You can't really wreck yourself in Disgaea. It might be more efficient to have Laharl make 1 guy, then have that guy make the next and so on, but in the end it's not worth worrying over. You can always reincarnate your non-plot characters and change their class.

Especially if you check yourself first.

I'll just reiterate the "don't worry about it" advice. You can always make more characters down the road if there are certain spells you want to have other characters learn, or give (minor) stat boosts to, etc.

Once you build up some uber-powerful equipment, even brand spanking new level 1 characters can trash monsters hundreds of levels above them, so long term it's not a big issue.

*smashes through window* TADA!

Generally speaking you should NOT make different mages the pupils of a mage. The mentor system is a way to teach a character new skills without transmigrating them, which is essential for story characters since they cannot transmigrate to a new class. Thus the ONLY way to, say, teach Laharl attack magic is to have him mentor some mages. If you have one mage mentoring others then that first mage can learn a new element of magic, which can be useful but you can get an overall better result through transmigrating them since they'll gain the new spells naturally as well as the other benefits of transmigration (when you transmigrate you "bank" levels which translate to bonus stat points, which can equate to hundreds, even thousands of points as that character gains levels). It's also the only way to teach "human" skills to a monster without transmigrating them twice (monster to prinny and prinny to human). There are some secret characters that are excellent spellcasters but are considered monsters in game terms and they can really benefit from some pupils.

I found that Laharl didn't have the INT to make him a very effective mage but I taught him some of the Star line to give him a ranged attack. Better to do a little damage than waste a turn if he can't get in melee range, after all. I also taught him a few buffs and some healing spells.

You can also use the mentor system to add small benefits to characters you don't really want to take the time to transmigrate yet. Giving your front-line melee characters buffs and heals can reduce the number of dedicated magic users you need to field which can be helpful later on in the game when their fragility really starts to show. With the right INT/RES boosting items you can make any character a good mage or healer.

Just in case it isn't yet clear, the proper way to use a pupil is to have them stand next to their mentor, thereby granting their mentor access to their spells. Every time the mentor casts a spell they gain experience in it and once it hits level 1 they no longer need their pupil for that spell and they can continue to train it on their own like any other skill.

...And yes, it makes no freaking sense that a mentor learns from their pupil.

So is this a pretty good game? I was on vacation this past weekend and had some time on my PSP (which I havent had in months) and was playing that Final Fantasy VII : Crisis Core. Its fun, but I am much more into strategy.

Thanks!

PAR

The Disgaea guide used to be free to download from DoubleJump page (as PDF), but is not anymore, as some guys were reselling it through eBay for a price. Still, I have a copy of the free guide - if you want it, drop me a PM and I can upload it somewhere for you.

It's also a game that requires hours and hours of grinding to be successful... not to mention that the game itself doesn't do a very good job of actually EXPLAINING itself (note the question above as an example).

I played it for a few hours, but just couldn't get into it. If you're looking for strategy, I assume you've also already played Jeanne d'Arc, FFT, and Field Commander?

Y'know, I'd appreciate a copy too. I like the art.

Woot. Thank you good uh... turtley... thing.

I think Lobster may have actually written the guides.

I can always dump it if the grind gets too bad. I have no qualms about that. I'm having fun so far, though.

EDIT: Okay, I'm 20 pages into that strategy guide and now I'm scared. Maybe I should switch to Jeanne D'Arc... But I love the gameplay so much. And the animation of the Prinnies with their serrated knives.

Thanks for posting that link, wanderingtaoist. I just began playing Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness for the PSP and love it. Even though this guide is for Disgaea 1 on the PS2, can I still use it's strategy tips for the PSP version?

You don't have to beat each item, you just have to subdue (read: kill) the specialists within the item. Once you leave, (either at every tenth level or by using a Mr. Gency's Exit) you can transfer the subdued residents to another item. I've done it extensively. Once you've gotten a number of decently levelled characters, it's reletively easy on the more comon items like gum and whatnot.

And if you decide it is too complex, don't worry! It's completely optional, you can finish the game without even touching it.

Shouldn't be a problem, seeing as there's only very minor differences between the PS2 and PSP versions.

I think FFT (I played a few hours of FFT and about 70 hours of FFTA) has complexity more in the job system and how you learn and retain skills. Disgaea feels much more complex to me. I'm still trying to decide whether this is a fun complex or not.

I should also point out that the maximum values for stats and such in this game are ridiculous... Don't worry about screwing your stats up or not being as tough as you could be! What you didn't get in efficiency you can easily compensate with items or sheer leveling.
There is no reward for having a 'Perfect' character. Your enemies will be dead whether you do 6700235464535 damage or 999999999999991 damage.