Ni No Kuni out January 22, 2013

So I have one of the merit quests where it needs a "sun" type familiar. Any idea which one? I was thinking in the desert but I morphed it to 2nd. Do I need 1st or it's a different all together?
 
[quote name='Sir_Fragalot']So before I get to the point of the game with the whole collecting of the familiars (about 4 hours in, should be getting to it shortly), I was wondering what is a good team setup strategy for it? Like what would be a good combination of stats for familiars I should be using?

Thanks[/QUOTE]
Ideally stack fire/storm familiars early on because they will be in high demand late game. I thought rounding my team off with water familiars would be smart and have ended up never using them. As for stats, high physical attack familiars rock and for the most part tend to have high evasion or defense to balance them as front line fighters. Definitely keep Mite around with the intent of eventually retiring him, but that won't happen until maybe 75% through the game.

Other than that, choose for aesthetics or abilities you want. There's no real clear winners except for Tokos and Dinoceros (again near late game).
[quote name='Psykodelik']So I have one of the merit quests where it needs a "sun" type familiar. Any idea which one? I was thinking in the desert but I morphed it to 2nd. Do I need 1st or it's a different all together?[/QUOTE]
Could try whipping him out to see, but this game seems to be picky about those quests. You need a sunshine specifically. Sucks these quests get worse later in the game, where they ask you to level familiars. Really makes completing all the quests not fun.
 
Has anyone heard anything about the print run on the Wizards edition? I just sold mine for $300(after fees)on Amazon...but I am really debating refunding the person and keeping the game.
 
[quote name='Psykodelik']So I have one of the merit quests where it needs a "sun" type familiar. Any idea which one? I was thinking in the desert but I morphed it to 2nd. Do I need 1st or it's a different all together?[/QUOTE]

If you were reading the guide it mentioned just to tame "sunshine" from the desert for the merit.
 
[quote name='Psykodelik']So I have one of the merit quests where it needs a "sun" type familiar. Any idea which one? I was thinking in the desert but I morphed it to 2nd. Do I need 1st or it's a different all together?[/QUOTE]

You're gonna have to tame the first form again.
 
Wow! All my local gamestop dont have the this game in stock anymore! My local bestbuy didnt get any additional games. My local frys didnt even get the game. Seems like they really made a small print number.
 
[quote name='CAGkrazy']Wow! All my local gamestop dont have the this game in stock anymore! My local bestbuy didnt get any additional games. My local frys didnt even get the game. Seems like they really made a small print number.[/QUOTE]
They probably did a low print run but it sold really well. The media for this game has been really positive and well it has the Ghibli name attached to it. Ghibli is like Disney to some people :lol:. Plus the game is fantastic.
 
[quote name='Sir_Fragalot']Plus the game is fantastic.[/QUOTE]

Except for the battle system pitfalls with regards to tactics and all familiars starting at level 1 when you capture them with no real decent way to catch them up to your level quickly. Otherwise, yes. ;)
 
Maybe in the next couple of weeks or months we will see/learn of grind spots or exploits in game to level up familiar faster. There gotta be some hardcore players already brewing up a resource or something.
 
[quote name='Jodou']Maybe you can brute force the bounties by going to where the creatures are and kill them. Some bounties aren't on the world map though and inside dangerous places.[/QUOTE]

I tried to going to locations of all 5 bounties available earlier (even use YouTube/other guides to find the right spots) but nothing there.

I just re-loaded a earlier save (made right after finishing all the story related stuff in Hamelin) and didn't have any active hunts. Went to the bounty guy, accepted them, and they show up fine now.

I have no idea what I did last time in those few minutes (besides talking to some people) that would cause the glitch but I'm glad everything seems to be normal. I only lost about an hours worth of errands so it's not a huge deal. I feel much better now but I'm gonna have to keep my eye on it.

[quote name='MSI Magus']Has anyone heard anything about the print run on the Wizards edition? I just sold mine for $300(after fees)on Amazon...but I am really debating refunding the person and keeping the game.[/QUOTE]

I'm guessing we'll never know but because Namco isn't giving out any numbers, I'd imagine it was very low (probably 2-3K).
 
[quote name='Vinny']I tried to going to locations of all 5 bounties available earlier (even use YouTube/other guides to find the right spots) but nothing there.

I just re-loaded a earlier save (made right after finishing all the story related stuff in Hamelin) and didn't have any active hunts. Went to the bounty guy, accepted them, and they show up fine now.

I have no idea what I did last time in those few minutes (besides talking to some people) that would cause the glitch but I'm glad everything seems to be normal. I only lost about an hours worth of errands so it's not a huge deal. I feel much better now but I'm gonna have to keep my eye on it.



