/vr/ - Retro Games

cast divide on a gagison in ashley's starting dungeon lube your asshole before you try this

Divide balams or gagisons prepare your anus beforehand

I'm not sure I even have Divide. I'm assuming that's a Red Power ability?

http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/913703-wild-arms-2/59112163

oogabooga

>>2186335
>Needing to grind in Wild Arms
Think you screwed up OP.

>>2186435
Try all the crystal bosses at level 45 and see how far YOU get.

>>2186354
it's one of tim's abilities

I forget if you need a side quest/dungeon to get it, it's either a force ability or one of his unlocked guardian spells

>>2186640
while I'm at it, I might as well tell you that you get all the character's best armors, and the full libra accessory at the bottom of the game's final dungeon

the tower whatever it's called

you might also want to be aware of Lilka's ability to cast hi-heal on all your party members by using mystic on a life orb

this can cut down your need to level up by a lot, since otherwise you'd have to rely on Tim's first aid, which is faster, but doesn't heal for nearly as much

>>2186335
Well, assuming you still have some left, try mysticing Lucky Cards on some of the lower difficulty bonus bosses. If you can find some Hyakontons that could also work well.

>>2186357
I remember the first time encountering those things in the first game.
>What the hell are those?
>Have Cecilia examine them.
>Assloads of health compared to anything else around that area.
>"Hyakonton casts Human Experimentation"
>Get hit with an assload of status effects.
Kind of scary to find as a random encounter. I mean, when you get good at it, they're fairly easy, just a bit long due to all their health and make for a great way to get exp and duplicators, but that first time was a tad scary. Especially since it had been a while since I had saved.

Don't suppose anyone's played the Japanese version of WA1 (and hopefully understands Japanese themselves)? If so, I've got a question regarding some terminology and how it handles in both the Japanese original and the English translation that playing through Wild Arms 3 got me curious about in regards to how it was handled in the past.


>>2186335
Reminder to go work on Tim's abilities if you haven't yet, since even if you don't plan on using him for the crystal bosses it's helpful for the actual ending section of the game.

Good news is that as long as he gets a kill on ANYTHING with a given medium equipped it counts, rather than it having to be something of around his level.

>>2186640
I guess so. So far I only have three of his abilities and that's not one of them
>tfw I need hours of prep-work before I can even grind properly.

>>2186707
It's not bad. He's over level 50 at this point, right? Go to a low level area with the given medium you wish to work on and cast multi target spells with him, while the other two party members guard. Any kill regardless of level counts, as long as he's the one that strikes the final damage. So while still a bit tedious due to the amount needed, it's fairly easy and pays off well. Not sure how you've been building him with Personal Skills, but by the time I was done playing he was pretty damn good at dishing out damage of pretty much every element and taking very little himself. The kid proved surprisingly bulky for a caster, and having a multi-target heal without requiring him to blow his FP to use it only made things better.

And if you haven't fought through the final area yet, you'll be glad you did work on his end.

>>2186720
>He's over level 50 at this point, right?

Nnnnnope, my whole party is 46.

>>2186727
Well then it might take a little bit longer (also a side tip, one of the screens in his status page will tell you how many kills he has toward learning a new spell with a given medium, so you're not in the dark about it). Still not too bad though. Try to fight groups of two or three enemies, and use the first attack with him to get his FP over 50, then use a multitarget spell on the remaining ones. I suppose you could wait until you've got everyone at level 50 first though.

On that note, have you explored everywhere? I know there's some optional dungeon late in the game; might be a good place to explore, find new items, and maybe get some more exp while you're at it.

>>2186735
It's entirely possible he missed the optional area in the guardian temple too

the one where you have to carefully jump off a ledge that you can barely see the landing point of if you turn the screen

>>2186776
I always thought it was clever how they used the camera to hide stuff and encourage looking from different angles, considering the previous game had a static camera. Those idols in the Sacrificial Altar could be pretty well hidden.

