Xenoblade Chronicles

I think they should have cut the Tirkin side quest (or keep it, but not as an ascension quest) and given Sena an ascension quest that actually focuses on her. Aside from that, ascension quests are weird because most of them actually deal with important stuff to the world and the characters. For one, not doing Eunnie's ascension quest before the end of chapter 5 makes X even more shallow and one note, since now she doesn't even have a connection to the party, she's just a random Moebius who appears to stop the Heroes with her nifty power nullifier.

I'm pretty sure she just vanishes from the plot too, since the final fight with X only happens if you've done Eunie's side story

Heart of Stone

Could Eunie's side story have worked with just Consul L with X's dialogue given to him instead?

Oh yeah totally. I think the issue is that neither of them DO much though. Chapter 6 should have been them attacking Colonies or you attacking them, with them managing successes like "stealing Agnus Castle's pods" and "making colonies that you haven't freed keep fighting even after chapter 6 should have ended hostilities". Maybe have Y create a Flame Clock that hits Noah with a major debuff when he destroys it, and even after you fight your way out of his trap he tells you that every Flame Clock he makes in the future will have a worse version before he teleports away. That establishes them as threats to the entire world and the party directly.

EDIT: Like, they're clearly supposed to be this game's version of the Trinity, what with Z being Alvis/Ontos, the true master of the world where the game takes place, and Y being Malos(Amalthus)/Lorithia, the person whose machinations and experiments created the system of the world. That leaves X to be the Dickson/Mythra, but she doesn't demonstrate any traits from either of them. Like, imagine if she told the party that she loves the world because they're in it, that their suffering is her reason for being? Or if she'd pretended to be an ally during the prison sequence? That's the kind of material she should have worked with.

Edited by Watashiwa on Sep 14th 2022 at 8:46:53 AM

Given that she has the power to stop people from using them, it's possible X created the Blades and how they work, but that's just speculation on my part.

Edited by asterism on Sep 14th 2022 at 4:51:01 PM

Heart of Stone

Doesn't she mention she borrowed the power from Z? However, headcanon accepted.

All the Moebius get their power from Z. Mio mentions she can't teleport or use M's ability anymore after the reveal since Z revoked her powers.

Edited by asterism on Sep 14th 2022 at 4:57:00 PM

Heart of Stone

She mentions specifically that she borrowed the staff from Z, I mean. Whatever her personal abilities are they're separate.

I like to think Triton still has his unique powers because Z found it amusing he forgot how to use them.

Edited by OmegaRadiance on Sep 14th 2022 at 9:37:30 AM

Every accusation by the GOP is ALWAYS a confession.

Honestly, I’m just waiting for people to finish datamining the audio files so I can get ”Because it amuses me” as a soundbite to bother my friends with.

Anyways, it’s become more and more clear to me that I’m going to be very late to Xenoblade 3. I think that I’m going to approach Xenoblade DE with the intent of going through the main story and doing all the side quests but leaving maxing our affinity and other stuff for a New Game Plus run.

I don’t HAVE to do a new game plus run, but I kind of want to get my experience with Xenoblade DE over with in full so I don’t promise myself to revisit it with the intent of maxing everything out in the future.

Once I find a good time to continue it, I’ll keep the thread updated on how I’m doing with it.

"If brevity is the soul of wit, then I simply have no soul." He/Him

I do like how, if you're trying to balance it as you go, the first game's affinity system can result in you finding how to make unconventional parties work. Goes a long way in showing how flexible most individual characters are.

...still, I don't blame you for wanting to put it off while blazing through the game either.Happy travels, and also nice icon I wonder what game she's from

🏳️‍⚧️she/her | Vio Rhyse Alberia

For real, despite the fairly simple combat system I did appreciate that the game was very flexible and forgiving of multiple playstyles and builds. For example being able to rotate two versions of a Shulk-Reyn-Dunban party so that one is the tank and the other is the damage dealer. Or Riki's Red Mage skillset allowing for all kinds of ability coverage for party comp.

I sometimes miss the distinctive characters of 1. Everyone except Shulk has 8 out of 16 distict arts for their pallete.

Even 3 could only reach 6 arts on the pallete at the same time.

Where there's life, there's hope.

That's probably my big gameplay gripe with 3 and to a much lesser extent 2: all the characters feel way too samey. Like, in 3, there's no reason not to run a team of 6 identical Smash-focused soulhackers as soon as you can.

Honestly I prefer the simpler style of 1 with everyone having a distinct role as opposed to the much more customizable system in 2/3.

