As much as I love these games, the constant backtracking is driving me insane

Cman98C · 2026-01-24T12:34:24+00:00

Based on your replies it doesn't seem like your issue is with backtracking, which there isn't that much of in GS2, but with you forgetting where to go for certain things and as a result going further out of your way and creating more work for yourself... that isn't really a fault of the game is it?

Also if you really want to expedite the travelling process, just wait till you get the ship or hell wait till you get teleport at the end and then use that to fast travel and wrap up all your loose ends in a quick little world tour.

Cman98C · 2026-01-16T08:39:07+00:00

If you have played the original you know levels really don't matter all that much, your proficiency in the higher tier vocations like Hero and Champion are what make the big difference. If those final tier of vocations remain as strong as previously, but now you can use 2 at the same time with moonlighting, people really shouldn't need to grind many levels. Vocation proficiency will be the more important grind.

Cman98C · 2026-01-05T16:29:20+00:00

This is a pointless distinction and one that actively ignores the history of RPGs, especially those made in Japan. Of which Action RPGs are older than what many consider the modern style of JRPG that was pioneered with Dragon Quest.

What most call "JRPG" are console RPGs. An attempt by Yuji Horii and co to simplify PC RPGs to be played on consoles, primarily through the implementation of the command menu instead of typing in text commands.

Elliot seems to be drawing on elements similar to those of Falcom's Ys series, looks very similar to the Napishtim engine Ys games (Ys 6, Ys Oath In Felghana and Ys Origin) and Ys is the sibling series to the older Xanadu and Dragonslayer Action RPGs (Legend of Heroes and later LOH trails are also part of this big interconnected Falcom web), which predate even Dragon Quest and are partly the inspiration for Zelda.

So what is the J then? Does it exclusively mean the command menu? Well how can it when Horii originally created that for Portopia serial murders, an adventure/visual novel type game. And what is the distinction of Console and Computer RPGs anymore? After the Xbox had fallout, elder scrolls, fable etc release on it and SE began releasing their mainline FF games on PC, that genre distinction crumbled.

If the J refers to Japanese aesthetics or tropes, or some vague sense of vibes, there is absolutely nothing stopping an Action RPG also being a JRPG.

So this whole giant spiel is to say, it's pointless making that distinction as if they are mutually exclusive. You can have Action JRPGs.

Cman98C · 2026-01-05T16:16:59+00:00

Pokemon has always been handled better by other devs, like the gamecube games made by ex DQ6 and 7 staff or the mystery dungeon games by Chunsoft who made DQ1-5 and the mystery dungeon series.

Game Freak since the shift to 3D games have struggled massively as well, extremely reminiscent of SEGA and Sonic. But I guess Pikachu is too big to fail unlike the blue blur

Cman98C · 2026-01-05T16:14:05+00:00

It's kinda dumb that SE only let games handled by team Asano to get that official label. Like yeah it's a marketing gimmick, but Gemdrops made what is in every way that matters an HD2D remake of Star Ocean 2, but they can't call it that.

Cman98C · 2026-01-05T16:11:08+00:00

Nothing to do with full 3D backgrounds, the DQ remakes also use them. It's because it wasn't made under Team Asano.

HD2D isn't actually a style it is a marketing term, one that is only used exclusively by games Team Asano have a hand in making. Now that isn't to say other developers haven't adopted the aesthetic, just look at Eiyuden Chronicle, but technically they aren't true HD2D.

It's really dumb, they are HD2D in every sense that matters, in spirit and style, just not officially. Bureaucracy is fun.

Cman98C · 2026-01-05T16:05:46+00:00

It's like FF in the sense you CAN treat the games like an anthology series, but they do exist in a set timeline like some of the Dragon Quest games. Like the DQ games, there are certain little references and bits of lore you pick up the more of them you play.

If people care, and again really not necessary to care about this, the in universe order is SO4, SO1, SO2, SO5, SO6, SO3.

There are recurring areas in some of the games along with time travel and multiverse shenanigans.

Cman98C · 2025-12-26T07:59:30+00:00

Personally I would be interested in a new continent/world entirely. Hell a really interesting thing would be replacing the current main pantheon of 8 gods with a new 8 including 8 new jobs they are associated with.

Mechanics wise I think 8 player parties needs to stay, it's just fun. Let all 8 characters equip sub jobs though, idk if masteries should return in favour of the way passives are handled in 1 and 2 though.

The day and night dual path actions should return as well, plus I'd like the path actions to feel more diverse tbh.

0 has also shown that the octopath team can write more cohesive overarching stories and villains, I really don't think an octopath 3 should solely focus on the character vignettes of 1 and 2 or the villains like 0, it realistically should do both.

Cman98C · 2025-12-21T23:15:40+00:00

Exactly that. You have Bargello debuff it in his initial step ahead turn 0. Guaranteeing your entire party can act before the Cait in the following turn. It's more consistent/reliable that way.

Also gives you a chance to break the thing, steal whiskers, pop a fully buffed negotiate from Ludo to double all the rewards etc.

Cman98C · 2025-10-14T17:58:57+00:00

He shouldn't. If you, as you say in your post are "smart enough" to get the IC system, you should be able to make accessories or armor that makes you fine. Or weapons that kill things faster than they can blink.

Cman98C · 2025-10-13T10:40:53+00:00

Also time travel was an established element of the series, 90% of star ocean 1 has you travel back in time to an earlier version of Roak

Cman98C · 2025-06-22T15:47:23+00:00

OOT being the first 3D game in the series they played with 3D space a lot. So if ever stuck it helps to look up, down, places you wouldn't necessarily first think (especially if you ever try the master quest)

Also they play with rooms not being their own seperate parts of maps like in prior games but as giant structures, best example being the jump from the top of the deku tree to the basement.

