[Monster Hunter] 4, now with online multiplayer!! Coming to 3DS 2013

MordaRazgrom · March 2013

When you put your Switch Axe into "sword mode" it drains the energy in it, which is that yellow bar under your health and stamina bars. The energy slowly fills back up (faster if you have Concentration) when you're not in Sword Mode, but if you let the energy drain all the way, it may be better to "reload" it.

Also, the Switch Axe has an explode when it's in Sword Mode, when you do an explosion then a big chunk of your energy gauge is used up. The explosion is pretty fantastic, if you circle your joystick and mash the attack buttons while you're exploding, you'll explode faster. When you're doing the "charge-up" to the explosion, each one of those little flashes is an actual hit, culminating into the big "boom" at the end. It does pretty damn MASSIVE damage when you line it up right.

UncleSporky wrote: »

Another question about this series...everyone always seems concerned about Capcom's western support for it, but from looking at Wikipedia it doesn't seem like we've missed out on many games in the series. It's not like missing an entry in a plot-heavy series, and it doesn't look like we typically miss out on the online entries either. Is the series in dire straights somehow?

We missed out on MHP3rd, we don't have Monster Hunter Frontier. Tri Ultimate has made it over, but it's been in Japan for a long time now. A lot of times we get delayed releases. The series isn't in dire straits at all, because it is massively popular over in Japan, but its sales in the West aren't very stellar at all.

PLA · March 2013

It is fun to Switchexplode a Great Jaggi in the face.

Lanrutcon wrote: »

I am going to roll longsword/dual in Ultimate, and I'm totally gonna try and The Broken Slime Bow(tm) for kicks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOLIvp2jbEY

Is that a shotgun? Shotguns are always amazing up close.

MordaRazgrom · March 2013

My absolute bar none favorite weapon is Sword and Shield. The Shield Bash is just too damn good! You shield bash the monster's body and they get tired REALLY quickly, becoming docile little rabbits, ripe for you to slice and dice. You shield bash the monster's head and you can knock them out! The Lance has a very awkward shield bash, and the Great Sword has that really awkward slap, but Sword and Shield is amazing because you get the blunt benefits like a Hammer user, while still being able to cut tails!

That's why I give zero care that people call Sword and Shield the noob weapon, I'm going to be Sword and Shield master to the day that I die!

Lanrutcon · March 2013

PLA wrote: »

It is fun to Switchexplode a Great Jaggi in the face.

Lanrutcon wrote: »

I am going to roll longsword/dual in Ultimate, and I'm totally gonna try and The Broken Slime Bow(tm) for kicks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOLIvp2jbEY

Is that a shotgun? Shotguns are always amazing up close.

It might as well be!

Koldanar · March 2013

Just how daunting a task is to play these games? I've seen the comments on the past few pages, and I'm certainly unafraid of beginning a game that takes work (See : All Etrian Odyssey games). Is this something I can back-burner on my 3DS while finishing off EOIV, then come play it and still be able to join folks online?

Seidkona · March 2013

Koldanar wrote: »

Just how daunting a task is to play these games? I've seen the comments on the past few pages, and I'm certainly unafraid of beginning a game that takes work (See : All Etrian Odyssey games). Is this something I can back-burner on my 3DS while finishing off EOIV, then come play it and still be able to join folks online?

Sadly unless you have a WiiU there will be no getting online.

Koldanar · March 2013

Son of a ....missed that part. Thanks again Nintendo. Ah well...the demo is fairly limited in scope; how does single player only translate on the 3DS?

MordaRazgrom · March 2013

In my opinion, Monster Hunter is good enough to play solo. Online is fun, but solo is pretty awesome too. I take it you've gleaned from the last few pages that the control scheme is not for everybody. The game is absolutely rewarding, though, evne if you just solo it. Unlike Monster Hunter Tri, I think Monster Hunter Tri Ultimate will make sure that you can solo every quest, and every monster will be available to you, regardless of whether you're online or not (since it's coming to 3DS without dedicated servers).

I played Monster Hunter Tri almost exclusively solo until about last year, I also play the PSP Monster Hunters exclusively solo as well.

Lanrutcon · March 2013

Koldanar wrote: »

Son of a ....missed that part. Thanks again Nintendo. Ah well...the demo is fairly limited in scope; how does single player only translate on the 3DS?

Well, Ultimate has everything Tri had and more. All online only content from Tri is now available offline, plus Ultimate has new G rank stuff. So basically there's a lot to do, and everything is available to you (there's not multiplayer-only or online-only content).

