Etrian Odyssey

Making a thread for this game in case there isn't one already.

Newcomer to this series. Should I start with the first game, or am I not missing anything by playing the second (or third)?

I usually recommend playing them in order of release, so I'd say get the first one, then the second, and then the third...

That said, I wish I have a copy of the first game...

Also, anything i should keep in mind before i start up? Any pitfalls, or Guide Dang Its or noob killers here and there i should be aware of?

Take your time in the first and second strata. In terms of difficulty in getting cash and surviving those two strata are actually the hardest.

And, of course, prepare well before you attempt the FO Es, as you probably well know. And when the game tells you the RUN AWAY from FO Es (like on the 3/F), DO IT.

Oh yeah, and a trick that really helped me to save money: there's an MP healing fountain on the first level that only works at night. It heals 10 MP. It'll become obsolete as you go along, but in the earlier levels, it was a life-saver for me. So time your trips so you can go there to fully heal your party.

Also, be sure you are well prepared before you sleep in the clearing on the first floor or try to take the item from the boot. Both of them send strong enemies at you, but are very rewarding if you succeed. If you're playing the first game, try to get your protector to have 3 points in both front and back guard, you troubadour 7 points in songs and 5 points in HP up and TP up, and your medic to have 3 points in healer, cure, then salve as fast as you can. This will get you immunize, relaxing, healing and defender. You will need all of them.

Finally someone made a thread where I can have an excuse to post this

As for newbie tips. Play it safe, and don't be greedy. Also, save some money for hospitals and inns.

Oh yeah, and remember to learn gathering skills.

edited 5th Aug '10 7:04:16 PM by Signed

Also, do NOT start with a bard in your party. Bards can be usefull to the point of Game-Breaker status, but only after some level 30 or something. Before that, they are pretty much useless compared to any other class.

Don't get the bard untill you are capable of some safe levelgrinding.

Actually, the bard isn't that bad. His skills are OK and he hits quite hard to boot. I went through the game substituting the landsknecht with a troubadour (in terms of the most common build). Yeah, but don't use the dark hunter unless you're really looking for a challenge (for the initial party).

Defender is nice, but it takes quite a lot of skill points. Since F. Guard and B. Guard are kind of useless, I substituted it with the Defence song (I can't remember the name) from the Troubadour.

And did anyone actually complete that quest that asks you to grind non-stop for 5 days on 8/F? Geez I know it's a good chance to grind but I couldn't stand the boredom, so I gave up.

^....dude, my opinion is the EXACT OPPOSITE of your!

ok, backguard sucks, but front guard is a life saver, especially when you have a Darkhunter in the front.

Darkhunters do decent damage even from the start.

I just met my first F.O.E.

Yee gods, i can't believe i survived that!

Haha, look at that wimpy dee— OH GOD BLOOD AND GORE

or you can do like how I do. Have one of every party member and swap whenever I feel like it. Hey if it works for regular rpgs...

^Most people do that. But the starting party really requires some consideration. My personal starting party always includes a defender, medic, alchemist, and anything else I feel like using. Except bards. Bards suck at the beginning (but pwn everything once they learn Relaxing).

And yeah, FO Es are an annoying menace. Especially when they suddenly feel like barging into a bossfight. After a while though, they are a great way to farm EXP for new party members.

I wish they'd finally release EO 2 over here.

I just recently got into the games, although i bought both the first one and the sequel at the same time i haven't touched Heroes of Lagaard yet.

My first party Was Land...Schenkt? Dark Hunter, Medic (Duh), Alchemist and Survivalist. On backup i have anoether alchemist with different elemental attacks, a protector and a troubadour. Of course, i'm still only on the second stratum. Stupid damage-floors.

My land... Shaenkt? Is so far waaay stronger than everyone else. Might be the fancy weapon she's got, but 2-hit means she regularly does more damage with a basic attack than the alchemist does with his spells. And her defense is so high an attack that can cripple anyone else (Even the lower-leveled protector) just scratches her.

