The Persona 3 Thread

There's no metachlorian style explanation of exactly why Personas are evoked are the way they are, but the symbolism does become fairly clear.

Is there any limit to how far one can progress in Tartarus on a single run in P3P? I'm used to the other Persona/SMT games where "dungeons" are more delineated.

I thought there was supposed to be some fatigue mechanic or something coming into play but I haven't seen it yet. I am doing my first run now, and have reached floor 15 with no trouble... Do I just keep going until I hit a wall? I like to get the whole of whatever task I am working on done before taking on something else so I will likely just keep going until the game puts up a barrier. I just want to know if that is actually a bad idea or something.

Nope, there are barriers that will unlock as the story proceeds. So, feel free to go as far as you are allowed to.

imbiginjapan wrote:

Is there any limit to how far one can progress in Tartarus on a single run in P3P? I'm used to the other Persona/SMT games where "dungeons" are more delineated.

I thought there was supposed to be some fatigue mechanic or something coming into play but I haven't seen it yet. I am doing my first run now, and have reached floor 15 with no trouble... Do I just keep going until I hit a wall? I like to get the whole of whatever task I am working on done before taking on something else so I will likely just keep going until the game puts up a barrier. I just want to know if that is actually a bad idea or something.

There is a fatigue mechanic in P3P, but it's pretty hard to hit it. I think I hit maybe twice (if that) in my entire run through the game. In P3 FES, I hit it every single time.

SixteenBlue wrote:
imbiginjapan wrote:

Is there any limit to how far one can progress in Tartarus on a single run in P3P? I'm used to the other Persona/SMT games where "dungeons" are more delineated.

I thought there was supposed to be some fatigue mechanic or something coming into play but I haven't seen it yet. I am doing my first run now, and have reached floor 15 with no trouble... Do I just keep going until I hit a wall? I like to get the whole of whatever task I am working on done before taking on something else so I will likely just keep going until the game puts up a barrier. I just want to know if that is actually a bad idea or something.

There is a fatigue mechanic in P3P, but it's pretty hard to hit it. I think I hit maybe twice (if that) in my entire run through the game. In P3 FES, I hit it every single time.

To fix the fatigue, you can just buy a lot of snooze-be-gone from the store at school rather than going to bed early.

tuffalobuffalo wrote:
SixteenBlue wrote:
imbiginjapan wrote:

Is there any limit to how far one can progress in Tartarus on a single run in P3P? I'm used to the other Persona/SMT games where "dungeons" are more delineated.

I thought there was supposed to be some fatigue mechanic or something coming into play but I haven't seen it yet. I am doing my first run now, and have reached floor 15 with no trouble... Do I just keep going until I hit a wall? I like to get the whole of whatever task I am working on done before taking on something else so I will likely just keep going until the game puts up a barrier. I just want to know if that is actually a bad idea or something.

There is a fatigue mechanic in P3P, but it's pretty hard to hit it. I think I hit maybe twice (if that) in my entire run through the game. In P3 FES, I hit it every single time.

To fix the fatigue, you can just buy a lot of snooze-be-gone from the store at school rather than going to bed early.

Does that fix being tired when you're actually in Tartarus?

SixteenBlue wrote:
tuffalobuffalo wrote:
SixteenBlue wrote:
imbiginjapan wrote:

Is there any limit to how far one can progress in Tartarus on a single run in P3P? I'm used to the other Persona/SMT games where "dungeons" are more delineated.

I thought there was supposed to be some fatigue mechanic or something coming into play but I haven't seen it yet. I am doing my first run now, and have reached floor 15 with no trouble... Do I just keep going until I hit a wall? I like to get the whole of whatever task I am working on done before taking on something else so I will likely just keep going until the game puts up a barrier. I just want to know if that is actually a bad idea or something.

There is a fatigue mechanic in P3P, but it's pretty hard to hit it. I think I hit maybe twice (if that) in my entire run through the game. In P3 FES, I hit it every single time.

To fix the fatigue, you can just buy a lot of snooze-be-gone from the store at school rather than going to bed early.

Does that fix being tired when you're actually in Tartarus?

No, you would have to use it after you get back. Your team might not be at peak performance, but you could probably flog them for a bit once they start getting tired to power through a level or two. I was like you, though, in P3P, I rarely got to that point.

Edit: It might have been called yawn-be-gone. At any rate, I remember not figuring out that that stuff is essential to fatigue issues because you don't have to waste a turn going to bed early.

tuffalobuffalo wrote:
SixteenBlue wrote:
imbiginjapan wrote:

Is there any limit to how far one can progress in Tartarus on a single run in P3P? I'm used to the other Persona/SMT games where "dungeons" are more delineated.

I thought there was supposed to be some fatigue mechanic or something coming into play but I haven't seen it yet. I am doing my first run now, and have reached floor 15 with no trouble... Do I just keep going until I hit a wall? I like to get the whole of whatever task I am working on done before taking on something else so I will likely just keep going until the game puts up a barrier. I just want to know if that is actually a bad idea or something.

There is a fatigue mechanic in P3P, but it's pretty hard to hit it. I think I hit maybe twice (if that) in my entire run through the game. In P3 FES, I hit it every single time.

To fix the fatigue, you can just buy a lot of snooze-be-gone from the store at school rather than going to bed early.

No way, you want to get fatigued. This way you can go visit Mr. Edogawa and get gigantic boosts to your Courage for free after every visit to Tartarus. It's hands down the best way to build Courage.

Huh, I wasn't aware of that. I got my courage from working at the coffee shop, mostly.

ahrezmendi wrote:

No way, you want to get fatigued. This way you can go visit Mr. Edogawa and get gigantic boosts to your Courage for free after every visit to Tartarus. It's hands down the best way to build Courage.

