Shin Megami Tensei Series

fyi, Kostya, when you said that Pokemon X/Y had low quality models, you're actually wrong. This post from neoGAF suggests that the average Pokemon has something like 10K polygons. The problem with X and Y isn't the models, it's that the system isn't strong enough to run properly. Presumably it's to avoid needing to create new 3D models for a decade or so.

There's a reason that Atlus went with 2D for SMT 4.

Interesting. I didn't realize the Pokemon models were that detailed. Maybe it's because of the art style. Of course Nocturne can have more characters on screen at a time during the battles and I doubt Atlus knows the 3DS architecture as well as Gamefreak. The lag in Pokemon is pretty terrible. I wouldn't want SMT 5 to have that issue but I'm also not a big fan of the setup 4 had. I like it more when you can see both sides and they're all 3D models.

edited 2nd Aug '15 12:15:20 PM by Kostya

I didn't have a real problem with 4's set-up, and the reason is because, since there weren't any real attack animations, battles were lightning-fast. I'm willing to sacrifice good-looking models if it means faster fights any day.

They could always give the player the option to turn the animations off. Pokemon does that.

im a big fan of the DQ series so im pretty content with first person battles and flat 2 sprites and no real attack animations.

the death animations are a nice touch tho.

I'm cool with it, too, though I'll also admit it'd be nice if the enemy demons got some toggleable animations for actions instead of exclusively jittering in place.

I was trying to argue what's possible, not what's desirable.

So Liftoma protects me from damage floors right? Why the hell doesn't it work in the Second Kalpa?

Those floors are not simply damaging, but cursed. It's pretty bullshit, but at least the effect will eventually go away.

The hellish spiraling area in the Second Kalpa leads, eventually, to an Efreet who will give you a tremendous amount of Macca if you manage to survive the trip to him, so keep that in mind.

So that's what that was leading towards. I figured it had to be something really good but I died before I reached the end. Since that erased over a half hour of progress I decided to do the main story instead.

The trick for that hallway is that you're supposed to buy a Picasa from a shady broker in the first Kalpa. The Picasa comes with a bunch of skills like Estoma and Trafuri that can save you from getting hit by too many encounters in the hallway.

Also, the curse will go away after you beat the boss of the Fourth Kalpa, but getting through the hallway before then gets you the aforementioned Macca.

I used Estoma but I still got ambushed by an enemy and killed while I was low on health. At that point I decided to go back later after I was a higher level.

Moving away from gameplay for a while. I have a logic question. I don't know everything about this game's story but I know a basic outline of the plot. One thing I've read is that while only humans can create a reason they require a demon to sponsor them. Why don't Chiaki and Isamu ask you to be their sponsor? That's what most SMT games would do to lock you into a specific ending.

You're not powerful enough when they ask, basically.

Demi-Fiend's stuck as a figure with the body of demon, preventing him from forming his own Reason, and the heart of a human, preventing him from becoming a Demonic Sponsor, at least for a while- The three Demonic Sponsors in the game are top-tier figures in terms of raw power and ability to influence reality.

edited 2nd Aug '15 4:33:22 PM by Pulse

That makes sense I suppose. It was something that confused me when I was watching the scene where Chiaki was explaining how she was going to make her own Reason. She didn't quite know where to start but asking him to sponsor her would be a good first step. Kind of unfortunate for them that they didn't do that. By the end of the game Demifiend is one of the most powerful creatures in the universe.

Speaking of fast battles being great. DDS1 runs way slower than Nocturne. Was it always like that or did they mess it up when they put it on the playstation network?

I think the port's a bit buggy. The framerate is definitely slower than Nocturne, I can say that much.

Felt like it went the same speed when I played it on PS 2. Maybe a bit slower with the combos or big enemy attacks, but it wasn't normally noticeable.

Heh, so I realized that even if Neutral!Flynn gets hit with a Happy Ending Override like SMTI Guy and (possibly) Aleph did, YHVH (or Lucifer I guess) can't do squat to him.

Odin called dibs.

4's ending was pretty happy overall so I'd prefer it if they left it alone. What I want to see is a sequel to Nocturne.

That depends on which Nocturne ending you're talking about. For example, if you get the Neutral ending, than the ending's even happier than 4's, and since the Reset Button was for all intents and purposes pushed, I don't think they could go anywhere else with that.

edited 3rd Aug '15 5:26:37 PM by kkhohoho

Yeah, Conceptions are implied to take a while to get in gear so I doubt the next demonic threat would be within Neutral!Demi-Fiend's life.

The Freedom ending strongly implies YHVH is going to try and take revenge on Demifiend. True Demon also has him getting ready to wage war on Heaven. I'm not saying Demifiend would be the main character again. I just think he should be one of the major NP Cs. Whether or not they want to use him as a hero or villain would probably dictate which of those two is the canon ending.

Freedom! Demi-Fiend (Seriously the route is only called Freedom not Neutral) will have YHVH/Great Will gunning for him because he interfered in the plan. And we don't know entirely for sure whether he kept the powers or not since all it takes to return to his tattoed hybrid form is to ingest a Magatama.

Plus out of the three Reason bearers only Hikawa is implied to have learned his lesson with his final words being It's Quiet… Too Quiet while the other two were apathetic and Evil Cannot Comprehend Good.

At least since Yuko learned from her mistakes the Conception can't happen since it needs a Maiden as part of the process.

edited 3rd Aug '15 5:32:18 PM by OmegaRadiance

In that case, couldn't whoever wanted to pull off another conception just find another maiden? In a world of 7+ billion people, I don't think Yuko would be the only maiden around.

edited 3rd Aug '15 5:37:24 PM by kkhohoho

There's probably some qualifications required and they must consent to it.

Also since Hikawa is the one who set everything up, but is implied to have learned from his mistakes so he likely won't do it. Now if someone else acquires the scripture that taught him how to do it...

What makes a person eligible to be a maiden?

The sequel doesn't necessarily need to have another Conception though. If it follows the Freedom ending they could have the new MC working with the Demifiend to try and stop YHVH from getting his revenge. If it follows the True Demon ending they could just make Demifiend the main antagonist and have him as the leader of an attack on the new MC's universe.