Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Switch)

[Krandor]

Maxing out a common blade gets you 3 books worth 1k weapon points each (or more if they're rank 3 or 4).

Usually doesn't take more then 5 or 6 Merc missions to max out 1 star blades.

[Scythiroth]

Yeah, I think 1 and 2 stars get you some +1k books, 3 and 4 stars get you +3k books, and all the 5 star ones get you +5k books? Can't remember how many books each one gives though.

[Katlan]

Oh I was wondering what all those newbie manuals were for and never bothered to look into it. Nice to know, thanks!

[Madeline]

So many things I like about this game, and so many things I hate. Tiger Tiger stage 5 is my current disdain, shit feels impossible to get a perfect, half the time I don't even win, fuck that second to last shark! I played the entire game as Tora pretty much, you can make Poppi pretty strong early on and I enjoyed the concept of full customization, but again.. Tiger Tiger hurts. At chapter 8+ a revisit is almost necessary if you're into Tora, and boy is it grindy.

7 salt

Spoiler: show

No outfit change for driver Nia sucked. I wanted her blade outfit so badly in her driver form, and yet Rex gets a new one at the end of 7! I guess she's stuck as a banana. Overall I would've liked to see a cosmetic system for drivers. Dat blue diver outfit was awful right up until he got his true driver outfit.

I hear the complaints that this chapter sucked due to Rex losing Pythra but I played the entire game without him, so I guess I didn't really feel the difficulty until the Jin & Malos battle. That fight was ridiculous and I ended up taking 2 tanks and holding Malos in a corner for the win..only to find out it isn't really a win. I spent hours here getting knocked down over and over, but the challenge was actually a lot of fun and it felt good to finally win lol. Excited for endgame mobs. Malos was crazy with that affinity killer and constant blowdown.

Voices drove me nuts but got a bit better throughout the game, especially once I wasn't hearing "THINK YOU CAN TAKE ME? DON'T FORGET ME!" I spent probably 20 minutes fiddling with the volume since I wasn't satisfied with just turning everything off. Nia best VA. I love her to death the sassy little shite, even if she has periods where the accent is so thick I can't make it out (fast travel dialogue!)

Lastly, time spent in the menus and how they navigate can be absolutely awful, particularly Mercenaries and Pouch related stuff, more that I don't care to list. Lack of a catalogue for items and uniques killed is another complaint, but it's all so minor in the grand scheme of this game that none if it really kept it from being absolutely enjoyable. One of the best games I've played in a while, and definitely one of the more memorable stories that I doubt I'll forget for the years to come ala XC1 which I still never shut up about whenever I get the chance to tell someone that hasn't heard of it or played it.

[Ratatapa]

I’m in chapter 8atm and I do like the story, but imo it’s much weaker then XC1 story

[Exoduso]

I’m in chapter 8atm and I do like the story, but imo it’s much weaker then XC1 story

XC1 was pretty weak also, so that isn't very comforting.
I'm still on the fence with this game since I bought so many games on black friday and my back log is ridiculous with very little play time as is...
Starts to sound like it may not be worth the pricetag though.

[Tyrath]

Totally worth it.

[Madeline]

It is worth it if you're not the type to nitpick the small shit, and there is a lot of annoying small shit that I'm hoping they'll visit with patches. They addressed the compass being useless (not very well, mind you) and added another minimap zoom thus far, but they seem to be more worried for getting their season pass dlc out from the sounds of it. That said there are some big ones that continually bothered me, and that's...

Their audio guy... Even with the volume controls it doesn't feel like it's been mixed properly in the slightest and that will probably remain my biggest gripe that I couldn't really get past as it continues through the entire game, even if it got a little better around chapter 7. That and the frequency at which battle voices trigger (the useless enemy ones, party ones can be useful sometimes.) The blade bonding system feels like something from a mobile gacha game, which someone mentioned earlier in this thread and I completely agree. Admittedly, I don't mind the system so much as the amount of time it takes. It has 2 different cutscenes, one of which you can't skip, and multiple confirmations afterward. It takes too long to burn through the amount of cores you get by the time you factor in deciding on which boosters to use and what have you. In short, it's clunky.

