beast is a watered down jack-of-all-trades class. Loyalty was supposed to make it a tank specialist like the Protector, but the skill is completely messed up - so Protector still holds the crown of second best class in the game.
Basically the only way to get a good beast is to team him with a protector and a medic, defense buff the shit out of him and heal him every turn.
Defense buffing the heck out of him won't work. The only thing that'd help would be the Troubadour's song for increasing HP.
As many people on GameFAQS and various other boards have pointed out, the Beast is only good in a group already built for soaking up damage - in which case what's the point of having the Beast in the first place?!
You're right...and I noticed it when you said it. If you have him with a protector though it is pretty good because he can provoke away some of the damage.
Backwall doesn't help with the damage the beast takes from the squishes in the back row? I thought it did.
I did once get away with using a beast in the sixth stratum.
I had been playing the hell out of this game when it first came out, but I got the the boss of the third stratum and realized my survivalist was just holding the group back. I'm running P-R-G-M-S, and I couldn't decide what would be most beneficial to pick up. Would I be best off with an alchemist, or should I grab a Hexxer? If I go Hexxer, I can drop the bindings that my gunner had been putting points in.
Hexers are the best in the game. Keep him at one hp and spam revenge. Instakill really.
If I were to go Hexxer, it would be more for the binding than revenge. I'm not really interested in that skill.
Artereis on
0
cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
edited January 2009
I'm glad this eventually got reuploaded, because it still makes me smile.
I don't think anything in either EO will ever top the first time I fought that Ragelope on Level 2 in EO1. Like, I had heard people talking about tough enemies, but I was so softened up by years of other RPGs that I walked into that fight completely unaware.
Like five newborn babies delivered unto a pack of wolves.
I keep trying to play EO2, but my problem is that I'm a chronic restarter. I love building parties up from scratch, but then I lose steam midway through the game. (This happens with almost every RPG I play.) So I end up picking up EO2 after a long while, wanting to reconfigure my party just because, starting to level some new characters and then losing interest.
I'm on floor 10. I was running a Beast/Ronin in front, Gunner/Survivalist/Medic in the back, but I'm trying to come up with something different that works. I switched to B/L/R in front, H/M in the back just for kicks, but I find that Hexers and Alchemists run out of MP far too often for my tastes. What other party configs are people using?
I'm starting to feel that, too - I could be leveling dudes to 71 in preparation for 6th stratum in earnest, but I have this intense desire to make a second party and level them off normal mobs, even though I'd use none of these secondary party members in my main party.
Yeah, I'm probably getting the two confused again, as I seem to remember grinding the chimera for money for a very, very long time before stepping into the second stratum at all.
Ah, good.
I got his conditional drop without even trying for it, so I should be able to beat him repeatedly fairly easily with my stratum-2-FOE-killing party.
Just needed to share that I took down the 30F boss. WOO!
Went in with like 18 Axcela IIs, didn't feel like fighting Harpuia to get more Harpy Wings for the other half of the recipe. Dark Hunter's Dominate is seriously the best force skill in the game. Alternated my Gunners between using Ricochet and Riot Gun (depending on whether I needed to reapply Dominate).
Didn't really feel like I was cheesing it... it took 22 turns, and 3 Nectall IIs, as he got in a couple hits when Riot Gun was too slow (or it MISSED, WTF). One turn everyone except the DH died (thanks, Beast, for protecting her!) but was reapplying Dominate, so all was well.
Posts
You know it's an Etrian Odyssey game when:
1) your party is composed of small children
2) your five-man party [tiny]of children[/tiny], well outfitted for exploration, survival, and combat, meets its end at the fronds of a somewhat large plant and some ladybugs
I wiped...oh a few hundred times in EO1.
At least I'm not the only one who's done this. (Pureauthor)
The members of The Golden Guild. AKA: My faceless party members who, in my imagination, have actual personalities.
Roanda the Ronin
Leader and founder of Golden. A student of the Iai style of swordsmanship. She traveled from the mysterious Eastern lands to find glory in them mysterious Labyrinth of Laggard. Calm and cool like the style she uses. She tries her best to manage the group of people she's ended up leading. Not easy since she's not a social person. This isn't easy since, as a newbie guild... they got some... eccentrics.