It gives me much less motivation to swap characters aside from Interlinking.

Plus I'm often left feeling without looking up strategies I'm playing characters to a much lesser % of their full potential versus 1 where its easier to play around with the limited Arts to work out which are the better ones to use.

---

x14 I didn't realize Ascension quests were relevant so soon. I heard there were relevant in the endgame, but since I'm at the start of 6 I'd better start tracking them down.

Are there any I should make sure I do before moving forward?

Edited by 32ndfreeze on Sep 15th 2022 at 8:24:01 PM

"But if that happened, Melia might actually be happy. We can't have that." - Handsome Rob

I find myself shuffling between controlling party members for opposite reasons between 1 and 3; whereas I was going for certain strategies or building up affinity between different members in 1, I was always controlling the person who had the class/arts for spearheading combos in 3.

What bugs me about Definitive Edition is how hard it is to get all the costumes. I have several missing.

Anyway, I remember reading a few ideas of where Rare Blades would be if the system didn't exist. I think I'll make my own take.

Electra: In the imperial airship in one of the other cells.

Ursala: Dropped by the Chapter 3 boss.

Azami: In a chest under the stairs in Uraya

Newt: In a chest by the watchtower in Mor Ardain

Percival: Dropped by Chapter 4 boss.

Finch: At the secret hot springs in Mor Ardain in a chest.

Boreas: From a Nopon at the trade guild after Chapter 2.

Dagas: For sale in Mor Ardain.

Godfrey: For sale in Tantal.

Dahalia: In a chest at the floating throne secret fast travel point in Tantal.

Gorg: For sale in Uraya.

Kora: In a chest at the factory.

Perun: In the treasure room at the palace in Tantal

Vale: Dropped by Chapter 6 Boss

Adenine: Reward from a Merc mission at the Trade Guild

Floren: In a chest at the secret place in Mor Ardain (the area under the bridge to the palace)

Agate: In a chest in Spirit Crucible Elpys.

Zenobia: Defeat a certain number of unique enemies, then talk to an information salesman who sells the path to her.

KOS-MOS: Dropped by Chapter 9 boss.

It's not perfect, but it's mine. I could probably do better.

Edited by Smasher on Sep 15th 2022 at 7:27:49 AM

The only one I don't think is right is Floren, I think that one would be in Uraya. Overall a few could be moved to Temperantia as well, specifically Agate and Azami. I'd put Corvin in Elpys and Crosette in Leftheria as well.

If I had to make any criticism of XB 1 it's the fact that level disparities are enforced in a much more drastic way than basically any other jrpg i can think of. It's not the end of the world but it's just weird how being specifically 5 levels lower arbitrarily makes fights nearly impossible unless you have extremely specialized setups which you won't have access to until the end of the game.

Ehh, not really.

You can easily fight enemies 5 levels above you in XC 1 if you load everyone up with Agility gems, which becomes practical around the time you finish the Ether Mine.

If you go for a setup focused on making Melia inflict stupidly strong damage over time debuffs via chain attack and then waiting for enemies to die while the rest of the party keeps you alive, Hou can start killing uniques 8 levels above you the moment she learns Summon Earth, basically regardless of equipment.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Temperantia 100% optional after the boss fight that takes place there? I had that idea in mind.

And I figured the DLC blades were fine as they are.

Edited by Smasher on Sep 15th 2022 at 4:44:13 AM

The level modification in Xenoblade 1 is pretty ridiculous but thankfully Expert Mode lets you titer it better, and it is possible to overcome the gap with enough Agility gems and abilities, yeah. And you can definitely acquire decent Agility gear before by midgame to make the difference.

Edited by AlleyOop on Sep 15th 2022 at 4:51:05 AM

I didn't think that was an issue what with how many secret locations you had down.

I had the way I like to play the game in mind while creating it, exploring the land as much as I can while progressing through the story. Besides, Floren's location is necessary for finishing Vess' quest and Agate fits her spot because that's where she discovers agate in her side quest.

Misremembered. Anyway, the fact that Agate has to go to every location including SCE for her sidequest gave the last one a bit of an edge, along with the fact that hiding a healer blade in a dungeon when Pyra and Mythra are gone could be considered helpful.

Edited by Smasher on Sep 15th 2022 at 7:12:06 AM

I'm pretty sure Agate finds the agate in the Land of Morytha, near the Tornan womb. But it would be suitable to find her in Spirit Crucible Elpys, given that you cannot advance her prospecting level until Chapter 8.