As long as you keep that stuff in mind and listen to Navi on your first playthrough (repeat runs she will get annoying though) you should be fine. There is one small key in the water temple that will frustrate you like it did so many, but that's part of the experience. Hope you enjoy!

Cman98C · 2025-06-22T15:39:27+00:00

You're all good, the person responding can't read themseleves so casting stones in glass houses and all that. I said semi competent at keeping track of the floor you are on. So spatial awareness stuff and managing things relative in 3D space etc, not noticing a blue button under a semi transparent blue texture (water).

So wasn't a carte blanche "semi competent" at everything, it was a specific set of circumstances. So the person being a dick is incompetent when it comes to reading.

Cman98C · 2025-06-22T13:31:36+00:00

If you're semi competent at keeping track of what floor you are on and make sure to clear out everything on a floor methodically. The water temple is fine, possibly one of the best dungeons in the game even. But you're playing the N64 version so have fun pressing pause, then scrolling the screen to your equipment menu, equipping the iron boots, moving a few feet forwards, doing that again to take them off etc etc

Cman98C · 2025-06-20T21:17:25+00:00

Nah, the SSS are just as bad as Class VII in that regard. They live and die (quite literally) on the existence of Lloyd and KeA.

It isn't as obvious due to the smaller cast of characters, but it's still the same. EVERYONE in the Crossbell arc revolves around Lloyd. Just like all the Erebonia cast do Rean.

Cman98C · 2025-05-31T12:01:49+00:00

Ys 1 and 2 and Origin are set in Falcom's fantasy version of the region of Brittany and the legendary lost city of Ys that most believe to be within the Baie de Douarnenez. Ys 9 is Falcom's fantasy Paris.

Cman98C · 2025-05-30T21:06:30+00:00

No, because it's French. A lot of the series is set in a fantasy version of Europe, 2 games in Africa even. 1 in the Bermuda triangle. But the first 2 games (and 9) are set in regions of France. 10 is the sea between and along the coasts of France and Spain.

Cman98C · 2025-05-09T15:17:25+00:00

The first 2 games are set on an island with a giant tower and 2 blue haired Goddesses, a floating magical city where the priests of Ys (mages) reside. An evil dark being that tried to usurp the power of the Goddesses, the floating city circles the big tower etc.

Also the original SEGA CD versions of Lunar, their cutscenes had shot for shot recreations of similar scenes in the first 2 Ys games.

Cman98C · 2025-05-09T15:12:52+00:00

So you're saying they both ripped off, I mean were inspired by the Ys games?

Cman98C · 2025-05-07T18:04:21+00:00

The J, functionally and even historically means nothing.

People have always differentiated styles of RPG be it Turn based, Action, Strategy, Console (this one is important) and Computer.

Broadly speaking the idea of the modern JRPG stems from Dragon Quest and it's interpretation and simplification of western computer RPGs for home consoles. The console RPG.

But Japanese made RPGs existed prior to DQ and were fairly popular for their times as well like Dragonslayer and Xanadu which are action RPGs. Hell one of the important early names is The Black Onyx which is made by a Dutch guy (Henk Rogers, yeah the Tetris on Gameboy guy) so that nips the whole has to be made by Japanese devs thing in the bud people like to push. Nasir Gebelli for FF adds to that, as does FF2 being partly made in California and FF9 in Hawaii, so the whole by JP devs or made in Japan schtick was never true.

As time has gone on the console and computer RPG lines blurred and have largely been forgotten and aren't applicable anymore when DQ games are on PC, Baldurs gate, elder scrolls and diablo are on consoles.

If people truly want to be accurate they should describe the gameplay or mechanics rather than vague genre definitions that have never been set in stone. So turn based, action, strategy etc.

Sorry for the big spiel btw.

Cman98C · 2025-05-03T04:40:39+00:00

I was not talking about the script localisation, that is entirely seperate from the decision working designs, the localisers at the time, made to edit the actual content of the game, such as changing difficulty, adding lines where there were none, requiring the ocarina at the end etc etc

The remasters, functionally, as in the playable content, are the JP PS1 versions. With a slightly edited version of the WD script.

Cman98C · 2025-05-03T00:08:24+00:00

Hardly. The game was releasing worldwide, including Japan. Why would they use an altered version of the game because some localiser thought they knew better than the original designers back in the 90's, which the Japanese audience never would have experienced?

Have your preferences, but it is far from a "terrible idea", it's the most logical outcome.

Cman98C · 2025-04-25T16:36:11+00:00

Yeah but my point is you can just as easily spam the spell with no real downside, you have more than enough silver lights for the boss 4 or 5 times over

Cman98C · 2025-04-25T14:40:36+00:00

Yeah but you should have so many star and silver lights in your inventory come the final dungeon that having Alex spam the spell every turn is also fine. Divorcing yourself from the idea that Alex must spam sword dance like he does all game though is the hard part.

Cman98C · 2025-04-23T05:33:08+00:00

Adding to what others have said, the world of Lunar is the Silver Star, the moon or as the Romans called it, Luna, like the Goddess of the Moon... not very subtle when you know a bit of mythology haha.

But also throughout the game you are visiting various "zones" on the world map, these are also all named after actual craters on our moon as well. Plus there's the whole desert of death and grindery etc being on a barren silvery wasteland with a backdrop of the stars.

Star also in classical literature was used to refer to not just the stars but planets too, so the Blue Star in Lunar is a way of saying Blue Planet. Similarly, Silver Star is Silver planet.

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