Shin Megami Tensei Series

I think the sickle doesn't debuff you, but buffs Zeus instead. The lightning skill however does debuff you in addition to damage.

EDIT: Just checked, Adamant Sickle increases Zeus's attack by two stages while hitting you physically while Keraunos debuffs someone by four stages in addition to the elec damage.

Edited by CybranGeneralSturm on Apr 2nd 2019 at 7:57:07 AM

Anahita and Forneus definitely stuck around on my team for a long time.

I just got Forneus. He doesn't seem that great to me but I dunno. I think I got Madness Crush off his source though so that was good. I have a few demons with it already but having ti on a source is always handy.

Which Chaos Route? I'm not sure how different, if at all, the old and new endings are in terms of gameplay.

Has any brave soul here actually gotten all the endings? I enjoy this game but Jesus Christ don't ask me to play it again for several years. The dungeons are not meant to be played repeatedly lest they kill your soul.

Edited by Nikkolas on Apr 2nd 2019 at 8:08:41 AM

To answer your question, Chaos ending where I beat all guardians in the Womb of Grief and side with Alex. To get this new Chaos ending, you must defeat all guardians before collecting all Cosmic Eggs on Mem Aleph's behalf. If I talk about routes in SJ: Redux and add "+", then I'm talking about new endings.

A piece of advice - if you plan going for new endings, memorize all gimmicks of Womb of Grief guardians.

there IS a video lying around of all the cutscenes of the game, all endings included, yes. It's about a bit over a full day long. if youtuve hasn't killed it, you shoudn'lt have too much trouble looking it up.

Favorite womb of grief bosses would be anahita for the "why is this conversation happening" dialogue that was her intro, Isthar for her utility throughout the game, followed by zeus for sheer aesthetic and personality.

Edited by Yumil on Apr 2nd 2019 at 6:36:10 PM

So playing Nocturne blind. Beat the first boss of the game before I start the Amala Network. I got into a lot of random battles, so the first Pixie you get is a High Pixie, and has been very helpful. Otherwise there's a Hua Po, both the seduction options seem to make recruiting demons easier. Also heavily investing in Vitality and Agility.

I think "endgame fatigue" is settling in. I have no patience for Anthony's shit or EX Missions in general right now. The tree chick is NOT in Sector D. The Wood demon there is the tiny floaty one. The Wood Bark says the demon he wants is in Sector D but I've looked everywhere and she hasn't shown up, only the tiny floaty one. I remember her being in Sector E though but I can't find her there either and I have no desire to fight a billion fights and wander over that godforsaken dungeon again.

If all he ever gives you is stat boosts, I'll say fuck him and leave it forever. I never use them anyway.

Edited by Nikkolas on Apr 2nd 2019 at 6:54:55 AM

Skrogsa is in Delphinus. If you're not seeing her you might have to check out some of the higher floors.

Skogsra is in the middle levels of that aector.

I have. I spent all my time on Floor 4 and only got the other Wood demon.

I guess I could try 3 but I'm not sure why a lower level demon would be higher than her.

EDIT

Alright, I'll look there.

Edited by Nikkolas on Apr 2nd 2019 at 6:56:40 AM

Okay I got that done with but I feel like just finally breaking down and asking.

Are the two other Kishin for the Zealot fusion behind that locked door in Sector E? I got the extra Unlock from Grus and I headed there hoping to get in. No such luck. But I'm already Level 60 and one of the Kishin needed for fusion is Level 57....

Edited by Nikkolas on Apr 2nd 2019 at 9:14:33 AM

Are you referring to the 4 Devas? Zouchouten, Bishamonten, and others. I think you need to be Chaos to finish their quest.

I am Chaos, yeah. But I only have two of them. There is a Level 92 "Zealot" special fusion where you need four Kishin and a Deity and I can't get the last two Kishin. They must need to be unlocked which is why I keep seeing Thor (who is a ridiculously higher level than teh demons being fused) when I look at various fusion combinations.

But I figure they must be behind the door and it's still locked....

Edited by Nikkolas on Apr 2nd 2019 at 9:31:26 AM

You got the optional Unlock? That's Unlock E. The Kishin are behind an Unlock C door.

