Michael-5 said: F0X said: AndrewWK said: Just killed Xord and I have the feeling that it´s gonna be really interessting from now on. Unfortunately I can´t play it the whole week until friday :(. I just have a question Does this game have anything to do with the Xenosaga? Because it´s the same developer and the title names are similar As far as I know, the "man versus machiene" part of the plot is the only connection of note. I've halted my progress a bit to do some Colony 6 questing. I desperately want that portable gem crafter. Yea they should give you that earlier in the game, it's annoying backtracking.   There are more simularities then that. First of all some weapons and armour are imported from other games (but you won't recognize them unless you played the other games and remember the specific weapon you equiped), and I've read that the XenoBlade game takes place somewhere in the same universe as XenoSaga and XenoGears, but much much earlier on. Not sure about the second point, but I would speculate XenoSaga takes place thousands of years later when Humans migrate to space, and I think I read an article about XenoGears taking place on another planet in the same universe. Regardless physical ties are extremely loose, mostly just related by themes and weapon "cameos."

...They DO give you it early on. You can get it at around 20% of the way through the main story, and it's really not needed at the start. Only when you get strong rank gems, like III or IV, is when it's needed. In addition, 'backtracking' does almost not exsist, as you can simply skip to any landmark in the game anyway...

Also, your issue with not being able to change your character during battle is not an issue. The game gives you a chance to change your party at the start of each major fight, and you can control characters via vision or party gauges anyway to strategically use the Art which you were talking about. But glad to hear you're enjoying it anyway!

Araknie said: Men this thread, i have to restart Xenoblade when i'm done with Pandora's.

A little off-topic, but how is Pandora's Tower? I've got the other two and I'm thinking of getting Pandora's Tower, but reviews have been around the 7/10 mark, which worries me.

Soriku said: There is a portable gem crafter. Just do the sidequest for the gem man.

Precisely. It's quite early on (when you can re-build Colony 6), and it's rather easy, so...

I don't see the problem.

the game is wonderful like so many rpgs this gen

Michael-5 said: 1. I couldn't beat this particular boss without her ability to stop or freeze the boss (as shown in the cut scene). Couldn't hit him with the Monardo without it, and it's new ability was useful, but without powering up the meter, I can't use it can I? Also without the Monardo, this boss is actually impossible as you just never hit him. So to me this boss was poorly designed, why do I spawn so far away if i die??

If memory serves, that boss' ability is time-limited, so you can wait it out, then build your Monado meter between its recharges. It's also why you technically don't need either of those characters, although at least one of them is highly recommended. As for the second character's ability, it actually takes a long while to charge up, so Shulk is actually much more valuable.

i have 100 hours invested

I must make reference to what Smeags said here- the game locks out after a boss fight in a forgotten capital. The previous 3 areas and this one are locked out. Then far more areas lock out in the following area.

The key is, the game doesn't warn you. So...be careful!

Conegamer said: I must make reference to what Smeags said here- the game locks out after a boss fight in a forgotten capital. The previous 3 areas and this one are locked out. Then far more areas lock out in the following area. The key is, the game doesn't warn you. So...be careful!

Yeah... poor Cone seems to be an hour too late when he warns me about stuff. I mean, right when he tells me to explore Sword Valley completely I've just finished the base, and right when he warns me about not fighting the boss in the capital... I fought the boss in the capital.

He tells me not all is lost however... which is good. I mean, a huge part of what makes XenoBlade XenoBlade is it's focus on exploration... so it would be a shame for me to lose some of that for no good reason (well, storywise it is a good reason, but mechanic-wise it was silly of the game not to warn me in advance).

So now I'm going back and completing quests and exploring areas. I'm level 69 across the board and 59 hours in so far.

Smeags said: Conegamer said: I must make reference to what Smeags said here- the game locks out after a boss fight in a forgotten capital. The previous 3 areas and this one are locked out. Then far more areas lock out in the following area. The key is, the game doesn't warn you. So...be careful! Yeah... poor Cone seems to be an hour too late when he warns me about stuff. I mean, right when he tells me to explore Sword Valley completely I've just finished the base, and right when he warns me about not fighting the boss in the capital... I fought the boss in the capital. He tells me not all is lost however... which is good. I mean, a huge part of what makes XenoBlade XenoBlade is it's focus on exploration... so it would be a shame for me to lose some of that for no good reason (well, storywise it is a good reason, but mechanic-wise it was silly of the game not to warn me in advance). So now I'm going back and completing quests and exploring areas. I'm level 69 across the board and 59 hours in so far.

Having a time gap doesn't help...it's 6PM over here, for example! Also, probably best to level. IIRC I was 72 at that fight and just scraped by (boss was 73). Then the next boss was just...impossible. Took me several attempts at 76 and I still believe I fluked it. And the exploration will never be hampered. Infact, because of what happens, it makes exploration key (head back to Splintered Path at Colony 6 now, and after the fight, and you'll see what I mean), and there's always new stuff... None of the major areas (Bionis', Satorl, Makna, Eryth, Valak and Fallen) are ever sealed off, and they continue to expand with new enemies, quests and locations/landmarks/quests. I'd throw Tephra Cave in there also. A bit different, but it has the staples of the area. You've nearly reached the end of the story, but there's still much to do! I'd reached your point at 73 hours, finished with it (not the story, overall) at 156 hours. That's when I hit Level 99

Conegamer said: Having a time gap doesn't help...it's 6PM over here, for example! Also, probably best to level. IIRC I was 72 at that fight and just scraped by (boss was 73). Then the next boss was just...impossible. Took me several attempts at 76 and I still believe I fluked it. And the exploration will never be hampered. Infact, because of what happens, it makes exploration key (head back to Splintered Path at Colony 6 now, and after the fight, and you'll see what I mean), and there's always new stuff... None of the major areas (Bionis', Satorl, Makna, Eryth, Valak and Fallen) are ever sealed off, and they continue to expand with new enemies, quests and locations/landmarks/quests. I'd throw Tephra Cave in there also. A bit different, but it has the staples of the area. You've nearly reached the end of the story, but there's still much to do! I'd reached your point at 73 hours, finished with it (not the story, overall) at 156 hours. That's when I hit Level 99

So the Bionis opens up more when you enter the back of the Mechonis? That's cool. So does the main story end in the Mechonis... or does the story keep going after I (presumably) fight that one dude (trying to be discreet ).