I'm buying it for solo play. Unless one of my idiot friends develops some taste and gets a 3DS.

MordaRazgrom · March 2013

anyone else smell that? I think I smell a new thread, due to us reaching 99 pages. I'd do it myself, but I'd be piss poor at it.

Lanrutcon · March 2013

MordaRazgrom wrote: »

anyone else smell that? I think I smell a new thread, due to us reaching 99 pages. I'd do it myself, but I'd be piss poor at it.

Smells like Deviljho poop! There must be one nearby! Nobody expects...

...stealthjho.

Cucco Leader · March 2013

You don't need another player. I've never played a Monster Hunter game with another person and I've done just fine. I assume this one will be no different.

MordaRazgrom · March 2013

Monster Hunter Tri was the only one that was sort of a disappointment to me, because you just can NOT solo any of the High Rank monsters unless you have the biggest baddest gear out there, which means you already beat those monsters. I was pleasantly surprised, though, at how much I enjoyed playing with other hunters. I'm normally a pretty miserly player, pretty selfish to be honest, but Monster Hunter is just...well it's probably one of the best titles out there for cooperative multiplayers that I have played. Killing Floor, Red Orchestra, and World of Warcraft are pretty good at having game mechanics force people to not be dickheads to each other and actually work together, but nobody does it quite as well as Monster Hunter does. Maybe it's just that Monster Hunter has a superior community :P

UncleSporky · March 2013

Koldanar wrote: »

Son of a ....missed that part. Thanks again Nintendo.

It's not Nintendo's fault. The 3DS game came out ages ago in Japan when Capcom wasn't even considering online for it. In general Capcom appears resistant to online Monster Hunter, because it does fine in Japan with local wireless play. Then the Wii U version came out much later with online as a new cool feature for people upgrading to the HD version. In fact I believe the online only happened because Nintendo funded it! Tri in Japan actually cost money to play online, but Nintendo's covering the servers for this one.

It only invites comparison because they're coming out on the same day in the west.

It's not a 3DS limitation or anything, Monster Hunter 4 is going to be for 3DS and it's online day one.

MordaRazgrom · March 2013

UncleSporky wrote: »

Koldanar wrote: »

Son of a ....missed that part. Thanks again Nintendo.

It's not Nintendo's fault. The 3DS game came out ages ago in Japan when Capcom wasn't even considering online for it. Then the Wii U version came out much later with online as a new cool feature for people upgrading to the HD version. It only invites comparison because they're coming out on the same day in, like a billion yearsin the west.

It's not a 3DS limitation or anything, Monster Hunter 4 is going to be for 3DS and it's online day one.

I'm getting damn antsy here! I want my Monster Hunter already! Taking all my frustrations out on the poor Jinogua (Zinogre for the new version)...Capcom made a pretty bad mistake in my eyes by giving Jinogua so many breakable parts. I feel like a torturer when I make sure to break every little piece on that guy, he looks so pathetic by the time I actually allow him the sweet release of death.

Chorazin · March 2013

I loved the Dual Blades in the demo, so that's what I'm gonna go with for my main. Might also work on Bows since I can see that being useful in MP.

PLA · March 2013

MordaRazgrom wrote: »

My absolute bar none favorite weapon is Sword and Shield. The Shield Bash is just too damn good! You shield bash the monster's body and they get tired REALLY quickly, becoming docile little rabbits, ripe for you to slice and dice. You shield bash the monster's head and you can knock them out! The Lance has a very awkward shield bash, and the Great Sword has that really awkward slap, but Sword and Shield is amazing because you get the blunt benefits like a Hammer user, while still being able to cut tails!

That's why I give zero care that people call Sword and Shield the noob weapon, I'm going to be Sword and Shield master to the day that I die!

SnS features superior item-usage. Su per i or.
It's not my favourite weapon, but it simply is very effective.

MordaRazgrom · March 2013

I do my best to use all the weapons, I've gotten very good at Great Sword, Lance, Hammer, Longsword...pretty much all of them, but Sword and Shield...yeah that's my baby. Anything that starts getting rough immediately gets Sword and Shield'd to victory!

Even fought Cedeaus with Sword and Shield once :P ALthough the Lagia Greatsword was so effective it was just the obvious choice.

IceBurner · March 2013

Ceadeus is actually easiest to kill with Divine Exodus and the Lagiacrus armor. 720 Dragon element boosted 20%, and being able to attack very accurately almost without interruption and block ... yep, shreds the angry whale very safely in ~26 minutes -- a single session.