>>2186783
those pixels in the first are fantastic though

>>2186784
Very true, and I wasn't saying I had anything against it (and in general good spriting in PS1 games tends to hold up better graphically than 3D modelling for most games on the system). But I did like the way they handled the 3D in WA2 though and factored it into puzzles and stuff.

>>2186776
OP here. I've gotten just about everything as far as treasure goes, bit it's clearly now I'm grossly behind on Tim and Marivel's skills

Hey saw this thread and came to ask. I played this game when I was younger (10). I didnt get into it at the time, is it actually a good game? By JRPG standards? I enjoy games like legend of dragoon, chrono cross, tales of vesperia, older FFs. Can someone compare this game and series to another one for me? And maybe point out some positives or reasons to play it?

>>2186968
I actually first played 1 and 2 recently (on 3 right now, decided to go through them in order), but yeah, 1 and 2 are pretty enjoyable all around if you ask me (provided you can tolerate turn based combat anyhow, but it sounds like that wouldn't be an issue for you). Biggest issue with the first two if you ask me is really that 2's translation really could have been better. I wouldn't call it illegible (only a handful of instances where it gets that way and I only recall it forcing me to look up a guide to see what I was supposed to be doing once in a puzzle near the end of the game), but it sounds very awkward most of the time, like it needed more editing and polish to it. For comparison's sake, the first game's translation felt pretty decent apart from some names meant as references or words not being caught (Jack Van Burace was Jack Vambrace in the Japanese version).

Go play them if you want games with a nice wilderness/frontier sort of vibe, good puzzles (both simple ones and ones that require a decent amount of thought), and a lot of charm to them.

>>2186984
Do the games explore any mature themes? Or are they pretty simple and shallow?

>>2187002
definitely simple and shallow, and thank god for that

srsly, go read actual literature

>>2187002
Well, I'm not sure I'd call them "mature" or "deep" exactly. The first one has some neat twists to it, though is mostly a fight against evil (though it's not as basic as it sounds). The second game (or at least what I made of it; again, while not illegible or unplayable, the translation is still kind of bad) examines what a hero is and what it means to be one, and the main character does go through a fair amount of shit to protect the ones he cares for.

Again though, the games do have a lot of charm to them, and chances are you'll find yourself getting attached to the characters, be they playable (3 in the first game, 5+1 bonus characters in the second game) or NPC if you like that sort of thing in your JRPGs, and as far as the gameplay goes they're pretty enjoyable if you ask me. First one has a bit of the normal HP+MP system, but adds in a third resource called Force which is consumed when using certain abilities, while the second game removes MP entirely and has the Force Gauge function as both (with normal abilities having a minimum Force cost to use, but it is never consumed unless you use particular abilities).

>>2187002
Sorta treads the middle there. They're not overly simplistic, like, say, Tales games where everything's super saccharine. But they're also not intensely mature or deep in the way that Vagrant Story or Xenogears might be.

I'd put them about on par with Chrono Trigger in terms of thematic relevance. Mostly adventuring for the sake of adventuring, but with moments of seriousness that might make you think.

Also on a non-VR Wild Arms related note I started playing Soul Sacrifice Delta today and noticed there are costumes available for various Wild Arms characters. Saw one for Lady Harken, one for Alhazad and one for Hanpan. Struck me as odd since Wild Arms is pretty much a dead series at this point and seems pretty obscure to throw in as fanservice references no one will get.

>>2187014
Well, it wouldn't shock me if Sony still remembers the series and decided to throw some costumes in. Also, I do recall hearing that one of the guys behind the series has said he'd love to return to making a sixth main Wild Arms game if he gets a chance (he's currently busy with Symphogear right now), so it might have a chance at returning sometime.

>>2187021
Even if they don't, at least they ended on a high note. WA5 was pretty damn good.

>>2187023
I suppose (actually still need to play that one, but as I'm playing them in order I still have two more before that one). Still, I've seen a fair amount of people voice a disliking for the ones after 3, though as this is /vr/ I suppose it's not the most relevant place to discuss the PS2 entries. Hopefully I still have a good time with it though. Been a good ride so far.