^The title is 'Landsknecht'. And I have absolutely no clue why they didn't simply use the standard class names like 'Swordsman' and 'Ranger' and the like.

In fact, I once heard that they did have these standard titles in the Japanese version, though I'm not sure if that's true.

Says you. I happen to think landsknecht is an awesome name.

^^ Sounds more exotic...

I still wish they kept Defenders as Paladin though...Paladin fits them MUCH more.

And War Mage was Doctor Magus...which I feel is a much more fitting name for them too, considering half their skill is healing.

edited 11th Aug '10 10:47:27 PM by Signed

I dunno, i always envisioned paladins to be heavily defense based but still capable of doing at least a moderate amount of smiting. Protectors basically have a very long list of abilities that allow a variety of excellent ways to stand around and get hit repeatedly.

I know exactly where your coming from though. What where "Dark hunters" called originally anyways? Dominatrixes?

^Dude, one of the most basic skills protectors have is 'Smite'. It's a pretty good damaging attack. On the missions where you have to solo a certain enemy, I always use a protector with Smite.

So yeah, they still fit in perfectly for the whole 'paladin' thing.

It seems like I completely screwed up my original skill configuration. I made it to 20/F without Immunize, a Protector without Smite, and I only started to have the Healing and Relaxing skills for the Bard in the 4th stratum, and he's in my main party. Thinking about it now I don't even know where I used those skill points.

I never got a back-up team because I got too tired of grinding, since I ignored them until I got the the 4th stratum. I gave them all of my team's old equipment so they can basically kill anything in the second stratum but can't even stand a hit from 5/F monsters. I got too annoyed doing that.

So...most hated boss/FOE? It actually took me the most tries to beat spoiler: Fenrir and Cernunos, but That One Boss for me is spoiler: Royalant. Damn the invisible bloodants. Armoths are pretty bad, but at least they have good drops.

Mmm, Etrian Odyssey. Delicious.

That being said, there's no one true path to beating the first two Etrian games, and I'm pretty sure that it will be the same with the third (SEPTEMBER 21st, 2010 FTW). There are people who did Etrian I without immunize and had some crack combination and whatnot and there are many who had the Protector with Immunize and a Dark Hunter blah blah, then Etrian II screwed them over and forced them to come up with all new break-game tactics such as Dark Hunter Climax and Hexer Revenge, etc.

I wish they removed or replaced the Dark Hunter's Climax and Hexer's Revenge.

Those two skills made it so that anyone can effortlessly beat the entire game without much difficulty.

Also, sad that the 3rd game will be completely replacing all the character classes. That means no more girl Gunner. The blue girl gunner was practically the mascot for EOII.

edited 12th Aug '10 8:50:44 PM by Signed

I think starting over in terms of classes will be interesting, and they kinda also did it because the game isn't in the same period of time as the first two games, although I do want my black-haired male alchemist back, and the poster girl of arguably both games, the blonde female protector.

Blonde Protector was poster girl(mascot, whatever) for the first game? I thought it was loli-medic girl...

Blonde protector is the pin-up sexy loli playboy innocent vulgar devious charming of the whole series.

In all seriousness, she looks like Saber and she has a million moe points. She appears on the covers of both Etrian I and Etrian II...So Yeah.

edited 12th Aug '10 9:54:36 PM by AudaciousAnarchist

...eh. I do agree she is more prominent. But it feels like the female gunner had more attention in the second game. By that, I mean lots of official art and fanart focused more on her. But there were still a lot of blonde protector. And almost none of the ugly female one.

Speaking game character who looks like Saber...Rondo Of Swords, main character, Saber expy.

I specifically got that game BECAUSE the main character looks completely identical to Saber...down to weapon, abilities, and attacks. Too bad his sword isn't called Excaliber.

edited 12th Aug '10 9:57:03 PM by Signed