Nippon Ichi (Disgaea, Makai Kingdom, etc.)

Already started a new game. Also went through the obligatory Item World, and I am already missing Makai Kingdom's point system. Trying to figure out Geo Effects makes my brain hurt!

Oh, man, I started playing Disgaea 3 the other day (because I never got around to getting far enough to really enjoy the game) and I gotta say, I'm not entirely sure why I had a problem getting into it in the first place. I mean, sure the first couple chapters are...a bit slow, but I think it all boils down to me being lazy and getting stuck and just giving up..

Anyway, I just got to Chapter 5 and I think it's finally starting to get really enjoyable. The more I play, the more I'm starting to see new things to make me like the game more. The only thing I don't really like is Princess Sapphire's VA. There's just not as much emotion there, I guess. Iunno.

Oh, man, I started playing Disgaea 3 the other day (because I never got around to getting far enough to really enjoy the game) and I gotta say, I'm not entirely sure why I had a problem getting into it in the first place. I mean, sure the first couple chapters are...a bit slow, but I think it all boils down to me being lazy and getting stuck and just giving up..

It's kind of a cheese, but for future reference, if you fill the classroom up with cheap Good-for-Nothing generics before doing Strongest Entrance and getting the second story character, you can get some reasonably powerful equipment very early on. It makes the first couple of chapters go a lot faster.

Anyway, I just got to Chapter 5 and I think it's finally starting to get really enjoyable. The more I play, the more I'm starting to see new things to make me like the game more.[...]

I hope you like annoying gimmicky geoblock puzzles, because there's quite a few of those throughout the rest of the main campaign.

[...]The only thing I don't really like is Princess Sapphire's VA. There's just not as much emotion there, I guess. Iunno.

It does seem like she kind of phoned it in. All of them sometimes but the emphasis in the wrong place in a sentence, but she seems to do it a lot more than the rest. I've seen people contend that that was intentional, though, which I suppose is possible.

edited 7th Jul '10 12:01:20 AM by SuperDimensionman

That's a really good tip. If it works on NG+, I'll totally give it a try then. And Geoblock puzzles don't really bother me. Generally I'll just take a very long time on my first couple turns figuring out something to do, and then ignore my own plans completely and just beat on things. =p

That's a really good tip. If it works on NG+, I'll totally give it a try then.[...]

It's pretty good equipment for getting it after the first non-tutorial map, especially since it's all item types you can't buy from the store at first — Dark Rosaries, Ninja Tabi, Energy Belts, that kind of thing — but by the time you're on your second cycle, you should have better.

To be more specific, what you do is exploit the way the game handles story characters joining you to get the next classroom for free, and then kick out the Prism Rangers by seating a specific combination of male/female/monster characters next to each of them, in sequence, and then they each leave behind a piece of equipment.

[...]And Geoblock puzzles don't really bother me. Generally I'll just take a very long time on my first couple turns figuring out something to do, and then ignore my own plans completely and just beat on things. =p

That's good. It'll make some of the Chapter 6 and Chapter 7 maps much less painful. A couple of them are nigh-impossible to brute force, though.

edited 7th Jul '10 9:40:24 AM by SuperDimensionman

Hrm. It seems that if I just use story characters, my life is easier than if I try to use generic characters as well. Any of you guys have an opinion on this? I'm roughly midway though Chapter 5, but I think I need to do some leveling or something, because the latest map I tried ended up getting my party owned...

Hrm. It seems that if I just use story characters, my life is easier than if I try to use generic characters as well. Any of you guys have an opinion on this? I'm roughly midway though Chapter 5, but I think I need to do some leveling or something, because the latest map I tried ended up getting my party owned...

Story characters do get some really good unique special attacks, and are usually pretty powerful in general, but I find them to be most useful in a full ten-man party in conjunction with generics. Level grinding is always an option, but it's possible (but not easy) to finish the main campaign without it.

Also, which map in particular is giving you trouble? I might be able to give you some super-helpful pro tips for that one specifically.

Urm... It's 5-4, I think. The one right after Gold Knuckle. I've only done it once, so I'm sure I can come up with some sort of a strategy after a while, but I figured I'd pop here first.

