Xenoblade Chronicles

Getting the hang of all of Dunban's weird combos is pretty great.

I sure said that!

It's been a while since I've played and thus don't quite remember everything, but I think Shulk getting his talent gauge filled up upon receiving a vision is the result of a skill, not whether he's on the AI or not.

Icon by Civvi the Civilian!

That skill is the last skill he will ever get, and only works when he's the leader.

edited 18th Jan '17 7:20:53 PM by RAlexa21th

Where there's life, there's hope.

Likely as an Anti-Frustration Feature, if you'rep laying as anyone but Shulk and warn him after a vision plays, his Talent Gauge fills to full to allow you to do stuff like raise Shields and the like.

I sure said that!

Dunban's probably the most fun to manually control alongside Shulk and Melia. He can pull off some pretty neat combos, like Tempest Kick -> Thunder.

Speaking of Dunban's Thunder and Sharla's Headshot, that's how I killed that level 96 Gogol guarding the storeroom key when I was only like level 78 or so. Used Thunder to Daze it, activated a chain attack, and used Head Shot. Since it isn't technically a boss or UM, it's vulnerable to the insta-kill.

You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!

You can do it at even more comically low levels with Melia's Spear Break.

edited 18th Jan '17 10:01:20 PM by Pulse

I sure said that!

That requires Spear Break + Starlight Kick + a Daze move + Headshot. Not only is it four moves, but Melia's two are physical, and given she has low Agility she therefore has a pretty good chance of missing one of the two if she's severely outlevelled.

Dunban just requires Tempest Kick + Thunder + Headshot. Not only is it only three moves, but the first two are Ether attacks and thus don't depend on Agility for accuracy.

edited 18th Jan '17 10:07:11 PM by Anomalocaris20

You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!

Oh right, Tempest Kick's animation has him cycle around and end with his back to the enemy, allowing the use of Thunder on a target who has Hate on dunban! For the longest time, I thought it was supposed to combo with Gale Slash, for some reason. Gonna have to give that combo a shot.

Lotta new things to try.

Seven's Lock-on effect is pretty nice. Boosts crit-rate and boosts the talent gauge when you take damage. It's like it was made with the crit-drain method in mind. It's something I may use when playing as Seven directly (which won't be in any Melia team, but maybe in the Seven/Sharla/Riki team).

Hm. I wonder who AI Sharla would Shield Bullet first in that team. Probably Riki.

edited 18th Jan '17 10:11:17 PM by Enlong

I have a message from another time...

x4Seven for me. I love the hideous amount of damage Melia can output, but Seven's Ninja Butterfly builds are too much fun.

Kinda want to try Seven as an Ether attacker just to see what that's like, and god I love being able to choose. So versatile.

Not with Riki's typical HP numbers. Little dude's pretty swole.

edited 18th Jan '17 10:16:08 PM by Watashiwa

You know, it's funny; Dunban talks about Melia saying that people who can directly use Ether is unusual, yet both he and Reyn have Ether attacks and unlike Sharla don't use their weapons for them.

You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!

Dunban having some amount of Ether affinity is the least surprising thing ever. That's the minimum requirement to be able to use the Monado.

Reyn is much stranger. All Auras use Ether, and Aura Burst is an outgrowth of that, but Magnum Charge is ALSO an Ether attack, which I did not know. Maybe a side effect of using the Talent Gauge?

edited 18th Jan '17 10:34:30 PM by Watashiwa

Their ether attack are more like utility moves using their natural energy. Melia makes everything drop dead.

edited 18th Jan '17 10:23:17 PM by RAlexa21th

Where there's life, there's hope.

But Dunban can shoot Force Lightning from his hand.

edited 18th Jan '17 10:36:39 PM by Anomalocaris20

You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!

Actually, the abillity is called "Magnum Charge", maybe Reyn just loads an Ether Bullet into his guarder.

I thought Liightning goes behind Dunban? Either way, he's got some Ether ability or else he couldn't use the Monado the way he can.

edited 18th Jan '17 10:46:21 PM by Watashiwa

My guess is that everyone can use ether to some extent as long as they trained to use it, but there are people who are much more naturally adept at using it, like the Nopon and High Entia.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."

You misunderstand-Several Gogols are sufficiently close to ledges that Melia can sleep them and then shove them with Spear Break and let Fall Damage do the rest.

I sure said that!

We are talking about the Storage Key Gogol, not the Bionis Leg Gogol.

Where there's life, there's hope.

... Ah.

Excuse me. I seem to be making a lot of really dumb mistakes today.

edited 19th Jan '17 12:33:58 AM by Pulse

I sure said that!

And it probably doesn't work on Immovable Gonzalez.

Because you can't move him.

You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!

Boo this man! Booooooo!

Anyway, trailer analyses are seem to be reaching a consensus that XBC 2 takes place on the backs of the giant creatures. If they're really whales then it's the single best tribute to Baten Kaitos imaginable.

We've already seen our robot girl- Of sorts, at least- as well as Nopon and, apparently, a character is once again named Vandham.

Show us a Telethia and we'll formally have a set of traditions firmly instated.

I sure said that!

Vandham's been a series thing since Xenogears.

Lemme think uhh... the affinity chart? Oh! I want to see skill sharing come back, that was a fantastic mechanic.

i would like a proper inventory management function this time.

and perhaps a UI that reads better on a smaller screen.

Re: Reyn and Ether.

He's obviously not as proficient as Melia, Shulk, or even Dunban, but remember that the Monado did activate once when he grabbed it.

I have a message from another time...

I remember early on they established in Tephra Cave that all Homs are somewhat attuned to Ether. It's probably like being Force Sensitive as opposed to a Jedi or Force User in Star Wars parlance.