I always meant to do that but ended up getting sidetracked. I wish I would have known.

Chagall is good too, but you should always visit Edogawa when tired/sick, since it's a free activity (you still get your afternoon slot). Also since P3P changed it so you don't actually get tired while in Tartarus, but instead become tired after you leave, you can progress to the next barrier, then stay up late to ensure that you go from Tired to Sick, and get a maximum of... I think 4 visits to Edogawa. If you do this, combined with playing the Arcade Game at night (3k yen for a Greatly Increased, always worth it) you can have Courage at max by 6/11.

That's what I was talking about, you DO actually get tired in Tartarus, it's just much more difficult to accomplish.

SixteenBlue wrote:

That's what I was talking about, you DO actually get tired in Tartarus, it's just much more difficult to accomplish.

No, you don't. Your characters will say they're tired, but they won't actually get the tired status until you leave.

ahrezmendi wrote:
SixteenBlue wrote:

That's what I was talking about, you DO actually get tired in Tartarus, it's just much more difficult to accomplish.

No, you don't. Your characters will say they're tired, but they won't actually get the tired status until you leave.

Hmm, does going back to the entrance count as leaving? If so, that might be what I'm remembering then.

I don't recall if that triggers it, but you can definitely stay in the dungeon as long as you want.

Talking about P3P right? because in P3FES you definitely get tired in dungeon. But yes it's still worth trying to get sick for courage.

Yes, P3P only.

My party members would complain to me about being tired after I climbed many floors at one time, but when checking their status it would still be the same as when I came in (usually "good"). I never had it become an issue at all because a lot of the time I would do the entirety of the new floors in one night so I would have more time for social links on other nights.

Yep, that's precisely what I did too. I'd always clear to the next barrier in one visit, then hunt down whatever items I needed for quests and/or rare weapons, and then I'd leave.

ahrezmendi wrote:

Yep, that's precisely what I did too. I'd always clear to the next barrier in one visit, then hunt down whatever items I needed for quests and/or rare weapons, and then I'd leave.

Though I would always go back to rescue the people who got lost in Tartarus! I couldn't leave them hanging!!

I'd just time my visit to coincide with the last day a rescue request was available, that way I got the most quests done in a single visit.

Thanks for the insight. Some of those advanced techniques are a bit more min/max-ish than I really want to bother with, but it's good to know there are multiple ways of getting rid of tired status. So much of that stuff is obfuscated to new players.

imbiginjapan wrote:

Thanks for the insight. Some of those advanced techniques are a bit more min/max-ish than I really want to bother with, but it's good to know there are multiple ways of getting rid of tired status. So much of that stuff is obfuscated to new players.

Don't let it overwhelm you. The min/maxing is really not necessary to enjoy and finish the game on Normal difficulty. Generally the only thing to be aware of is not wasting your time. Work on a social link in the afternoon and a stat in the evening. Limit your runs in Tartarus to fewer, longer runs. Everything else will work out fine.

Just did the first "date" with Elizabeth. Now that chick is a hot ticket, way more fun than Persona 4's stick in the mud version.

Of course knowing the Persona series, around social link 5 everything is going to get all weird and awkward and "emotionally complex". Until then, you can find me at the club with my new squeeze. The rest of you guys can go explore Tartarus, kthx.

The Elizabeth dates are some of the best stuff in the game. I enjoyed them all thoroughly. I wish Margaret had been as fleshed out as Elizabeth.

My wife keeps stealing my PSP to play Loco Roco 2.
I'm gonna need to assert my manly authority and put her in her place so I can continue to make friends with cartoon high schoolers.

Well I just had my first main character death to Mamudo in P3P. That... sucks.

Minarchist wrote:
KidDork wrote:

I'm currently stuck fighting

Spoiler:

the Change Relic on Level 36

. So close each time, and then we're all corpses.

Any hints or prayers would be welcome.

Don't bring Junpei. No really, just leave that 4th party slot empty. All those extra turns Junpei's giving him? Bad.

Turning on the way back machine here to reply to a post on page 1.

I just finished this fight last night (5/29 in game). I took Junpei just so he could gain the XP and just used Defend the whole time. That negates he elemental weakness and kept him from getting downed.

MC - Tarukaja on self, then Double Fangs all the way.
Akihiko - Tarunda on the Change Relic, then Zio.
Yukari - Dia and regular attack for the occasional crit.
Junpei - Defend, Defend, Defend.

Easy peasy.

Redwing wrote:

Well I just had my first main character death to Mamudo in P3P. That... sucks.

You'll eventually have a stack of Homunculus and it won't be as much of an issue, but yeah... Hitting something like that after a 3-hour grind in Tartarus was the impetus behind several of my 3-month-long breaks from P3P.

psoplayer wrote:
Redwing wrote:

Well I just had my first main character death to Mamudo in P3P. That... sucks.

You'll eventually have a stack of Homunculus and it won't be as much of an issue, but yeah... Hitting something like that after a 3-hour grind in Tartarus was the impetus behind several of my 3-month-long breaks from P3P.

Yeah, it felt like I lost about an hour, but in reality I was back to where I was in under half an hour. I figure it was good to get it out of the way now to reinforce that I really do need to scoot back to the entrance now and then to save rather than try to get through 15 floors in one huge marathon.

I'm also paying a lot more attention to the weaknesses and strengths of my personas. I figure this was the game's wake up call. "Oh, how precious, you thought this game was feeling a bit too easy? Persona choice isn't really a huge concern, so just keep using that one with the barely concealed jugs? Well think again, insta-death time!"