Xenoblade Chronicles X - RPG of the Year!

Started by Grimnirsson, December 22, 2015, 06:30:48 AM

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Grimnirsson

#15
QuoteI'm little disappointed that I'll have to play for 25 hours before I can pilot a Skell, but I guess that will give me incentive to carry on.

Gamers say the game changes when you have the Skell, you get to places not reachable to you while on foot, you can fight creatures that just wipe you out when on foot etc.. It's part of the design.

QuoteI am having some trouble getting used to the giant control pad. I like the screen mechanics and everything, but why couldn't the controls be consistent with an xbox or PS4 controller...why do the lettered buttons have to be set differently?

I was asking this myself, Nintendo logic...


QuoteIt would be nice to have some consistency, but I don't hold this against the Wii...the criticism could run both ways, I just happen to be more comfortable with the XBOX and PS controllers. 

I also have the Pro Controller, which is a mix of the Xbox and the PS controller, it's quite good and the battery has power for staggering 80h+ with one charge.



QuoteThe Wii may be her gateway into gaming.

That's what was the biggest mistake by Nintendo...to call the successor of the Wii...Wii U...people thought it's just a gamepad for the Wii...while it's a new console...

So, do you have the disc version of the game and did you download the data packs? Or do you have the digital version? Just to make sure that you installed the data packs if having the disc because it improves loading times and gfx.
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Jarhead0331

I have the disk. Is installation of datapacks automatic, or is it something I need to do manually?
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


Grimnirsson

Manually. Go to the Store and look for the game, there are 5 data packs IIRC, will take a while to download, as I said around 10 Gb. But highly recommended to install them.
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Grimnirsson

I have crossed the border now to a new part of planet Mira and I love this game with each session more and more :)
If you take the time to look around there are many details in the environments to see that really help to bring this world to life, Monolith Soft did a remarkable job on the technical side here.





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Jarhead0331

I'm ha trouble figuring oute combat and the UI. There is definitely a learning curve with this game. I was just barely able to defeat the first tyrant I came across in the early missions. I just joined the Harriers. I could really use a skell.
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


Grimnirsson

QuoteI'm ha trouble figuring oute combat and the UI. There is definitely a learning curve with this game. I was just barely able to defeat the first tyrant I came across in the early missions.

It's not an easy game for sure and certainly one where you have to read the manual...like in the good old times ;)

If you don't like reading it on the gamepad here's the pdf version:

https://cdn03.nintendo-europe.com/media/downloads/games_8/emanuals/wii_u_6/xenoblade_chronicles_x/ElectronicManual_WiiU_XenobladeChroniclesX_EN.pdf

QuoteI just joined the Harriers. I could really use a skell.

I am a Reclaimer, my wife a Pathfinder. From what I read so far combat is not getting easier with Skells but just different, more rewarding but also costy and dangerous, because you can fight high level enemies and lose your Skell in these combat situations - and to repair it or to rebuy it is really expensive. So one should be comfortable with the combat system before jumping in a mech and that's the reason why it is designed the way it is I suppose.

Personally I find combat an intuitive and smooth experience, enjoying it a lot.

Post a pic of your avatar Jar, you can also remove all the Hud elements when you take a picture of the awesome scenery.

Did you register yourself with your name in the Miiverse? I searched but didn't get a result. About level 10 I think you will have the online features activated when you become a full BLADE member. At that time your avatar can appear in the gameworld of other players after registering at the Blade terminal and can be hired by other players and you can hire them. Friends usually appear near the Blade HQ in the city it seems, my wife's avatar is always standing in front of the orange door leading to the HQ so when I'm done collecting my division stuff and leave the HQ I can ask her to join me before we are off to another mission and adventure  O0
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Jarhead0331

Yeah...very hard game. I'm on one of the very early missions where your team comes across the missing blades that were killed by some aliens and I'm being forced to fight level 42 enemies. They kill me in one shot. Why is this one of the first missions? I must be doing something wrong.

I'm pretty sure I'm in the miiverse. Try again...I only registered yesterday. Should he Jarhead0331.

I bought the strategy guide today. Hopefully that will help me figure this thing out. If I don't start feeling rewarded soon, or that I am making progress, I'm afraid I wont end up sticking with this for long.
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


Grimnirsson

#22
QuoteYeah...very hard game. I'm on one of the very early missions where your team comes across the missing blades that were killed by some aliens and I'm being forced to fight level 42 enemies. They kill me in one shot. Why is this one of the first missions? I must be doing something wrong.