Urm... It's 5-4, I think. The one right after Gold Knuckle. I've only done it once, so I'm sure I can come up with some sort of a strategy after a while, but I figured I'd pop here first.

You might have figured this out already, but if you move carefully, you can stay out of range of the first group of kunoichi archers, and you can stop the big group of shrine maidens and ronin from attacking you before you're ready by moving the No Entry geoblock onto the other color. In addition: pay attention to the difference between the Primary Evilities of kunoichi and ninja, and focus your attacks accordingly.

That last part will be useful throughout the rest of the chapter, too.

edited 10th Jul '10 3:09:03 AM by SuperDimensionman

Great, thanks. I'll give that a try. I did know about avoiding the archers, but I never thought about switching the Geo blocks.

Eh, who else here thinks that Makai Kingdom should get a port to the Wii (like Phantom Brave)? I'd love it if that happened.

Me, too. I've been wanting to play that for a long time. Soul Nomad would be cool too, but it seems less likely.

Nippon Ichi announced several new games, including a new Disgaea entry and the final Ar Tonelico game.

I hope one of those newly announced titles turns out to be as big as Disgaea.

[...]There will be more information about this game at the Tokyo Game Show, but NISA promises that the title is evolving into something surprising.

Are they trying to compete with Nintendo for the sheer crypticness of their statements? I can only hope it will please me with a depth that surprises me.

As I forge deeper into the Disgaea 3 post-game, I find myself wishing that the game had a wiki as complete as Kingdom Of Loathing or the Pokemon series. As it is, I have only the most vague idea of how best to proceed, and the game certainly isn't going to help me. The obvious solution is to just keep level grinding until I can brute-force it, but that seems inefficient.

edited 19th Jul '10 5:29:20 AM by SuperDimensionman

You could check Game FA Qs, but this series is pretty niché. It's truly a pity D:

You could check GameFAQs, but this series is pretty niché. It's truly a pity D:

The guides on GameFAQs are more than adequate for the main campaign, but some of the mechanics in the post-game are just plain inscrutable to me, and they seem to be the most poorly-spaded of all.

edited 19th Jul '10 5:37:41 PM by SuperDimensionman

Okay, I have to ask: why is it so damn hard to catch a galactic demon? I'm in the middle of chapter 10 in the first disgaea, DS version, my army is between level 45 (laharl) and 22 (my weakest prinny) with plenty of strong magicians and fighters in between. I even caught a dragon earlier, when I was comparatively underleveled (it was at 40, my crew was ranging from mid 20s to 6 and 7).

But no matter how much I weaken them, it seems to be impossible to catch a galactic demon. Why? what should I do?

^ You should not worry about that. Come back later.

oh, I know there are other things much more powerful (Majin), but I just want one. Equip it with some shoes and let it go to town. Especially the ones with absurd RES.

Unless there's some other reason? Spoilers are fine for me if you tag them.

The Disgaea DS version of monster catching is bugged up. This makes catching monsters much harder than it should be. I caught my first galactic demon at around level 60-110.

Note: You may also need to first have it in your monster compendium thing (or is this just D2?).

edited 11th Aug '10 12:56:09 AM by Soliferrum

Oh Jesus. well, so much for trying. Is that to get any of them, or those on the level (rank 2, level 40) that I'd mentioned?

it's already in my thing. I could create it, but they're just so overpowered and cool looking that I want one as soon as possible.

Some demons are easier to catch than others. Try catching a dragon from an earlier stage first. After leveling for a bit, return to the stage with the galactic demon and try your luck. Also, I'm pretty sure that stronger characters in the base panel increase capture odds.

Edit: if it doesn't work 5 ish times in a row, grind 5 or so levels on your characters.

edited 11th Aug '10 1:07:13 AM by Soliferrum

again, my dragon, Pleinair or Laharl can give the galactic demon a run for his money alone from a range. The only problem with this stage 2 one is that its special skills, the very reason I want it, are absurdly powered.

But I'll probably not get one if it would be easier to finish the story before actually catching it.