The GWJ JRPG Club 2018 - Dragon Quest VII

I started this last night on 3DS, and I'm really enjoying the aesthetics and feel of it. I do have to wonder how many of the complaints about a slow start they could have ameliorated simply by putting some slimes in the fields between locations and some bats in the graveyards. Except for the lack of combat, the running around and doing minor story tasks feels pretty in-line for a lot of RPGs.

I actually had to pay for a night at the inn to forward the main story. Now that's old school! Yes, the first part was definitely a bit puzzle heavy for me.

Alright: Banged my head against what was I doing again and finally got some progress done. Some of the little "The Story so far" feature has been nice with the added googling of what to do helped.

Spoiler:

Went back to the present and got the cool skull. Dropped that skull into the river and got a pokemon to ride. Now to save the queen.

Only 1h 16m on the game clock before I hit the first combat encounters. Not long after that, I'm into the first dungeon. I must have some really different ideas of a slow start, because that doesn't seem that unreasonable to me!

Dug up my January post on the game. Took me 3 hours of running all over the island talking to people before seeing my first fight.

I admit I'm not the fastest at exploring areas, but how the heck did you do it in less than half my time?

Yah over 2 hours for me. Must suck at puzzles! Also I just walked straight through one of the early puzzle rooms without realising it and was wondering for too long where to get one of the items I was missing.

Now level 11 and finished the volcano. That took barely 5 minutes! Unfortunately I can't rely on the game clock anymore because the PSP version crashes in sleep mode so I often have to leave it idling.

Funny NPC iteration "Come back here anytime you need to heal or save". Ok so I'll save before I go into this new dungeon then. "Hurry up, times a wasting!", no option to save. Minor irritation or charming quirk?

AUs_TBirD wrote:

I admit I'm not the fastest at exploring areas, but how the heck did you do it in less than half my time?

I don't know! I had thought at first that it might be a platform difference, but it looks like you're also playing the 3DS release.

Reading through your write-up from back then, I can definitely see where your complaints come from, but I haven't been bothered by things in quite the same way. That new party member jingle is absurdly long, though, isn't it?

ClockworkHouse wrote:
AUs_TBirD wrote:

I admit I'm not the fastest at exploring areas, but how the heck did you do it in less than half my time?

I don't know! I had thought at first that it might be a platform difference, but it looks like you're also playing the 3DS release.

Reading through your write-up from back then, I can definitely see where your complaints come from, but I haven't been bothered by things in quite the same way. That new party member jingle is absurdly long, though, isn't it?

Dragon Quest Heroes has the same issue, the worst part is you can't do a dang thing until the jingle is over.

Mini medal jingle as well!

But at least for that one you get a MINI MEDAL instead of Kieffer.

I am like 10 hours into this (I started it before it won the poll) so I guess, first off, I am in, and second off, Dragon Quest games are great.

One of the funny adjustments to make in the AI as compared with newer titles is "Fight Wisely" will mean the mage characters will cast way more often than they do in newer ones. Maribel is a bloodthirsty murderer and cannot be stopped.

AUs_TBirD wrote:

I admit I'm not the fastest at exploring areas, but how the heck did you do it in less than half my time?

Cloquette is both a crummy speedrunner, and a filthy game skimmer.

drdoak wrote:
AUs_TBirD wrote:

I admit I'm not the fastest at exploring areas, but how the heck did you do it in less than half my time?

Cloquette is both a crummy speedrunner, and a filthy game skimmer.

I've also been primed by Xenoblade and Persona to believe that any game with an opening less than five hours long is basically sprinting out of the gate.

I've had DQ7 idling on my 3ds since probably January at least. I had finished the volcano and sprinkled water on stone people. Maybe this thread will keep me motivated to finish. DQ is the only JRPG I've ever truly enjoyed and I started this after finishing 6 on the DS in late 2016. I just need to get into a good groove of playing.

Haha I knew it would be a good idea to fill up that empty bottle ;).

Is the plot of this game basically the same as Quantum Leap?

ClockworkHouse wrote:
AUs_TBirD wrote:

I admit I'm not the fastest at exploring areas, but how the heck did you do it in less than half my time?

I don't know! I had thought at first that it might be a platform difference, but it looks like you're also playing the 3DS release.