Oh, okay. Maybe I get the lock at the end of Grus then?

Gore just remembered who he is and I'm stopping for now because I'm hungry.

Also, random I know, but somebody made a joke elsewhere about a Kingdom Hearts/Persona crossover and how Shadows, Heartless and Nobodies could be combined. Along the way the "I am a Shadow, the true self" line was mentioned.

I wonder if Chaos would argue that was true.

Edited by Nikkolas on Apr 2nd 2019 at 10:04:42 AM

On Atsuro's route. Grinding a bit because I need a Wilder stronger than Mothman.

Maybe it's because it is a remake or maybe I just have a better idea of what I am doing this time around, but this game feels easier than I remember. Pretty much the only problem I had so far was the first Escort Mission.

I'm thinking I'll be replaying SMTIVA and maybe also SMTIV soon and I wanted to do something a bit different.

Has anyone here ever built Flynn or Nanashi to be a specialist instead of a Jack of all skills? Like, for a mage, you only use Fire or Light skills and also try to deck yourself out in equipment that helps complete the role, even if it means making yourself forever weak to a certain element? Then again, IIRC, Apocalypse had a thing where you could make yourself weak to all elements....so my idea is probably doable.

I'm not quite that crazy or interested in a challenge. It just sounds fun in my head, especially for a guy like me who loves to RP my characters and put as much personality into them as I can.

I don't do that. I generally try to make myself weak to absolutely nothing unless when the plot demands that I use certain gear that gives me a weakness...

Well, ideally, that's what you're supposed to do and certainly what I always aim for. But the idea was to have a sort of challenge run.

Also, very random, but why does Chiaki get not one but TWO transformations unlike the other two Reason reps? And why the hell didn't they stick with the far more awesome one she got from merging with Gozu-Tennoh? It was way better than Baal Avatar IMO.

Isamu gets two transformations. How could you forget the torso faces?

It's incredibly easy to go Jack of all skills with Nanashi thanks to both Awakened Power and that one accessory that En No Ozuno can drop, and both him and Flynn can increase the power and efficiency of their skills through Demon Whisper. I also dislike having weaknesses because in games with the Press Turn system, an enemy hitting your weakness means more turns for them to kill you and that can mean Game Over. The only dark spells in vanilla SMT IV are also instant death abilities and you really want to make yourself immune to that sort of excrement.

Edited by CybranGeneralSturm on Apr 3rd 2019 at 4:22:27 AM

Huh, I honestly never noticed. I'm not the most observant gamer, I guess.

True, I built Flynn as a mage and had the best spell of every element at the end so I'm aware you can do everything which is why I wanted to be different in my next run.

And god I'm so glad SMTIVA made Light and Dark spells do damage.

Listening to this amazing song to me thinking about stuff and also reminded me of a YT comment I read a ways back on the Nocturne Metatro boss theme:

"I like how this theme sounds like the boss theme against a good guy. Makes sense since you're going down the evil path if you're fighting Metatron."

Now, disagree with that comment or not (I do), it got me thinking. A boss theme is very important, it conveys what the boss means to you, the player. Does the song inspire fear in you? Does it make you feel heroic? Boss themes come in all flavors.

But Alex and Metatron's themes are very heroic and I don't think it is intended to be about us the players being heroic. I think the themes are "told from the point-of-view of the bosses." I have not yet completed SJR but I more or less know everything about Alex so her getting an intrepid savior song sure fits. And of course Metatron is trying to save the multiverse for a highly contentious definition of "saving." The themes convey more heart and soul and make me feel more attached to both of them than the writing, to be frank.

It's good stuff and musical storytelling is unparalleled.

Edited by Nikkolas on Apr 3rd 2019 at 6:38:27 AM

Metatrons isn't meant to be heroic. Or rather it's meant to give the illusion of heroic. Metatron versus Demifiend was meant as evil versus evil

Alex though is antiheroic.

I dunno if I'd call the Demi-Fiend evil but regardless I'm not saying what they actually are, just commenting on what I think the music was supposed to make us feel and how it gave us insight into what they were thinking. From their point-of-view, not the story's point-of-view.

Edited by Nikkolas on Apr 3rd 2019 at 6:57:54 AM