It's actually strong enough to keep Ceadeus stunlocked by alternating between its two fins and belly. Sadly that weapon isn't really that great on anything else. There's a very low number of elder dragons in MH3, and among all the end-game enemies, only Ceadeus has any serious level of weakness to Dragon and accessibility to actually hit the monster with it.

On that note, the final boss of MH4 had better not have any damn wings.

Seidkona · March 2013

I don't know. If you're enjoying a wepon I think that's worth more than what anyone else thinks about what you're using. From the demo with the new movesets and such I am most in love with the Hunting Horn followed by Dual swords and then Light Bowgun.

Not what I ran with in Tri or MHFU.

MordaRazgrom · March 2013

I don't have Divine Exodus because ferk them damn rustshards! However, Rathalos takes a massive beating on dragon element, and I do consider him one of the end-game monsters hehe.

I'm going to be straight-up Hunting Horn user in Tri Ultimate I think. I have been using it a lot more in MHP3rd and I'm getting pretty spiffy at it now, I LOVE it.

Koldanar · March 2013

UncleSporky wrote: »

Koldanar wrote: »

Son of a ....missed that part. Thanks again Nintendo.

It's not Nintendo's fault. The 3DS game came out ages ago in Japan when Capcom wasn't even considering online for it. In general Capcom appears resistant to online Monster Hunter, because it does fine in Japan with local wireless play. Then the Wii U version came out much later with online as a new cool feature for people upgrading to the HD version. In fact I believe the online only happened because Nintendo funded it! Tri in Japan actually cost money to play online, but Nintendo's covering the servers for this one.

It only invites comparison because they're coming out on the same day in the west.

It's not a 3DS limitation or anything, Monster Hunter 4 is going to be for 3DS and it's online day one.

I had assumed it was a decision by them, rather than Capcom; I was unaware the 3DS version was remade on the Wii U. I'm unfortunately the type of 3DS owner that has yet to get a streetpass connection! So local wireless was only useful in transfering my 3DS to a 3DS XL

Seidkona · March 2013

The new Hunting Horn is pretty much civilization as far as I am concerned. It is far and away my new favorite weapon.

IceBurner · March 2013

This time I need to make sure to make gunner armors, bowguns, and bows as I play through.

All of the above being powerful enough to solo monsters with was quite the encouragement for doing so in P3rd.

Actually, having to make, store, and manage separate gunner armors is a hindrance I wouldn't mind seeing gone from the series. I'd like to see something that makes them interchangeable. Say you make 1 piece - a Jaggi headpiece - and it has two separate states of being; Jaggi Helm and Jaggi Cap, but as far as your item box space goes they exist together in the same spot. One shows up when you have a blademaster weapon equipped and the other with a gunner weapon equipped.

If nothing else I'd like to see like both the blade and gunner pieces getting crafted together instead of separately. Three of the game's weapon classes shouldn't be fenced off behind the need to make extra sets of armor.

Elderlycrawfish · March 2013

What worked well in P3, particularly since Element Attack stacked with <Individual Element> Attack, was to run Alatreon gunner, but saved in different configurations of gems and charms to cover each element type. Light bowguns were ridiculously overpowered in this regard.

I guess the problem stems from having to get to endgame for alatreon......

I needed anime to post. · March 2013

The management of various forms of ammunition combined with different armor sets makes trying to pick up bowgunning (or bowing) from playing blademaster for a while irritating, and it's why I've never done it. I want to pick up and learn bow in 3U but removing one of those two difficulties would really go a long way in making it easier and more fun to quickly swap between the two and bring whatever you need for the hunt.

IceBurner · March 2013

I'm down with ammo management for bowguns. Revolver Ocelot was onto something about reloading in the heat of combat...

When I don't want to have to worry about ammo, I use Bows instead.

One thing P3rd didn't copy from 3 (tri) was bowguns having built-in Normal Shot 1. Instead of it being an item you could forget, not know you need to begin with, or throw away, it was just always there in your ammo list no matter what.

This was the single worst change for them to leave out as it corrected one of the fundamental flaws of being a gunner in past games; light and heavy bowgun were the only weapon types where it was possible for you to be unable to attack.

OK, yeah you always have the bowgun swat. That's like a kick, it won't kill anything and doesn't count. Normal Shot 1, though it might take all 50 minutes, can actually kill things.

Chorazin · March 2013

Hah, the very first panel I'm going to at PAX East is definitely going to be: So You Wanna Be a Monster Hunter? An Introduction bright and early at 10 am Friday morning!