>>2187029
Well 3 is my favorite. I love how it was the MOST western of them all, and how everybody had guns (how often do you see that in any RPG?) The cast was great, and I feel Virginia Maxwell should be on anyone's list of top 10 female video game protagonists. WA3's a great ride and I implore you to enjoy it while it lasts.

4 is admittedly jarring. It's not that western a game at all, in favor of being more Sci-fi (For example, ARMs in 4 are nanites in the air that compile into a gun at Jude's will) The battle system also changes to this "hex-grid" where movement and positing are now a big part of the battle strategy. I can't say I can remember the story of the game that well other than it having a ham-fisted "children are the future" message. Now this isn't to say that WA4 is a bad game; there's definitely enjoyment to be had, but many, myself included, to count it as the weakest of the series.

Now I do believe 5 gets a bad rap because people just assumed it was just as weak as 4 and didn't even bother playing it, but that's far from the case. While it still uses the hex-grid, much of everything else was brought back to older WA roots. The western setting is back and we get another blue-haired protagonist just like in 1 & 2. It has a great story with an engaging mystery, and the cast is (mostly) likeable. I feel its soundtrack is also the best of the whole series. As I've said, it's a great game and fine cap to the series if they never end up making another.

>>2187041
Neat. And yeah, 3's been very enjoyable to me, and I can honestly say that I almost feel like I don't want it to end (not something that happens much to me). Already found a cheap copy of 4, so regardless I think I should still feel like I got my $15 worth from it even if not as good as other entries. And it's nice to hear good stuff about 5. Looking forward to it.

Wild Arms 3 always looked interesting to me, particularly because of those cel shaded looks. Is it a good starting point? Any tips for first time WA players? Hope it runs ok on PCSX2.

>tfw WA2's translation

>>2189501
>tfw Liz and Ard

>>2189481
3 is a perfectly fine starting point. Wild Arms games are much line FInal Fantasy that they're completely unrelated stories, but there are some common tropes and game mechanics found throughout each game. The only tip I can immediately think of is that modifying your ARMs are permanent, so go to gamefaqs to find some optimal builds.

>>2189512
At least you're rewarded by putting up with their gibberish with the best song in the game
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYn9EIsbIIk

I heard Wild Arms 4 was rare. I've given it to a friend long ago.

>>2189638

you heard wrong, its like 25$ complete on amazon

>>2189638
The rare game is the remake of WA1, Alter Code F

>>2189638

Wild Arms 5 however, still holds value.

>>2189540
you can reset your arms you just don't get any refund for the incredible amounts of gella consumed in the process

>>2189481
It's a great game and makes some refinements over prior ones (like the ability to reset Personal Skills as you please). That said, I recall that the developers were wishy-washy over whether any of the games are actual sequels or not (in particular WA3 feels in some ways like a follow up to WA1, but maybe that's just me), and you'd likely get more out of it playing 1 and 2 first (which are on the US PSN if you can't find physical copies cheaply and/or don't want to emulate) given the various references to prior games and re-occuring bosses/enemies.

And yeah, the cel shading makes it still look pretty good graphically.

>>2189638
Alter Code F is the only really rare/expensive one in the series (at least where I live; I also suppose a complete copy of 5 with the outer box and anniversary artbook could prove a bit hard to find in stores as well). Going off local prices:
>1 is $15-25.
>2 is $18-25.
>3 is $10-15.
>ACF is $45-50.
>4 is $25-30.
>5 is $30-35.
>XF is $15.

>>2189501
While it certainly wasn't the best translation it didn't exactly feel outright bad to me, just awkward sounding and poorly edited. At the very least I was rarely lost as to what to do or where to to go next. Same can't be said for every game out there.

>>2189512
I've heard their original dialogue was some Japanese specific culture references and poetry or something that just does not work out here translated literally. Makes me wonder how a more competent localization team might have handled their lines. Still, I've seen some say their gibberish adds to their character in a way, given their nature.

