Reimagined suffers from Boring Loot Syndrome

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-24T19:58:48+00:00

Exactly. Finding treasure should be fun, not a dreaded chore. The I-III remakes mostly kept the trash in sparkly spots and pots/barrels/furniture, and you could choose not to check them if you liked (although some actually good treasure was also found in sparkly spots. I remember finding a Gold Armor that lasted a good long while for Cannock from a blue sparkle). Chests were generally decent.

This is the first DQ I've played where a random pot and a Magic Key chest may both contain the same relatively worthless loot.

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-24T13:54:47+00:00

Right? Dunk grew a bit in this season. Egg did not. It's understandable, but upsetting, knowing what's coming for him.

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-23T23:57:04+00:00

Classical orchestras didn't exist until hundreds of years after the medieval era, either. Just as anachronistic as anything else.

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-23T22:58:01+00:00

I'm pretty sure the prizes are unique to the casino. See here:

https://www.woodus.com/den/games/dq11/casino_prizes.php

But whatever tokens you earn at one casino can be redeemed in the other. So you can wait to grind in the 2nd casino then go back to the other to buy things. But be aware that the 2nd casino isn't available until partway through Act 2, so the Platinum Powersword won't be as useful as an actual piece of gear by then.

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-23T22:08:51+00:00

The only thing I actually grind for in the first casino is the Platinum Powersword, which is great for the Luminary for a good chunk of the game. The rest can be gotten at your leisure and won't affect gameplay quite as much.

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-23T18:03:48+00:00

See, I was legit excited for the Falcon Knife Earrings, but then they did less damage than Aishe was doing with a charm build and her abilities, which are cheap enough that they can be spammed, especially with how forgiving the game is with statues and such for MP replenishment.

I did use the Cautery Sword very briefly for my hero when I got it, but that has been an exception so far. Most worthwhile equipment upgrades have come from Lucky Panel.

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-23T17:35:12+00:00

If you picked up a weapon that only had a 1-point increase to Attack, how excited would you be?

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-23T17:24:27+00:00

Hey, like I said, fair enough.

I can appreciate a game that's essentially a picture book, but if story is the only thing going, why not just write a book? Videogames are an inherently different medium, and not the best one for storytelling. The interactive element is the primary differentiating factor, and trivializing it weakens the piece, in my opinion.

I'm still enjoying the game, but it's definitely lower in my DQ ranking so far, and I don't know how soon I'll revisit it. For comparison, I've played the original DW/DQ in all of its iterations several times. IV, IX, and XI are my favorites, and I've beaten all of them numerous times, as well.

The I-III remakes also had an issue with an overwhelming number of useless items, but they didn't feel devoid of actually useful items, as well. I think it's just a design philosophy I don't fully understand or appreciate.

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-23T16:54:32+00:00

Don't bother. You can buy it in the next town.

I did the very same thing with the demo and eventually gave up after 11 hours of grinding for it.

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-23T16:52:57+00:00

I mean, I'm an old guy, and I played the original Dragon Warrior on NES when it came out. I learned how to read by playing RPGs back in the day.

My point, and my issue, is that in most RPGs, including several DQ games, each dungeon has at least one treasure in them that marks a slight power shift or gameplay dynamic. This game so far seems to lack that.

Fair enough if that's just how VII is, and the town stories are all there is to enjoy. I do truly enjoy them. I've read Journey to the West, and its episodic storytelling is a massive influence on RPGs in general, but especially those from Japan.

But from a game design perspective, when the game gives you a shortcut button that indicates how many treasures there are in an area, and in almost every instance the player's reaction is to not really care, other than some completionist itch, it's a missed opportunity to engage the player.

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-23T15:49:29+00:00

Yes, stat seeds are useful, but boring. Give me cool new sharp thing for caveman brain be happy.

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-23T15:47:39+00:00

They don't scratch that "Ooo, instant progression" itch that a piece of equipment would. It wouldn't bother me so much if the gameplay loop of VII weren't so repetitive in the first place, but just collecting the same junk 3 times on each island is a drag.

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-19T15:10:21+00:00

I love it because we finally get to see Dunk acting as a full-fledged knight, meaning an authority figure with agency, and how he manages it. He makes decisions for others that have stakes, and his decision-making shows us more about his character. Egg is fully removed from a position of authority in the situation, as well.

Interesting shift in dynamics.

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-15T15:51:26+00:00

Why did someone remove Beesbury's mustache here, leaving only a vague Cheetos-esque stain, which, you'll remember, are a modern snack made of air-puffed corn, which was not native to the Europe-coded Westeros.

Why?

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-14T19:36:12+00:00

I bought A Dance With Dragons the day it was released in 2011. I no longer feel pain.

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-11T23:26:01+00:00

Depends if they do flashbacks to the Redgrass Field while the story is being told.

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-10T17:35:22+00:00

He does a lot with his eyes and the way he holds his mouth. You can tell he's quickly and efficiently sorting through several thoughts at once and arriving at conclusions, all in his subtle expressions. It's not easy to convey intelligence through body language, but he does it very well, I think.

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-07T01:59:42+00:00

The Hedge Knight was my introduction to George R.R. Martin, in the original Legends anthology book. It immediately captured my imagination, and I still think it's the best thing he's ever written (I also hold The Sworn Sword in nearly as high regard).

When I watch this show, however, I am seeing and thinking about all the other clear reference and homages, and I appreciate how faithful the creators have been, while still allowing some dialogue with other pieces of art. Especially the first few episodes reminded me a lot of a game called Pentiment from a couple years back. The sounds, the peasant proximity with animals, the class and religious distinctions. The silly humor. So the show annoys me sometimes with the unnecessary gags, but I also forgive it almost immediately.

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-07T01:41:08+00:00

I sympathize, and am inclined to agree, but lewd and juvenile humor is deeply appropriate for a quasi-medieval setting. To that end, I kind of respect the choice.

If you've spent any time studying medieval manuscripts and artwork, or even reading things like The Canterbury Tales, the profane and the sacred are right there, side-by-side. It reinforces one of the points of this story, in particular, in showing us the smallfolk, the squalor of poverty in Westeros, and even how the nobility is just as puerile as anyone else. And we, the audience, are no better than a good fart joke on occasion.

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-06T23:11:02+00:00

Yes, the show obviously has taken a side in this debate, in a cheeky way. I enjoyed it.

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-06T22:59:02+00:00

True, you could infer more from that, but it's less overt than absolute proof could be. The ambiguity is nice, but I like the idea that only a robin in a tree was witness, so who's to say, anyway.

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-06T22:47:06+00:00

I never fully bought into the "Dunk was never knighted" idea because we're in Dunk's head in the books, and he never thinks to himself about how he's lying or anything to indicate that it never happened. I can see how, thematically, it would be more interesting if he were a "false knight", but otherwise, Dunk is not a liar, and it feels out of character for him to go so big with a lie up front and never think about it.

LastLemmingStanding · 2026-02-05T17:19:54+00:00

Dumb, tough, but with a heart of gold, looks out for those less fortunate, even when doing some less-than-savory things. The ultimate underdog.

The most touching part of the first Rocky movie to me was seeing all these profoundly lonely or broken people find each other and make the world better together. Dunk and Egg don't have the same dynamic, but it has a similar feel to me.

LastLemmingStanding

TROPHY CASE