Cucco Leader · March 2013

The divided armor thing doesn't bother me as much as the growing difference in defense as you get farther into the game. I get that a gunner/archer should be weaker armor wise, but when things start one shotting you late game, it makes me wonder why I would use those weapons in the first place. Don't get me wrong I love the bow, it's just... I feel a bit like I'm hamstringing myself.

MordaRazgrom · March 2013

IceBurner wrote: »

This time I need to make sure to make gunner armors, bowguns, and bows as I play through.

All of the above being powerful enough to solo monsters with was quite the encouragement for doing so in P3rd.

Actually, having to make, store, and manage separate gunner armors is a hindrance I wouldn't mind seeing gone from the series. I'd like to see something that makes them interchangeable. Say you make 1 piece - a Jaggi headpiece - and it has two separate states of being; Jaggi Helm and Jaggi Cap, but as far as your item box space goes they exist together in the same spot. One shows up when you have a blademaster weapon equipped and the other with a gunner weapon equipped.

If nothing else I'd like to see like both the blade and gunner pieces getting crafted together instead of separately. Three of the game's weapon classes shouldn't be fenced off behind the need to make extra sets of armor.

This would be amazing, however I'd just caveat that you should get the choice to select either the bowgun helmet or blademaster helmet with your armor, regardless of what weapon you're using. I sincerely hope nobody ever bothers to make the Rathalos Blademaster hat, because it is just butts when compared to the Gunner hat which has better stats on just about everything except the armor.

Also, am I the only one anal enough that I arrange my storage box into armor rows, rather than using auto-sort? I have my armor sets all set up in there, there's my Jaggi armor, my Rathalos armor, all conveniently packaged together, so that when I want to wear an armor piece, I just go in and look at which set I want to use...am I too anal?

Dr. Flamingo · March 2013

The only weapons I haven't really gotten into are hammers and ranged weapons (for lack of proper aiming, CPP should fix)

UncleSporky · March 2013

I can't imagine enjoying the greatsword ever.

Rubycat · March 2013

I played nothing but Greatsword in Tri, and eventually beat all the singleplayer content. didn't get to really do any of the high rank online stuff, but i played with a couple PA guys up to the point of meeting Jhen the first time and we all got stomped

Dr. Flamingo · March 2013

GS was my second fav in Tri. Next to Switch Axe. I love hit-and-run charge attacks.

Elderlycrawfish · March 2013

Learning to stop a charging Tigrex by perfectly dropping a full greatsword charge on his head was where GS really started clicking for me, back in the Freedom 2/Unite days.

fRAWRst · March 2013

Greatsword for life.

MordaRazgrom · March 2013

My proudest achievement was charging my Greatsword, while a Rathalos was doing his swoop-dive at me from across the map, I brought the sword down so perfect that it knocked him out of the sky. Talk about an adrenaline rush!

IceBurner · March 2013

Being as horrid as I was at MH during MH1, I didn't understand the mechanics of GS or Hammer and played the entire thing only using SnS (which I didn't really understand either, since I didn't use elemental ones) and Lance.

Really the only reason I didn't get stonewalled was that I randomly got an Undertaker, which was pretty much the 2nd or 3rd strongest Lance in the game, and MH1 allowed stun-locking any monster easily. They didn't stop accumulating stagger damage, ever. Later games corrected that so you couldn't begin whittling down the monster's resistance toward the next stagger while the monster was still staggering.

Come MH2, I got my ass handed to me by everything, which finally made me realize I was doing it wrong. It was then that I realized I had to learn how the game worked and learn to play it. From there everything clicked, and I learned all the weapon types.

Mind you, MH2 was still a complete bastard, with a really hard stance against giving you sharp weapons that wouldn't bounce, lacking really important attack tells, fire weapons with green sharpness only becoming available AFTER you beat Lunastra (Rathalos was elevated to the incredibly wrong position of hidden post-game superboss, alongside Lao, Teo, Monoblos,and Chameleos), horribly broken monsters (none of Kusha's attacks forced it to land, Shogun Ceanataur had no downtime after its most damaging rage-mode attacks), and ~doubled monster HP across the board -- BUT -- it was this toughness that forced me to learn the game and all its facets. In some horribly twisted way, I suppose I'm grateful. Or just traumatized.

fRAWRst · March 2013

Headlocking BDS while 3 GS go for tail

good ol plate runs

Halos Nach Tariff · March 2013

Man, plate/ruby/heavenly scale runs were just the worst.
Especially when you were trying to make some posh G-rank set and needed at least one HvnlScl per armour piece, what a pain.

I didn't notice the drop rates being so cumbersome in Tri, although I suppose it didn't have the G-ranked quests either.

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