Has it's problems, but is still a good game. Just a bit sad that it could've been a lot better with a bit more work.

[Madeline]

For Poppiswap, has anyone found the tier 2 and higher strength/dexterity/ether boosters in Tiger Tiger or happen to know which stage they might be in? I know it isn't 5. I'm done with my Pi build and I was looking into them for alpha and QT. They'll boost Tora while Pi is in use since stat mods remain active while the blade is shelved.

Finally got my light elemental core, but still no master muscles.. I've gotten dupes of everything else and I need 2; one for Pi and one for QT.

end build for anyone that cares:

Spoiler: show

Pi:
Master Muscle
Light Core, interchangeable, could use a standard element for -50 cost and bump up Vital charge in the third slot since it effects specials 3 and 4.
AC Arts Boost V
AC Critical Up V
AC System Reset I
Critical Restore V
Pinpoint Weakness V
Challenger V
AB Vital Charge I x3
Affinity MAX Atk V
Vendetta V
Front Attack V

comes to 1448/1450.

Stat mods on QT/alpha for boosting, beyond that it doesn't matter much.

Too much work but I'm having fun with it.

[Scythiroth]

I spent far too much of today also doing Tiger Tiger stuff. >.> Not sure on stat boosting ones though, I've really only done stage 1 and 5.

Master stuff seems so rare, and I also ended up with a bunch of duplicates of ones I didn't want + not getting ones I do want. Wish you could just buy them for some crazy amount.

[Madeline]

I've actually gotten good and it feels much better now lol, I still can't perfect stage 5 due to the sporadic ether placement. Things got easier when I realized the wrenches allow you to shoot diagonally. I assumed I was just shit at it. Also never knew that having them gives you a damage buffer not to drop one of your chests. Learned that Jellyfish are always vulnerable at an angle, and that sharks are total shit at horizontal attacks and will essentially never kill you if they're above you while the screen scrolls down. All of that has made farming 5 bearable. Rarely do I leave without all of my chests. Another note, you can take a hit and as long as you finish the stage with full health, it'll still be a perfect.

I have a hunch the T2 stat mods are gonna be in stage 4, similar rarity to the master drops and I'm doubtful (no mention of them anywhere I've seen) that there are T3 and higher.

I just got my first master muscle; it was the only thing I hadn't seen in 5. One more! I feel like I'm going to cap out on ether before I finish the modding. <50k away now I'd wager.

[Ratatapa]

So i'm up to my last non RNG Blade and it says i need to offer prayers to the Tantal Shrine.

Where is that? I can't find it (I'm at chapter 8)

[EternityEnd]

So i'm up to my last non RNG Blade and it says i need to offer prayers to the Tantal Shrine.

Where is that? I can't find it (I'm at chapter 8)

Herald? There's a breakable wall in the temple ruins in Theosoir, with a shrine inside. You give offerings of specific items (easy place to farm is the toxic pond in Temperantia) and get the core crystal.

[Krandor]

Yeah first fast travel point there gives you fish that you can use at the shrine. Farm the point, fast travel to the exact same spot to refresh the map, etc etc

[Kaslo]

Well wow... field skills catch up with you quick in Chapter 7 o.O

[Ratatapa]

Herald? There's a breakable wall in the temple ruins in Theosoir, with a shrine inside. You give offerings of specific items (easy place to farm is the toxic pond in Temperantia) and get the core crystal.

Ok will look into it thanks

[Katlan]

I pre ordered it:

https://nintendowire.com/news/2017/1...ng-good-smile/

[Ratatapa]

I pre ordered it:

https://nintendowire.com/news/2017/1...ng-good-smile/

It’s like 200$ lol

[Corrderio]

Yeah 165ish USD. Art quality is great, but XC2 isn't a game I'd put on my "want to buy merch for" list.

[Tyrath]

I'd pay 50 for that. But beyond that fuck that