I'm even more perplexed now. I finished the first island and got back to the starting town in well under three hours. What did you do?!

Sorta. Little bits of *redacted* game here.

Spoiler:

Chrono Trigger

Mr GT Chris wrote:
fuzzyslug wrote:

I'm in using my DS copy. Looking forward to playing and the fact that I have a head start make the chances of me beating this one much higher.

Just to double check but I guess you mean 3DS? I think the DS only has 4-6 and 9.

Yup! I checked my Roman numeral translation twice because I was worried I was actually playing DQVIII!

ClockworkHouse wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:
AUs_TBirD wrote:

I admit I'm not the fastest at exploring areas, but how the heck did you do it in less than half my time?

I don't know! I had thought at first that it might be a platform difference, but it looks like you're also playing the 3DS release.

I'm even more perplexed now. I finished the first island and got back to the starting town in well under three hours. What did you do?!

Talked to everyone, searched every cupboard and barrel for medical herbs (which I practically never use), etc...

You never know when those barrels will cough up a STR+ seed etc. though!!

My copy has arrived! I am abandoning Kingdom Hearts to join in in this.

I'm just over three and a half hours in and just landed on second island.

That can't be right. Everyone in my home town assures me there are no other islands.

About eight hours in, I've unlocked a few things, and boy that world map is big an empty! I hope some of the other areas I unlock are bigger than what I have unlocked so far, because otherwise this will go on forever. I'm enjoying what I've played so far

Spoiler:

(I just reached the town where everybody has been transformed into animals)

Good thing we now have six months to complete those, I'm starting to think I will need all six of them, despite having a short head start.

What did you think about the resolution to the stone people?

I'm level 14 and up to the

Spoiler:

mech soldier island

. Finally have a full party.

Mr GT Chris wrote:

What did you think about the resolution to the stone people?

Spoiler:

Pretty depressing, actually. I was expecting the game to send me back further in time so that I could improve things, but no, everyone is still petrified. Now that I think about it, I think I like it more than if I HAD been able to go back in time and fix everything... I appreciate the game telling me that I'm not going to be able to fix everything, all the time.

I think I'm around level 10.

bobbywatson wrote:
Mr GT Chris wrote:

What did you think about the resolution to the stone people?

Spoiler:

Pretty depressing, actually. I was expecting the game to send me back further in time so that I could improve things, but no, everyone is still petrified. Now that I think about it, I think I like it more than if I HAD been able to go back in time and fix everything... I appreciate the game telling me that I'm not going to be able to fix everything, all the time.

I think I'm around level 10.

Spoiler:

I was definitely also expecting a happier resolution to the quest, more in line with typical DQ outcomes I suppose. I didn't mind that it played out that way but I thought they should have done more with the dialog between the party, the old man and the boy (who should have been a mess really). Anyway, there's still the possibility that something worthwhile will come out of the present timeline for that island.

Now level 17 and mech dudes in pieces.

Cart has arrived!

Well it must have arrived Saturday, but after we'd checked the postbox, so it's been sitting there for 48 hours.

Looking forward to digging in, I wonder if i'll get to see combat tonight?!

I'm a little surprised at how surprising the game is. I am speaking specifically about how some of the core conceits are worked through very early on in a JRPG. It's not the normal setup of here's the world for 60 hours and now at the end we discover the power of friendship kind of setup. They are constantly writing and rewriting variations on a theme.

It's quite interesting!

Mr GT Chris wrote:

What did you think about the resolution to the stone people?

I've always found the Dragon Quest games to be surprisingly melancholy. They're not afraid to have random little grace notes of sadness throughout the story even if the overall trajectory is a happy one.

ClockworkHouse wrote:
Mr GT Chris wrote:

What did you think about the resolution to the stone people?

I've always found the Dragon Quest games to be surprisingly melancholy. They're not afraid to have random little grace notes of sadness throughout the story even if the overall trajectory is a happy one.

Spoilers for DQ5

Spoiler:

10 YEARS OF SLAVERY FOR THE MAIN CHARACTER WHO WAS A CHILD FOLLOWED BY A YEAR OF HAPPINESS THEN SEVERAL YEARS TURNED TO STONE WHILE HIS CHILDREN GROW UP

After waffling on whether to play in English or Japanese, I've decided to cowboy up and try the Japanese version.

I'm going to get started shortly.