Most certainly. You can not kill such a high level creature as a low level party and I don't remember fighting such a beast in that mission (chapter 3 story mission IIRC), the mission related enemies should not be higher than level 10 or so. This creature is not part of the mission then, but is just hanging around in the area in which this mission is happening. That will happen a lot, because all missions and activities in the game happen in the world of Mira and this is a living world. If you see a high level creature find a way to avoid it, many won't notice you unless you attack them, some attack on sight (the eye symbol), some if they hear you or sense that you are too near (bolt symbol). There's usually a way to get around beasts that are too dangerous for you. Use the hopper cam often to get an overview about the terrain and the creatures in the environment and to find a safe way for your party. If I see too dangerous creatures near a data probe installation spot I try to lure them away and that often successful. They are often so strong that they one-shot you but they have to get to you and when I know the terrain because of the hopper cam intel I can use that for a quick escape and they follow me. If all goes right I get a chance to come the other way round and install the data probe before they come back. The whole game is about tactical decisions and finding a way to survive in a dangerous environment.

QuoteI'm pretty sure I'm in the miiverse. Try again...I only registered yesterday. Should he Jarhead0331.

Nope. you don't show up. I checked two other folks I have on my friends list to see if it works and I get the expected result. When I search you it says 'no result'. When I search for just Jarhead I get over 20 hits, you are not among them...

QuoteI bought the strategy guide today. Hopefully that will help me figure this thing out.

The Prima guide? I heard that this is just the info of the manual with some nice pics included...there are some guides and tips available for free on the web:

http://www.destructoid.com/very-quick-tips-xenoblade-chronicles-x-322192.phtml

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/12/guide_getting_started_with_xenoblade_chronicles_x_on_wii_u

http://www.gamesradar.com/things-i-wish-i-knew-i-started-xenoblade-chronicles-x/
Click on the orange arow to jump from chapter to chapter

Also check out the wiki for the game, lots of info there.

QuoteIf I don't start feeling rewarded soon, or that I am making progress, I'm afraid I wont end up sticking with this for long.

That would be a shame, give yourself more time with it. I mean as a wargamer...come on it's not that hard  ;)
Seriously, this game is like some fresh air for me, a game that has so many layers and options in a really huge world that seems alive of course comes with the necessity to learn it step by step and to understand what the player can use and how to achieve his goals - like in any wargame.  :)
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Jarhead0331

not sure who the guide is published by, but it has a lot of strategic info., material on the flora and fauna, details on enemies and equipment and mission walkthroughs. It's a really good guide. I like getting them for very detailed or complex RPG type games with lots of secrets to unlock. I find it increases my enjoyment of the game and is helpful if I get stuck on a particular mission. My free time is so limited that I cant afford to lose hours with trial and error.

What is the "hopper cam"? Speaking of cams, the camera is another thing I struggle with. It is slow to orient, and sometimes difficult to focus on enemies.

How do you unlock, or learn arts and new skills? Do these unlock as you level up in class? Are they purchased with points? I've seen my character class up a couple times, but do I have to go into party management to apply points to player stats?

Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the game and excited by its depth...I'm just posting my issues here since you have experience playing and have been kind enough to provide helpful responses.

Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


Grimnirsson

#24
Quotenot sure who the guide is published by, but it has a lot of strategic info., material on the flora and fauna, details on enemies and equipment and mission walkthroughs. It's a really good guide. I like getting them for very detailed or complex RPG type games with lots of secrets to unlock. I find it increases my enjoyment of the game and is helpful if I get stuck on a particular mission. My free time is so limited that I cant afford to lose hours with trial and error.

Oh I hear you, I hear you when it comes to limited gaming time. But so far I got along well enough with studying the game UI and some websites ;)

QuoteWhat is the "hopper cam"?

A flying camera, a drone cam that you can launch at any time once you have unlocked it. I don't remember when it was unlocked but it was early on in the game. Press R+Dpad UP. In fact it's the nav ball or follow ball or whatever this shiny thing is called that you can use to point the way to many of your mission objectives (R+X) which you are sending high up in the air - you are using this on the ground, don't you?  8)



As I said invaluable to study the terrain, environment and possible creatures you might encounter round the next corner.

QuoteSpeaking of cams, the camera is another thing I struggle with. It is slow to orient, and sometimes difficult to focus on enemies.

I had that problem too, but you can adjust this in the settings (where you can also remove all UI, HUD stuff for taking pictures besides doing other things to make the game comfortable to you). I have now the cam sliders all a bit more on the right side (fast) and it works really well.

While holding down the L button you can use the right stick to zoom in and out, so if you have to face a rather large creature it often is useful to zoom out to see what your party members are doing and to avoid attacks etc.. and to not have to rely on the cam movement at all. If you want to take a pic of the scenery without your party you can also use this feature to zoom in totally, which means it's like in ego perspective.