I'm guessing we'll never know but because Namco isn't giving out any numbers, I'd imagine it was very low (probably 2-3K).[/QUOTE]

I am wondering if the White Wizard sees a reprint though. Like my guess is its rare as shit but that by the end of all of this they print a bunch more. I am heavily leaning towards selling mine and replacing it with a cheaper digital copy. Too many companies reprint things now days(though im not complaining much about that!).
 
[quote name='Draekon']Except for the battle system pitfalls with regards to tactics and all familiars starting at level 1 when you capture them with no real decent way to catch them up to your level quickly. Otherwise, yes. ;)[/QUOTE]
Yeah, the familiar evolution system is stupid TBH. It encourages you to grind exp to play catch-up whenever you evolve them, especially for the new abilities but since you're leveling your main party at the same time you become incredibly over-leveled for the content pretty fast. They leave it up to the player to maintain balance of just how much to level instead of using a proper system, like scaling enemies to your level or something. It's an interesting system, but hugely flawed.

I just got a sword for my puss in boats that has a 10% LL on it, meaning he's attacking super fast for ~100 a hit> 10 HP per second roughly. He literally outheals everything attacking him after a maddening shout because of the super evasion and solid defense. Only reason I'm using him right now is otherwise my dinoceros takes at best 1 damage from attacks and one-shots every mob ROFL. It's safe to say I've broken the game farming tokos, but I can't stop myself from min/maxing. ;)
 
Ok, my game seems to be back to normal. I was able to finish all the quests without issue... time to move on with the story.

[quote name='MSI Magus']I am wondering if the White Wizard sees a reprint though. Like my guess is its rare as shit but that by the end of all of this they print a bunch more. I am heavily leaning towards selling mine and replacing it with a cheaper digital copy. Too many companies reprint things now days(though im not complaining much about that!).[/QUOTE]

I doubt Namco will reprint these and face another shitstorm from all the people who ended up paying $200-500 for one of these because DR fucked up. I'm also pretty sure they also explicitly said they can't (or won't?) make more. This story was actually very big... it was even posted on Forbes.

I'm also pretty sure no CE was ever reprinted after release (there was one or two instances where more units were produced before release). What they should have done is given every who's order was cancelled by DR to re-order theirs and then printed enough to fulfill those orders.
 
Im still dreaming in maybe a year or so, theyll release a standalone wizard companion book... Ill buy it for $20-30!
 
I got the dragon...
and I'm honestly kinda upset that they would give the dragon so soon after quick travel. They should have given you quick travel after you finished the trials.
Would have reduce a lot of the tedium.

Oh well. It's a lot more fun exploring the world now!:D
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='Vinny']I got the dragon... and I'm honestly kinda upset that they would give the dragon so soon after quick travel. They should have given you quick travel after you finished the trials. Would have reduce a lot of the tedium.

Oh well. It's a lot more fun exploring the world now!:D[/QUOTE]

Dude, spoilers. I was looking forward to seeing what I'd get in the trials.
 
Beat this yesterday and I can honestly say it's the best JRPG I've played since FFIX, but that's not saying much as I don't play that many. It reminds me just how good they were, capturing that oldschool magic that has been lost for console generations. One thing that did surprise me was just how rich of a history this game has, but you wouldn't know it until the final two chapters when they start revealing everything. I was also expecting more animated scenes but sadly they're pretty short and few outside of the beginning and end.

If I could change one thing with the game, it would be to stop insulting the audience's intelligence. I swear to god I got so sick of reading dialogue either babying concepts that were so very clear to any drooler that passed 1st grade or just flat out insults your intelligence. "Mr. Drippy, this looks like a circle don't you think?" "Ah yeah, mun. Sure does, but let me lick it to be sure!" "Jeepers Wally, it must be a square then, even though it has no sides."

I get that this game is clearly geared towards kids, but even my niece who is two isn't this stupid lol.
 
[quote name='Psykodelik']Dude, spoilers. I was looking forward to seeing what I'd get in the trials.[/QUOTE]

Honestly not sure why you'd expect anything good from the trials since it's only 10 hours into the game... but my bad, either way. Completely slipped my mind.
 
[quote name='Jodou']

If I could change one thing with the game, it would be to stop insulting the audience's intelligence. I swear to god I got so sick of reading dialogue either babying concepts that were so very clear to any drooler that passed 1st grade or just flat out insults your intelligence. "Mr. Drippy, this looks like a circle don't you think?" "Ah yeah, mun. Sure does, but let me lick it to be sure!" "Jeepers Wally, it must be a square then, even though it has no sides."

