Board 8 > If you're playing Xenoblade for the first time post here

(+) Yeah! (+)

My biggest complaints of the game so far:

1. Shulk looks like a different person
2. They updated the character models but didn't quite match the old animations to go with the models, and sometimes the result is janky as fuck. Doesn't help that some of the old animations were PS2-era quality. Just the way people walk/run in cutscenes is so...weird.

---

KamikazePotato posted...

They updated the character models but didn't quite match the old animations to go with the models, and sometimes the result is janky as fuck. Doesn't help that some of the old animations were PS2-era quality. Just the way people walk/run in cutscenes is so...weird.

I started giving the characters some of their more elaborate mech costumes, and so many of them clip into their bodies. That's where I started really noticing some of the flaws with the models.

---

Just started it.

The only thing I'd ever played before was the bit with Dunban at the start.

---

Just finished chapter 1. This game's sucking me in and the music is great!

I think initially I may have been turned off on the whole "game autoattacking for you" thing but it's really not bothering me now.

I did turn on expert mode; which as I understand just makes it so you don't get overleveled completing quests; as in you can just add (or remove) that experience anytime.

---

yeah when you get overleveled, AP and SP gain slows to a crawl especially as you gain other characters later in the game so keeping it around the same level as the enemies in the area helps keep it going

a word of warning though when a new character joins they join at whatever you level is at the time and not whatever your theoretical max level is.

---

I noticed that, so I figure its best to leave level at max just for the first encounter.
Too bad I didnt get a chance to do that with Dunban
---

now granted there's a fast enough method to max out your SP and affinity for all characters shortly after you get the last party member as long as you're in the 47ish range and AP will build up a bit while you're doing it anyway.

---

I wasn't actually planning on doing everything, but this nice new quest system makes it so satisfying.

---

ninkendo posted...

a word of warning though when a new character joins they join at whatever you level is at the time and not whatever your theoretical max level is.

Hm. So... uh.

I'd guess I'd probably be ok as long as I'm not turning characters down to level 1 at weird times?

---

Just finished chapter 2.

I have to admit I kinda loved the whole break->topple on mechons pre-Monado and felt like I kinda overleveled here because I was finding the fights fun. Knocked my level down to 8 once it hit 10 as the enemies weren't a threat anymore.

Was not prepared for the conclusion of this chapter. Not even a little. Must play more.


---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNJRRR3jKcY

---

Xenoblade probably has my favorite introduction of any game, ever.

---

Been enjoying this decently so far.

Really really peeved about "You Will Know Our Names" being interrupted every fucking time I'm trying to kill a unique monster because Oh no it's using an attack on someone that will kill them, gotta change the song to something not even nearly as cool.

Like fuck, the song plays so rarely as it is, let me fucking enjoy it =/

---

And you don't even get the song back if you change the result or whatever. Once you lose it, it's fucking gone.

---

Yeah, I hated that. Shouldn't that song be even better to compensate if it's going to stay for the rest of the battle? It sounds nice and threatening when it appears, but it doesn't work when it plays for the entire fight.

---

Zigzagoon posted...

And you don't even get the song back if you change the result or whatever. Once you lose it, it's fucking gone.

Huh, maybe I've given myself a Mandela Effect, but I thought the music could change back once you start kicking ass again, or at least if you revive or encourage a party member. That's one of the things I loved about big fights - the dynamic music and how much it contributed to my hype/stress.

---

Pretty sure the music can change away from Vision Reacts, but I think something big needs to happen (good or bad). If you just gradually win the fight after changing the future than I think the music won't change.

I recommend looking up a random boss battle of Skies of Arcadia that goes back-and-forth, because that game absolutely nailed dynamic music in a JRPG fight and I'm annoyed no game copied them.

---

KamikazePotato posted...

I recommend looking up a random boss battle of Skies of Arcadia that goes back-and-forth, because that game absolutely nailed dynamic music in a JRPG fight and I'm annoyed no game copied them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GMMFJc-mUo

It's this boss theme that changes based on how the fight is going. And I agree that this is something that pretty much every game in existence should have stolen.

---

Seriously how many times is shulk going to see someone die and not say anything

It is actively annoying me at this point

---

From what I've seen, the music changes are based on your party's health. If you get everybody healed up out of the danger zone, the music changes back to normal.

---

DanKirby posted...

From what I've seen, the music changes are based on your party's health. If you get everybody healed up out of the danger zone, the music changes back to normal.

Not true.

My party is always full hp and then the unique monster targets someone with a "dangerous" attack and the music changes and has never once changed back despite getting rid of that attack or healing people back to full.

---

when you find a unique enemy mute your system and just load this up ez solution

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSY6Hj2UeNs

---

Zigzagoon posted...

Not true.

My party is always full hp and then the unique monster targets someone with a "dangerous" attack and the music changes and has never once changed back despite getting rid of that attack or healing people back to full.