Teling the Protector
Daughter of an old knight from the south. Teling was Roanda's guide to the western continents when she first stumbled into the country. Becoming friends and allies, she followed Roanda and was there when she founded the guild. Compared to the quiet Ronin, Teling is outgoing. She enjoys a good story and is always eager for a drink. When not in armor, she surprises people with her strength, due to being rather short and skinny.
Tara the Medic
The youngest member of the guild. And, frighteningly, the key to their continued survival. To call her... eager, is an understatement. She's always is running out to see the latest part of the labyrinth. (Thus she is also the mapmaker) Her eagerness has gotten them into trouble several times. Several FOEs that were ignoring them were turned to wrath thanks to her. At least once they got lost for two hours thanks to her drawing a left turn instead of a right. She once woke up a bunch of ladybugs in the middle of their nap. The giant horrible plants that were called as a result at the very least profitable once they sold their corpses. If it weren't for the fact that she's the second best healer in all of Laggard, Kilya would have probably shot her long ago
Kilya the Gunner
A short tempered girl from the northern lands. She came to Laggard in order to sightsee, but unfortunately ended up losing all her money to some back alley gambling. Stuck without a means of income, and only her very basic fire arms training and even more basic magic skills. She signed up for Golden the moment she saw a guild opening. Determined to make enough money to go home, she has improved drastically in her ability to shoot things in pursuit of this goal. Unfortunately, her temper means that she has a difficult time getting along with many people. Tara and Ashley in particular drive her insane.
Ashley the Landsknecht
Tara's cousin. Like her, a native to Laggard. But while Tara pursued the healing arts. Ashley discovered that she really liked shoving Axes into the heads of things until they stopped moving. A bit more mature then her cousin, she shares the bright personality of Tara, only with more restraint. However, she loves her pranks. And Kilya is her favorite target.
Belle the Hexer
Once, Belle was considered a beautiful girl in her village, desired by nearly every male in a mile radius. Then she learned magic. Taken in by the hexes and somewhat dark spells, she covered herself with a cloak at all times, put on strange makeup, and cut her hair short. Spending most of her time in her room with her books. When she did come it, it was to buy weird spell components, and any interaction with the villagers concisted of frankly creepy conversations and ominous foretellings of their deaths. The boys stopped persuing her after that. Eventually she decided that her farm village did not provide her the needed atmosphere for her work. A mysterious maze filled with monsters seemed like a good idea. And Roanda was happy to accept a skilled magic user like her. She rarely speaks to her fellow guild members, and when she does it's some sarcastic comment or foretelling of doom. (Of course, they've been doomed so often that they tend to ignore those now.)
Woobie the Beast
When they first started exploring the labyrnnth, Tara found a wounded, abandoned wolf puppy. Pitying it, she took it into her home. Spending half her salary on feeding and caring for it. Being a creature of the Labyrinth, Woobie had some strange growth patterns. Namely, that in a month he was a wolf as large as a horse. The townsfolk of Laggard have, thankfully, gotten used to the beasts presence. One day, he secretly followed his master into the Labyrinth, and surprised everyone when a group of Slaveimps were torn to shreds by him after they tried to attack the guild. Since then Roanda's been training him to fight. When heading with them into the Labyrinth, Tara rides him. She's the only one allowed to do this. Anyone else who tries it gets whacked with his tail.
Len the War Magus.
Princess Lenneth, as she likes to be called, (Thus, nobody calls her that) Is in fact, a princess. Granted, a princess tenth in line of succession to her kingdoms throne, but one none the less. She ran away from home after an argument with her father, and soon learned the outside world was full of danger. Thankfully, her skills with sword and spell made sure she could handle that danger. After a year of listless wandering, she wondered if she should head home. However, said year of listless wandering had made her look... less then princess-ly. She decided that she needed more money in order to afford the items of wealth that her kingdom expects a princess to wear. She went to Laggard, figuring that she could earn money that way. Despite looking like a dirty vagrant when she first entered Golden, she demands to be treated with the respect and honor that her station entitles her too. Only Teling actually gives her this, and even then only when she hasn't had any alcohol.
Likel the Trabudor
A cheery girl who one day just walked into Golden Offices (AKA Roanda's Inn Room) and asked if they could use a bard. Nobody really knows what's up with her, but she's always cheerful and polite to everyone. Plus, she has near supernatural luck, which has saved them in the Labyrinth a few times, as well as being immune to Ashley's pranks. She seems to like Belle, always spending time with her. Despite Belle rarely saying anything, she's also not creeped out by anything she says, a miracle.