To focus on enemies in combat you click the R button and then you can move around the enemy and also click on the right stick to attack certain parts of the creature. That comes in handy when a creature is perhaps not that strong but has one nasty attack with a stomp, his tail or whatever. Concentrate your attacks on these dangerous body parts to destroy them and make the finishing a lot easier. When you are in combat you can hit the + button and it opens up another menu to give your party specific commands how to fight and what to do or even to tell them to bail out and retreat from a difficult combat situation so you don't have to start from the last checkpoint (and so keeping any XP you got while fighting).

QuoteHow do you unlock, or learn arts and new skills? Do these unlock as you level up in class? Are they purchased with points?

It's based on your XP points you accumulate due to combat, exploring the world, finding secrets, doing missions, filling the Collectopedia (to be found under Lists, here you can register the stuff you find in the world (the blue crystals) and get nice extra points), unlocking white whale parts etc.. Everything you do is giving you some form of XP. This of course is having different layers too, your overall level, your Blade level, your skills level (mechanical, biological and archaeological), you even get Training Points to upgrade your skills or combat arts. Even your online Avatar who is hired by others has a level...that seems to be a temporary thing, though I'm not sure about this right now. Further investigation on this aspect will take place ;)

QuoteI've seen my character class up a couple times, but do I have to go into party management to apply points to player stats?

Exactly, there you can adjust, combine and upgrade the skills and arts your character (and the other members of your party) is using. Sometimes you get a new art slot, sometimes a new art, or technique and over time you get enough abilities from leveling through the class tree to build your very own unique fighter. You can also completely customize your soul voices which means you can then go into combat with a complete tactical set of decisions of your choice regarding what will trigger which command and action. This allows a huge variety of possibilities how your character is performing in combat, even mixing melee and ranged combat if you want but this is then added to the many possibilities how your party members will react to these commands and to the commands of the other party members based on their own multifaceted soul voice repertoire (which you can not change though). All of this can also be influenced by the combat position of the party members, so flank attacks, or attacks from the rear, or even with height advantage do generally more damage but such positions can be triggers for specific soul voices and according to your customization you can use that to your advantage and personal combat style.

Btw if you hear a command (or see it because it's also shown in a certain color) you can respond with a corresponding art to get a damage boost, but you can also wait...the arts can be charged two times (a green circle fills up) and if then someone from your party asks you to perform it, it can have devastating effects done to the enemy and great buffs to your party...or you realize that you waited too long and should have responded the first or second call...because now you are dead ;)
Combat is great, flexible and full of possibilities.


QuoteDon't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the game and excited by its depth...I'm just posting my issues here since you have experience playing and have been kind enough to provide helpful responses.

I'm glad if I could be of help and that was the reason I started the thread, thinking that this rather deep and certainly complex RPG might fit the taste of wargamers who are used to games more on the complex side of things and perhaps have a place where those of us (although it seems we are a two person minority LOL) who play it can discuss it with others. I am new to this game, too, I never played the original (but will certainly do so after I'm through with XBCX) but so far I seem to get the hang of how things work in the game. Still, I'm also learning and after 25h in I don't think I have more than slightly scratched the surface of what this game has to offer. Let's say, this game is unique  O0
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Yskonyn

Is Xenoblade for the New 3DS comparable at all?
"Pilots do not get paid for what they do daily, but they get paid for what they are capable of doing.
However, if pilots would need to do daily what they are capable of doing, nobody would dare to fly anymore."

Grimnirsson

I don't know, I only have the Wii U version.
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Yskonyn

À short visit through the web seems to indicate both games are the same as far as content goes.
Might need to get this for my 3ds then!
Your thread makes it hard to resist and your gaming preferences seem to closely match mine (Dragon's Dogma, Souls games).
"Pilots do not get paid for what they do daily, but they get paid for what they are capable of doing.
However, if pilots would need to do daily what they are capable of doing, nobody would dare to fly anymore."

Grimnirsson

QuoteÀ short visit through the web seems to indicate both games are the same as far as content goes.
Might need to get this for my 3ds then!

What you will miss of course is the wonderful gfx, Mira is simply beautiful. At least I suppose the 3DS version will be a bit different ;)


QuoteYour thread makes it hard to resist and your gaming preferences seem to closely match mine (Dragon's Dogma, Souls games).

It's a great game that feels fresh in several ways and it is certainly demanding - I like that.

I seem to remember to have seen your name among W8taminutes PS4 friends...correct? I'm Intarabus on PSN, Grimnirsson was already taken.
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Yskonyn

Correct! Its Yskonyn there just like here. :)
"Pilots do not get paid for what they do daily, but they get paid for what they are capable of doing.
However, if pilots would need to do daily what they are capable of doing, nobody would dare to fly anymore."