RPG Progress Report

[Exhuminator]

I've got Ys III for SNES; is the TG16 version superior in any way (other than being on a superior console)?

What Bone said is true, hit detection and balancing are better on TGCD. The TGCD is worth it for the audio alone. Listen to this track:



Not getting that on SNES.

Also Ys III is weird in that it's 2D side scrolling versus overhead like every other Ys. It was the series' Zelda II moment. The Oath in Felghana is a remake of it using the same engine that Origin uses. I recommend the GOG version: https://www.gog.com/game/ys_the_oath_in_felghana

[ElkinFencer10]

I've got Ys III for SNES; is the TG16 version superior in any way (other than being on a superior console)?

What Bone said is true, hit detection and balancing are better on TGCD. The TGCD is worth it for the audio alone. Listen to this track:



Not getting that on SNES.

Also Ys III is weird in that it's 2D side scrolling versus overhead like every other Ys. It was the series' Zelda II moment. The Oath in Felghana is a remake of it using the same engine that Origin uses. I recommend the GOG version: https://www.gog.com/game/ys_the_oath_in_felghana

Is the story basically the same in Oath of Felghana?

[Exhuminator]

It's the same plot, but it's more fleshed out in Oath. I've beaten Ys III on TGCD and The Oath in Felghana on PC, and it's no contest, Oath destroys the original game. But I still have a soft spot for Ys III on TGCD all the same.

[BoneSnapDeez]

I think of lot of y'all just don't like computer ARPGs. Do you like stuff like Hydlide and Lagoon?

Most people don't like Hydlide and Lagoon.

Never heard of them.

"Never played them" I would perhaps expect, but I'm surprised you've never heard of them.

Hydlide is a 1984 ARPG originally released on NEC computers that was hugely influential to the ARPG genre. It was ported to the NES and remains one of the cheapest NES carts. There are also three sequels, two of which we got in the States.

Lagoon was developed by Zoom (of Phalanx fame) and published by Kemco. Originally for the Sharp X68000, it was later ported to the SNES. This one doesn't use the "bump" system but is known for it's close-range combat. Incredible soundtrack in this game.

I guess my point is that those old computer ARPGs are fundamentally different in terms of style and substance when contrasted to the epics that were developed for consoles (Secret of Mana and Terranigma for instance). Seems like many here prefer one style over the other. The first three Ys games were originally on PC-88, for the record.

[ElkinFencer10]

I've got Hydlide on NES (and Super Hydlide on Genesis), and I have Lagoon on SNES, but aside from messing around with (and getting frustrated and giving up on) Hydlide as a kid, I've never really played them.

[prfsnl_gmr]

I really should make an honest attempt at Hydlide some day. Maybe once I lay Clash at Demonhead, The Guardian Legend, and Legacy of the Wizard to bed, I will give it a shot.

.....

Dragon Quest VII is a beast. I passed the 40 hour mark yeaterday, and I don't think I am even halfway through the game. (I just defeated the The Time Being - pun intended - in El Ciclo. My character are level 21-23, and I have mastered a few basic job classes.) The world is incredibly well developed, and there is just so much to do. I suspect it will take me well over 100 hours to see the end of this game, and I will probably take another break from it around the 50-hour mark.

[Exhuminator]

I suspect it will take me well over 100 hours to see the end of this game, and I will probably take another break from it around the 50-hour mark.

There must be some streamlining with the remake, as the main story average for the original on HLTB is 104 hours, whereas the same time frame for the 3DS version is only 70 hours. You may be closer to finishing it then you think.

[alienjesus]

I really should make an honest attempt at Hydlide some day. Maybe once I lay Clash at Demonhead, The Guardian Legend, and Legacy of the Wizard to bed, I will give it a shot.

.....

Dragon Quest VII is a beast. I passed the 40 hour mark yeaterday, and I don't think I am even halfway through the game. (I just defeated the The Time Being - pun intended - in El Ciclo. My character are level 21-23, and I have mastered a few basic job classes.) The world is incredibly well developed, and there is just so much to do. I suspect it will take me well over 100 hours to see the end of this game, and I will probably take another break from it around the 50-hour mark.

As nice as it is to get your money's worth, I really, really think there is something to be said for content that knows when to stop...

[prfsnl_gmr]

There must be some streamlining with the remake, as the main story average for the original on HLTB is 104 hours, whereas the same time frame for the 3DS version is only 70 hours. You may be closer to finishing it then you think.

I think that you could run through it in 70 hours. I am not consulting a guide at all, and there are so many extra stories and events that really encourage you to take your time with the game. (I don't mind. I'm not in a hurry to finish it up, and I might as well enjoy all the game's content.)

As nice as it is to get your money's worth, I really, really think there is something to be said for content that knows when to stop...

I generally agree with this sentiment. Dragon Quest VII is an interesting case, however. It is, essentially, a long series of 3- to 10-hour mini-RPGs. Each one follows the same basic progression:

(1) travel into the past;
(2) explore cursed or doomed village and, possibly, collect additional pillar fragments;
(3) navigate dungeon;
(4) defeat boss;
(5) save village;
(6) explore saved village in past to tie up story elements and, possibly, collect additional fragments;
(7) travel back to the present;
(8) explore saved village in present to tie up additional story elements and, possibly, collect additional fragments;
(9) use pillar fragments to unlock new area in past.

Once you have wrapped up an area, it is actually pretty easy to put the game down for a while, and it is easy to pick it back up right before starting a new area.

[PartridgeSenpai]

Exactly two and a half hours into Legacy of Ys Book 1! I'm at the foot of the Tower of Dahm. This game is really fun!
It has some little annoying bits, like sometimes your quest's objective isn't spelled out very well, but the world is so small that I've never felt that it really holds the game back in any meaningful way. I've never had to use a walkthrough, so I'm good . I'm quite enjoying the DS version. Why don't you like it, Exhumy Senpai?