>>2189938
Everything Liz and Ard say is space lizard haiku

Back in the days of meiji era japan it used to be fashionable to communicate with obscure coded meanings within poetry among aristocrats and intellectuals, and so the way they talk is half that, and half traditional japanese comedy duo, with the player characters usually doing the tsukomi

>>2189952
Ah. Still, could that even be localized feasibly in a way that still had the intended vibe, but actually legible here? Or would that mix have been something of a lost cause without having to rewrite their entire dialogue to a more western friendly style, even with a better localization team?

On that note, since you seem more versed in how they handle in Japanese, does Ard just say his name there too, or did he have actual lines that were replaced in the English version?

>>2189962
it can't be localized, not really, but it is actually translated fairly well

you have to understand that it sounds all bizarre and vague and abstract even in japanese, because these are alien lizards talking poetic symbolism based on their own culture

I'd need to replay the game to check how the back and forth actually went and what Ard's japanese lines were though, but I think it was part of the joke that his words had such subtext despite his lack of verbosity

>>2189981
Might be worth looking at Ashley and party's responses as well. I played it recently and even if Liz's lines were translated well (albeit without making sense here), I never really saw much of a connection with how Ashley was responding to them as far as it making sense went. I mean, I suppose even if Liz's lines can't feasibly be localized, they might have done a better job making Ashley respond to that fact that they don't make any sense in English (normally I'm not exactly for outright changing the script around, but if it's not going to make sense anyhow, I'd say some playing around with the situation could work), rather than both of their dialogue in those instances being really hard to get over here.

To be honest, it's a shame WA2 has never seen a retranslation simply to get it to sound less overall awkward. Unfortunately I think that would either require a really dedicated fan that knows both Japanese and English with too much time on their hands, or an outright remake as far as an official retranslation is concerned.

>>2187041
>I can't say I can remember the story of the game that well
Hey, did you forget the group of elite soldiers out to kill Jude and his friends, each with their own special gimmick?
Like that one guy named Bargain Ales who had a jetpack and a chainsaw attached to one of his hands? An "anti-tank chainsaw," is what it was.

>>2190148
Damn straight I forgot about him. I'm sorry but that game just didn't stick with me like the other WA games. The only other part of 4 I remember is that cutscene where the dude basically flies by repeatedly shooting his pistols downward. and I only remember that because it was so fucking ridiculous.

>>2190415
What even happened with 4 anyhow? Did they just decide to try something different, or did they get a different writer or something?

>>2190418
I don't know if it's just a rumor, but I thought I'd read somewhere that there were plans for an anime series to run alongside 4, or something to that effect? Again, may just be baseless rumor.
It did have a fairly weak story in comparison to the other games, and is probably the shortest of the games, too.

>>2190479
Well, they did do that Twilight Venom anime for the series, though I forget if that was a stand alone or set in the world of one of the games. While I'm not sure how successful it was, I could see them maybe wanting to make a game that could adapted into one more easily. There were also a couple of Wild Arms manga series if memory serves.

>>2190528
Twilight Venom was stand alone, but borrowed elements from both of the first two games.

>>2190535
Ah. Figure I ought to watch it one of these days.

>>2187002
>Do the games explore any mature themes?

2 has a whole bunch of incest. Does that count?

>>2187014
>But they're also not intensely mature or deep in the way that Vagrant Story or Xenogears might be.

Each game basically takes an idea and explores it as a theme for it's characters and story.

2 explores what it means to be a hero
3 explores what it means to be a dreamer
4 is about growing up
5 is about...I have no idea..something something giant robo.

>>2190553
5 is about accepting things that can't be changed

>>2190556

Ill be completely honest I never had the chance to play it all the way through. Asgard is totally the tits though

>>2190556
Avril living the same life, over and over again, in an endless time loop. I mean goddamn, I cannot think of a more tragic character in video games.

>>2190571
she's kind of a fucking weirdo to be honest

shes almost a villain, she just cucks rebecca for all eternity

>>2190574
>>2190556
So must Rebecca accept she will never get the D?