I get that this game is clearly geared towards kids, but even my niece who is two isn't this stupid lol.[/QUOTE]
I feel a lot of games are moving in that direction. I stopped playing The Darkness 2 after every 5 seconds keep hearing get out of the light. There need to be a option of alert me of only game specific tutorials, stuff that only x game does that I would need to know. Not how to cast a spell, how to shoot, etc.
 
[quote name='Sir_Fragalot']I feel a lot of games are moving in that direction. I stopped playing The Darkness 2 after every 5 seconds keep hearing get out of the light. There need to be a option of alert me of only game specific tutorials, stuff that only x game does that I would need to know. Not how to cast a spell, how to shoot, etc.[/QUOTE]
Exactly! You just reminded me of one of the reasons why I was getting pissed lol. At the start, they hold your hand telling you maybe you should cast a spell here and that's fine -- but after FIFTY HOURS OF GAMEPLAY and they're STILL doing it?! I mean WTF guys. It's like an overprotective parent looking over your shoulder for the entire game. Granted you can turn off tips right away, but the problem is they never stop introducing new mechanics/spells so I was afraid I might miss something important, like boss fights generally have.

And don't get me started on the broken heart dialogues. . .
 
Ok I'm starting to get pissed. I want to leave the desert area (I cleared the volcano today) but I still have one side quest left to finish. I need to capture one of those damn green banana bunch looking things for that guy who wants the 2 familiars but I can't cap one of the bastards. I am way overleveled for the desert by now, it is way harder to capture a familiar if they run away from you? I think I killed 20 of these bastards this afternoon but no dice. I then went down south toward the next area and I captured about 4 familiars in 20 minutes. Anyone have any ideas, I'm about ready to just say fuck it and move one....the merit points aren't worth it.
 
[quote name='cgarb84']Ok I'm starting to get pissed. I want to leave the desert area (I cleared the volcano today) but I still have one side quest left to finish. I need to capture one of those damn green banana bunch looking things for that guy who wants the 2 familiars but I can't cap one of the bastards. I am way overleveled for the desert by now, it is way harder to capture a familiar if they run away from you? I think I killed 20 of these bastards this afternoon but no dice. I then went down south toward the next area and I captured about 4 familiars in 20 minutes. Anyone have any ideas, I'm about ready to just say fuck it and move one....the merit points aren't worth it.[/QUOTE]

I don't think being at a higher level makes it hard to catch them. I think it might be based on your performance... like how many "NICE!" you can get. I can't say for sure though, it never took me more than 5-10 minutes to catch a familiar. It's probably all luck.
 
Anyone else order from amazon and had issues with redeeming the griffy familiar code? I keep getting: The Prepaid Card code you entered is incorrect or is no longer valid
 
Doesnt catching a familiar involve hitting the enemy to the point where its almost dead before the heart for taming pops out? So if one is overpowered, they more than likely kill the enemy in one shot. Im hving a hard time getting the ones from the initial map since i one shot kill most of them. The only remedy i can think of is use low level familiars to fight them or equip your crappiest weapon on your team.
 
[quote name='CAGkrazy']Doesnt catching a familiar involve hitting the enemy to the point where its almost dead before the heart for taming pops out? So if one is overpowered, they more than likely kill the enemy in one shot. Im hving a hard time getting the ones from the initial map since i one shot kill most of them. The only remedy i can think of is use low level familiars to fight them or equip your crappiest weapon on your team.[/QUOTE]

No, they will survive those strikes. I ended up killing something around Ding Dong Dell (it was that dog that always charges at you) in one hit with a level 35 Hooray and I still got the serenade prompt.
 
[quote name='CAGkrazy']Doesnt catching a familiar involve hitting the enemy to the point where its almost dead before the heart for taming pops out? So if one is overpowered, they more than likely kill the enemy in one shot. Im hving a hard time getting the ones from the initial map since i one shot kill most of them. The only remedy i can think of is use low level familiars to fight them or equip your crappiest weapon on your team.[/QUOTE]

It's all luck man. I spent 2 hours trying to capture an enemy once lol
 
[quote name='Vinny']No, they will survive those strikes. I ended up killing something around Ding Dong Dell (it was that dog that always charges at you) in one hit with a level 35 Hooray and I still got the serenade prompt.[/QUOTE]

[quote name='TheHelix']It's all luck man. I spent 2 hours trying to capture an enemy once lol[/QUOTE]

Really? Man, that sucks! Wish there was a better way and more efficient way to tame familiars then grinding at low level spots trying luck on captuing all familiars available. It was nice when i was doing it in the desert preparing for the trials but backtracking to the previous lands to gain the familiars is such a pain now!
 
