Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Switch)

[EternityEnd]

Btw for anyone who doesn't know, there's a trick you can do later in the game when Rex gets the ability to engage every Blade. If you slap on a story blade (Dromarch, etc) it removes that Blade from the respective Driver, then go to that character and fill up all their slots, and it won't be automatically reequipped. Let's you play around with stupid shit like giving Zeke full healing Blades or whatnot.

Yep, you can do that. It's worth noting that Nia is the best healer regardless because of the arts she gets. I believe Zeke in particular gets zero non-potion healing arts.

[Tymon]

Yep, you can do that. It's worth noting that Nia is the best healer regardless because of the arts she gets. I believe Zeke in particular gets zero non-potion healing arts.

This is just bad character design.

Spoiler: show

It makes me wonder how they expect you to realistically play the game with Nia as a blade. No one else can keep the party going like she can. You'd need to be massively overleveled.

[EternityEnd]

This is just bad character design.

Spoiler: show

It makes me wonder how they expect you to realistically play the game with Nia as a blade. No one else can keep the party going like she can. You'd need to be massively overleveled.

Spoiler: show

Well, to be fair, Rex can very competently heal as well with her as a blade. I ran with that setup for a little bit. Unfortunately, Nia doesn't get EXP as a character when she's a blade.

I do agree about it being bad game design -- especially when combined with the gacha blade acquisition method. You'd think with the RNG obtainment, they would encourage hybridizing a lot more, and give each character adequate arts sets for each weapon type.

The best course of action would have just been to give everyone roughly identical arts sets with each weapon type, and let their uniqueness come from their mandatory story blade.

[Corrderio]

I stopped using KOS MOS entirely, Ether Cannons are just too lacking in reliable combo options (Topple etc), and as long as you use the right pouch items it's very easy to perform Blade Combos with a singular character so you don't need the extra Light character.

The setup I've settled into later in the game has a few doubled up elements, notably Wind (because Boreas is just too damn good), but if needed you can still hit every element thru an ability Rex unlocks later in the game. Once I'm motivated enough I'll probably change one of the Poppis to Dark so I'll be able to tag every element, but the game is just honestly not hard enough to require that level of caring.

Btw for anyone who doesn't know, there's a trick you can do later in the game when Rex gets the ability to engage every Blade. If you slap on a story blade (Dromarch, etc) it removes that Blade from the respective Driver, then go to that character and fill up all their slots, and it won't be automatically reequipped. Let's you play around with stupid shit like giving Zeke full healing Blades or whatnot.

Yeah I got to agree. KOS-MOS does feel underwhelming. I'm not sure if it's because of my trust being low still but she feels like it takes forever to charge up her arts compared to other blades. Maybe she'd work better on another DPS character. Wasn't aware skills are based on both weapon and user.

[EternityEnd]

Ether cannons are definitely slow to build arts, as well as lacking in utility. They do fairly devastating damage, though.

And Herald is my girl.

[Tyrath]

Herald is bae.

I would use KOS-MOS just because she's KOS-MOS. Single player games don't really need 100% optimization. I go with whats cool.

[Krandor]

I tried out Herald on Rex because her perks are the shit, but lack of Topple/Launch/Smash just kills it for me. Plus the timing for the arts was a pain in the dick. If mobs doing close range AoE was more of a thing, I'd definitely like Ether Cannons a lot more.

As is it with KOS MOS, her best part was by far the earlier access to high lockpicking, tho that's not something exclusive to her.

Aside with combos, changed Poppi QT π to tank spec, and with her weapon giving Break and Launch (and Topple from Mythra), can instantly start off fights with a good chunk of CC. Shit's nice.

[EternityEnd]

Rex is generally really lacking in debuff arts, I find. Most of his weapons don't have any, so you're restricted to very specific types if you want to solo incapacitate enemies.

Makes sections of the game where Pyra/Mythra are unavailable really painful. Was really hard for me to find another Topple user in my group during those.

[Krandor]

Yeah I didn't even try for that part. Blew thru that chapter as quickly as possible cause I wanted her back. Then of course you're stuck without the rest of the party for awhile after, which equally sucks.

I've looked all his options over and as much I don't really like Roc (with so many of his perks wasted on damage to Aerial mobs), I just have to use him for Smash. At least most of his Specials have a wide AoE, so he has that going for him.

[Kaslo]

Stupid moment tonight in chapter 5:

Spoiler: show

in the fight with Zeke it removed Morag from the party, but instead of just putting Tora in it made it look like I had to have a party of 2. I proceed to lose the fight for 30 min trying different things (almost winning a couple times) until a viewer points out I can press X to expand my party in the menu #fail

[Tyrath]

So I actually didn't realize I could fix my party and won that fight with 2 people >_>

[Krandor]

Random thing to point out, later on in the game you get the Loincloth and Swimwear accessories, which give the equipped character a 50% damage boost if their blade is of the opposite gender. Since all the Poppi's are obviously female, it's a 50% buff across the board for Tora.

[Tyrath]

There's male blades in this game?

[Scythiroth]

There's male blades in this game?

Spoiler: show

>.>

[Kachiko]

I kid you not, I burned through about 50 crystals today, and since I know the chance to pull anything is low, I swapped to Rex for one pull, and out popped Electra, so there goes another OD at some point. Finally pulled another attacker, on Morag, but it's Azami, and since her damage boosts come from <30% HP, she can just sit on the bench.

Gotta say, the rare blade silhouettes are really annoying; I don't need to see what rare blade I'm not getting, each pull. I did notice that, even with nearly identical idea levels, I'm seeing different silhouettes on different characters, so I do wonder if some are closer tied to others, for pulling. Still no sign of KOS-MOS shadow either.

[Scythiroth]

I honestly never even saw KOS-MOS' shadow show up until I got her. Not sure if this is the case for everyone, but she was the very last Blade I was missing and I had just never saw her shadow until that point lol.

edit: But yeah, having to sit through that loot box animation every single time (besides the second half that you can skip) got really old, really fast.

[Ratatapa]

Stupid moment tonight in chapter 5:

Spoiler: show

in the fight with Zeke it removed Morag from the party, but instead of just putting Tora in it made it look like I had to have a party of 2. I proceed to lose the fight for 30 min trying different things (almost winning a couple times) until a viewer points out I can press X to expand my party in the menu #fail

I won that fight np as 2 members

[Voyage1970]

KOS-MOS doesn't actually have a silhouette so if you are seeing the flash and nothing pops up except an orb of light then that's KOS-MOS.

[Ratatapa]

I'll spoiler this about chapter 5

Spoiler: show

So chapter 5 ending has 3 boss battle

1) Core + Power
2) Jin
3) Core only

How did people deal with the first fight?, Took my 2 tries, first one i tried everyone on the power and at about 25% I got rekted.
2nd try I left Nia and Morag on Core and Rex soloed the Power, I often close to die but i had to pull away till nia healed me then went back in

[Krandor]

Honestly I was wailing on the core for like 5 minutes wondering what mechanic I was missing, then noticed the extra mob and killed it in right quick.