>>2190571

was the loop endless? I assumed she'd be able to catch back up after the game.

>>2190582
>>2190574

Rebecca was a shit anyways. Her constant stopping the plot to angst about Dean drove me up a wall

>>2190598
no after the game is the start of the game for her

>>2190598
A lot of people get confused over just what's going on with WA5's shenanigans, but I found this timeline that explains it pretty well. Massive spoilers if you haven't played the game yet.

>>2189938
Jesus christ
Is ACF even a good remake?

Would you guys consider wild arms a shooter or an RPG, since it uses guns?

>>2191064
Wat. I have a feeling this is bait but I'll bite.

It's a turn-based RPG. Everything with guns is not an action game or FPS.

>>2191064
Do you consider Final Fantasy a flight simulator or an RPG, since you drive planes and airships?

>>2191013
It seems to be somewhat polarizing. Some people feel it's garbage and thinks it ruined the soul of the first game. I own it and I don't think there's really anything wrong with it. Though perhaps I think that because it uses WA3's engine and 3 is my favorite title anyway.

>>2191289
the way the story is handled in ACF is really sad

in the original it was limited to sprite artwork, but this at least engaged your imagination, and the set pieces and pacing were top notch

the remake is somehow really hollow and stilted, and the setpieces are changed, and never in a good way

the whole city of Adlehyde and everything that happens there is so unbelievably shitty in the remake

>>2191310
>but this at least engaged your imagination,
>Shit retrofags say to justify games looking like crap

>>2191402
I've been comparing review scores just now between WA1 and ACF. Been to multiples sites and everywhere I go the two games tally about the same. Yeah this one I'm just chocking up to /vr/ being snooty purists.

>>2191013
When I played it years back, I felt like the translation was somehow worse than the original game's translation.
Agetec, the company that localized Alter Code: F isn't exactly known for their stellar work, so...

>>2191402
>>2191423
I remember in school when the adults told us that internet was going to stunt the growth of our imagination worse than tv and videogames

the adults were right

millenials worst generation, ipad generation is gonna be even more awful

>>2189481
Wild Arms 3 always looked interesting to me because I liked the cover. I've been emulating it and it's my first Wild Arms game. It runs well in PCSX2, just change your video plugin settings to enable the Wild Arms offset and set your interlacing to Auto so that the screen won't shake.

>>2191926
>Being this upset over someone having a different opinion than you

>>2191013
People tend to be pretty divided about whether the original or PS2 remake is better (and while Agetec fixed some part of the translation, they still messed up in other areas if memory serves). The cost is that high due to delays in localization causing hype for it to go down, resulting in either poor sales or a rather low number shipped, or something of a similar nature (the game took nearly two years rom the Japanese release date to get localized if I remember right, and they didn't even bother with bringing it to PAL regions). As such it's a bit of a hard game to find compared to the others.

>>2186720
>>2186707
>>2186735
Oh, fuck. I forgot about how Tim learned his spells.

I remember the first time I played this, I never changed mediums after equipping them to characters, and I spent a huge chunk of the game wondering why Tim had only learned earth spells.

>>2192030

Tim may be the best party member but Kanon is the coolest.

>TFW you finally learn Eagle Claw

>>2192153

>>2192174

10/10 would clang

>>2192174
>>2192153
She and Ziggy from Xenosaga should get together. They have so much in common, what with replacing their limbs with robot parts over the dissatisfaction with humanity and all.

>>2192216

actually I think Ill share all of these while Im here

gay? not gay? just Japanese friendship? which is basically super gay

speaking on nonsensical time loops

These are all great. Are they done by the same guy who did the art in the Zelda Link's Awakening strategy guide? Because they sure remind me of that art style.

>>2192239

never read that so I don't know.

BIKKI TIME!

>>2192253

season 3 hype train

>>2192253
Hold it. hold it. Who the fuck is Biki?