TL;DR: I have an active imagination and here's my own private Etrian Odyssey fanfic which I am now posting on the internet because I have no shame.
When I fought my Stalker for the first time, I won.
With only my Protector standing.
With 1 HP.
It was glorious.
Platinum FC: 2880 3245 5111
I'm on floor 10. I was running a Beast/Ronin in front, Gunner/Survivalist/Medic in the back, but I'm trying to come up with something different that works. I switched to B/L/R in front, H/M in the back just for kicks, but I find that Hexers and Alchemists run out of MP far too often for my tastes. What other party configs are people using?
Had an Alchemist in the back for a long time, once I got the Gunner's best weapons I found they were much more useful (Force Skill and otherwise) so I ditched her.
The Beast is definitely the slacker of the group, but I love him and he's done my party well.
AOE!
AOE!
AOE!
I only built Loyalty up to 7, I think, so he doesn't usually jump in front of enough attacks to get himself killed.
And even if he does, better him than one of my useful party members.
I love my Beast, but I think I'm also one of the few EO fans who really isn't interested in min/maxing my party. I find his defense invaluable, the Doze Off cheap healing excellent and he's got enough FOE manipulation skills to help out while traveling.
Hexers are the best in the game. Keep him at one hp and spam revenge. Instakill really.
Platinum FC: 2880 3245 5111
Platinum FC: 2880 3245 5111
Without it, they're just a mediocre damage dealer and a Landshark/Ronin can do that job much better.
It's really too bad Loyalty doesn't work based on the Beast's defense, it would make them so much better. It almost seems like they were supposed to work that way, but (much like how broken Immunize was in EO1, when it really shouldn't have been) they messed it up.
Like 4-5k. Then I wouldn't complain.
Basically the only way to get a good beast is to team him with a protector and a medic, defense buff the shit out of him and heal him every turn.
Defense buffing the heck out of him won't work. The only thing that'd help would be the Troubadour's song for increasing HP.
As many people on GameFAQS and various other boards have pointed out, the Beast is only good in a group already built for soaking up damage - in which case what's the point of having the Beast in the first place?!
Platinum FC: 2880 3245 5111
Backwall doesn't help with the damage the beast takes from the squishes in the back row? I thought it did.
I did once get away with using a beast in the sixth stratum.
By reviving him at the end of every turn.
Dying, every turn?
They're not that bad.
If I were to go Hexxer, it would be more for the binding than revenge. I'm not really interested in that skill.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB9lhfJeu2U
He did say 6th stratum, and there are a lot more AOE getting through around up there.
I'm AT the 30th floor.
I've FOUGHT the 30th floor boss.
I don't even have a Medic, just a War Magus. If my Beast was dying every turn I'd have to bring so many Nectars it wouldn't be funny.
They're really not that bad and 950 HP is quite enough to survive.
Beasts also get some pretty bad equips if memory serves.
You've fought the 30th floor boss, but did you win? :P
I don't think anything in either EO will ever top the first time I fought that Ragelope on Level 2 in EO1. Like, I had heard people talking about tough enemies, but I was so softened up by years of other RPGs that I walked into that fight completely unaware.
Like five newborn babies delivered unto a pack of wolves.
not yet
I need to item gather some materials so I can Axcela III his ass into oblivion.
How cheap. How banal.
I'm starting to feel that, too - I could be leveling dudes to 71 in preparation for 6th stratum in earnest, but I have this intense desire to make a second party and level them off normal mobs, even though I'd use none of these secondary party members in my main party.
Floor 8, PDM/TH. Seem to be tearing through most things at present.
What're the conditions to respawn Chimera?
Or was that EO1? I can't remember.
I got his conditional drop without even trying for it, so I should be able to beat him repeatedly fairly easily with my stratum-2-FOE-killing party.
YES!
Just needed to share that I took down the 30F boss. WOO!
Didn't really feel like I was cheesing it... it took 22 turns, and 3 Nectall IIs, as he got in a couple hits when Riot Gun was too slow (or it MISSED, WTF). One turn everyone except the DH died (thanks, Beast, for protecting her!) but was reapplying Dominate, so all was well.
Now I can finally put this away for good. Hooray!