You also need to get people's tension up. I was just in a UM battle a little bit ago and I distinctly remember YWKON coming back on after having been switched to something else

---

oh wow I did not know XB2's Challenge Battle Mode was added to this, Nopon Archsage and all

loved it in XB2, and the continued connection is cool!... now if it gave the same incredible easter-egg bonus reward that XB2 did... but at least for now got fashion rewards again!

interesting that this first Restricted challenge grants Shulk Monado Shield but not Monado Enchant, suggests there may be some interesting restriction challenges ahead

---

More I play through the game, the more I think I prefer most of the original soundtrack.

---

oh ya according to my checklist I've finished up every sidequest through Makna forest that I can do including the line of quests back in Colony 9 that unlocks Shulk's 4th skill tree. Just missing the follow up to that quest which requires 5 star affinity in Colony 9.

Total time so far is 41 hours while in the original I'm pretty sure I was pushing 70 at this point

Onto Eryth Sea!

---

here's how the bomber's journal is going so far

---

same

---

I swam an entire lap around the Eryth sea (and visited the islands that were actually in the water on the way)

only took a few hours

---

you madman

---

I did that in the original. I'd suggest putting it off until you have 25% worth of quick step gems and the skill links to increase movement from Riki and Seven

---

so if I'm remembering my Melia strategy correctly now that I have the abilities I need

Summon Bolt + Summon Copy for 40% Ether Boost, but never launch them

Summon Earth, Summon Flare, Summon Ice with Poison/Blaze/Chill gems in the weapon and rotate releasing those for attacks

Spear Break + Starlight Kick for an instant topple without having to break the enemy

Burst End to lower enemy defenses

---

i see two nicked edges your lap missedd

---

well it will autofill anyway once I visit every location on the map anyway

---

hombad46 posted...

You also need to get people's tension up. I was just in a UM battle a little bit ago and I distinctly remember YWKON coming back on after having been switched to something else

I've read somewhere on reddit that once it changes to Visions it will never change back. I've gotten super high tension, broken the vision and done basically everything and YWKON has never come back.

---

My Melia strategy this time around was a double cast of Wind to boost Agility - that way Dunban and Shulk could serve as evasion tanks. Then I'd just launch Bolt over and over.

It worked pretty well, but now I have my favorite team and she's not part of it. =(

---

Zigzagoon posted...

I've read somewhere on reddit that once it changes to Visions it will never change back. I've gotten super high tension, broken the vision and done basically everything and YWKON has never come back.

I dunno then. I REALLY remember it coming back on (from the start, and those opening notes are tough to forget) during all my playthroughs. I might just be actually insane.

---

The "danger" battle music that plays if your team gets in trouble will go away if you bring your tension back up, but I don't remember if the vision breaking theme does too. I haven't seen it happen yet.

---

Maybe that's the issue - I distinctly remember getting YWKON back, but I don't remember which theme it interrupted. Also, I love the Vision Reacts theme, so maybe I've just never associated it with anything negative. >_>

---

Satorl Marsh in HD is absolutely stunning.

---

time for another 4 days of work RIP progress I'll be doing these Alcamoth sidequests all week

---

Been trying to clear up all loose end sidequests and stuff before heading to Prison Island and boy is it taking a while.

---

I'm almost done with Frontier Village/Makna and it took forever. I've barely made a dent in Eryth Sea/Alcamoth, but that area probably won't take as long because there isn't as much to do. I also like that region more. Eryth Sea is one of the most beautiful levels in gaming imo.

Also, my play clock is at 62 hours in eight days. I think I've done more gaming in 2020 than any other year in my life.

---

CaptainOfCrush posted...

but that area probably won't take as long because there isn't as much to do.

well actually

---

The Mana Sword posted...

Been trying to clear up all loose end sidequests and stuff before heading to Prison Island and boy is it taking a while.

Trying to do all of the sidequests in this game is a commitment. On par with raising a small child or moving to a central African country

---

As someone who 100%d Dragon Age Inquisition, this is nothing

---

KamikazePotato posted...

Satorl Marsh in HD is absolutely stunning.

The arranged night music is amazing. I didn't think it was possible to be better than the original

---

I think experiencing the Fallen Arm at night is when this unquestionably became an all-time game for me.

---

By the way I'm using this controller:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086W4YCQ3/

Because it was the only controller I could find that worked with a docked Switch and had a headphone jack. Xenoblade on the big screen with headphones to hear the tunes is the way to go. The joysticks were kind of uncomfortable, so I put on some thumb grips I'd gotten for the joycons a while back, and they made it a lot more comfortable. Except the thumb grips were a bit too small for the custom controller, so they kept slipping off over time...so I superglued them on. Modern problems, modern solutions. I did all this mostly for Xenoblade, but at least I can make an argument with plausible deniability that it'll also be a great setup to use for Switch games I want to play in the future.

I say all this because my TV may have just died and I'm currently debating the pros and cons of getting a new one when I don't watch TV anymore and Xenoblade might be the only console game I play (docked, at least) for the rest of the year. That might be a step too far but man, what a time for it to go.

---

I find this game difficult to play in handheld mode (and the handheld resolution being 540p doesn't help its case) so just like every other switch game I play it docked 99% of the time

---