>>2192263

the wild arms people made an anime series called Symphogear. The main character is Hibiki or Biki for short.


There's a small bit of cross over fanart.

>>2192263
One of the guys behind Wild Arms makes an anime called Symphogear now, with the main character being named Hibiki. Hence the Wild Arms and Symphogear crossover pictures.

>>2192269
Sorry but cut that shit out and take it to /a/

>>2192275

don't be a bitch. It was just some crossover fanart and an explanation, no ones hijacking the thread you big baby.

>>2192234
100% gay
>>2192235
best girl

>>2192283
As long as we're bringing Chinese cartoons into the conversation, Twilight Venom is legitimately great. I showed it to one from who is pretty big into anime and it instantly shot up to #4 on his favorites list.

>>2192296
from=friend

>>2192030
Have to admit I do like the way new abilities were learned for a lot of characters in the first two games. Just felt kind of neat that different ones had different ways rather just simply leveling up. Rudy, Ashley, and Brad all needing to find different ARMS ammo mods or whatever, Cecelia and Lilka having access to whatever spells were available at the time (be it the lower or upper tier ones depending on the point in the game), but only being able to have on hand as many as you had Crest Graphs, Jack and Kanon having their new abilities learned via chance (and even then they handled different; Jack required you to gain a hint, and then use the unknown skill enough that it became learned, while with Kanon using the latest ability you learned had the chance to unlock a new one), Tim learning new spells based off kills with his given medium equipped, and Marivel copying enemy abilities (admittedly though I do wish she was available to join the party a bit earlier in the game, if only to not have to go out of the way so much to teach her new stuff). Just felt like some nice variety.

Much as I've enjoyed WA3, I did find it a bit disappointing that there were really no actual ARMs skills beyond Gatling, especially since every party member used an ARM for once. On the other hand, everyone could cast instead, admittedly with some being much better or worse at it than others.

>>2192296
Interesting. Had he played any of the games or was familiar with the game series in anyway? I've been meaning to watch it myself (took a look at the opening a while back; wish I knew what the name of the song used was since it seemed pretty nice) and had heard it was mostly aimed at fans of 1 and 2, since they'd likely get the most out of cameos and the like. Just wondering how much he may have gotten out of it if not a prior fan.

>>2192296

I dug it mostly. The episodes being 5 minutes shorter than normal was a drag though.

I remember watching with my bro the episode with the painter laughing about how that one dude was probably gay. turns out he was

>>2192312
Well Alter Code F came with a bonus disk which had the first episode of the show on it. And before ACF I had only played 3. Because of that I was able to recognize a few scattered elements from 1. In hindsight there's more borrowed from 2. But really they're just flavoring - a nod to fans of the games. Overall It's a fun, adventure-a-week series that anyone can get into. in the mid point, as well as the last 5 episodes, shit gets real and that's when my otaku friend truly fell in love with the series.

>>2192296

I didn't like how it handled it's cameos. They shat all over Kanon and Zed went out like a bitch

>>2193087
They were in it? Where? I never even noticed.

>>2193123

Kind of but not really. A character who looked like Kanon named KaNnon(extra N) showed up but it wasn't really her. She was a minor throwaway villain who was in love with a doctor and wanted to force him to marry her. Also she was not a cyborg.

Zed showed up but they called him Jet (a lesser know translation hiccup is the Z/J one) and died immediately when trying to use an ARM

Needless to say not the most flattering of shout outs

>>2193141
At least Irving Volaria is fun and beautiful

>>2193147

less incest in the anime too

>>2193141
To be fair, Zed going out in such a bitch manner is pretty in-character for Zed.

>>2192316
Dude. Me and a friend of mine did that too. My friend was (at the time) Bi, so it was even funnier.

Wait, by bro, do you mean actual brother, or...

Chris?!

>>2196185

Kevin?

>>2196726
Nope.

>>2186335
That final boss (Not Blazer) was incredibly odd.

What the Hell was going on there? Did it imply he raped his own fucking sister and the final boss exploded out of her?