[quote name='CAGkrazy']Really? Man, that sucks! Wish there was a better way and more efficient way to tame familiars then grinding at low level spots trying luck on captuing all familiars available. It was nice when i was doing it in the desert preparing for the trials but backtracking to the previous lands to gain the familiars is such a pain now![/QUOTE]
It's complete RNG and a poor system honestly. Later in the game you can get merit rewards for 5% and 3% additional chance to capture, which helps since IIRC common captures have a 15-25% and rare is 1-3% chance to capture without the boost.
[quote name='cgarb84']Ok I'm starting to get pissed. I want to leave the desert area (I cleared the volcano today) but I still have one side quest left to finish. I need to capture one of those damn green banana bunch looking things for that guy who wants the 2 familiars but I can't cap one of the bastards. I am way overleveled for the desert by now, it is way harder to capture a familiar if they run away from you? I think I killed 20 of these bastards this afternoon but no dice. I then went down south toward the next area and I captured about 4 familiars in 20 minutes. Anyone have any ideas, I'm about ready to just say fuck it and move one....the merit points aren't worth it.[/QUOTE]I just checked and green buncher is uncommon, so 6% chance to capture. You just have to keep grinding until the heart pops, sadly. And if you don't complete his quest, you'll miss out on his later quests when he shows up again and again. They also only get worse and worse though. . .
 
[quote name='Jodou']It's complete RNG and a poor system honestly. Later in the game you can get merit rewards for 5% and 3% additional chance to capture, which helps since IIRC common captures have a 15-25% and rare is 1-3% chance to capture without the boost.

I just checked and green buncher is uncommon, so 6% chance to capture. You just have to keep grinding until the heart pops, sadly. And if you don't complete his quest, you'll miss out on his later quests when he shows up again and again. They also only get worse and worse though. . .[/QUOTE]

Yeah, the green buncher was kinda a pain to capture, but I don't view it much different than trying to catch rare Pokemon in Pokemon games, which could also be a pain.

[quote name='Sir_Fragalot']http://shop.wayorecords.net/index.php?mod=descr&id_desc=64&

God fucking dammit, it's an exclusive to the shop and it would come out to about $36 shipped. Although I want it, but $36 is way too high for a soundtrack.[/QUOTE]

Seems in line with a Japanese import. I guess I can wish for a US release for this, but I'm not counting on it.
 
[quote name='TheLongshot']
Seems in line with a Japanese import. I guess I can wish for a US release for this, but I'm not counting on it.[/QUOTE]

It was posted on Joe Hisaishi's facebook page that that is the site that has exclusive rights to it. I wish there was a cheaper option, some place in the US that had it. $36 shipped (considering the conversion rates), is expensive as fuck for a soundtrack.

Also I have a question. When is the right time to evolve mite? Deciding when I should do it.
 
[quote name='TheLongshot']Yeah, the green buncher was kinda a pain to capture, but I don't view it much different than trying to catch rare Pokemon in Pokemon games, which could also be a pain.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, but in those games the appeal was to strengthen your team, not complete a quest. Between that douche and the idiot diary dude, I wanted to kill myself whenever they showed up in town.
[quote name='Sir_Fragalot']It was posted on Joe Hisaishi's facebook page that that is the site that has exclusive rights to it. I wish there was a cheaper option, some place in the US that had it. $36 shipped (considering the conversion rates), is expensive as fuck for a soundtrack.

Also I have a question. When is the right time to evolve mite? Deciding when I should do it.[/QUOTE]
You can do it when he's able to evolve or when he has all his abilities. Doesn't really matter.

And that price for a soundtrack is pretty cheap. Oh the days when I spent $50 or more on FF soundtracks; legit ones, not the bootlegs.
 
So I just noticed that nearly all of the familiars I use are moons... and stars are apparently the best because they level faster. Oh well..
 
[quote name='Jodou']Yeah, but in those games the appeal was to strengthen your team, not complete a quest. Between that douche and the idiot diary dude, I wanted to kill myself whenever they showed up in town.

You can do it when he's able to evolve or when he has all his abilities. Doesn't really matter.

And that price for a soundtrack is pretty cheap. Oh the days when I spent $50 or more on FF soundtracks; legit ones, not the bootlegs.[/QUOTE]


My man. I've got my digicubes next to me right now. FF7-10 and Chrono Cross.

Also, bro-grabs for the FF9 love earlier in this thread.
 
[quote name='Sir_Fragalot']It was posted on Joe Hisaishi's facebook page that that is the site that has exclusive rights to it. I wish there was a cheaper option, some place in the US that had it. $36 shipped (considering the conversion rates), is expensive as fuck for a soundtrack. [/quote]

Go to the Square Enix shop and see how much they charge for soundtracks, and you find it isn't that much cheaper, and that's a site marketed to US customers. Imports are always going to be more.

Also I have a question. When is the right time to evolve mite? Deciding when I should do it.
Click to expand...

Generally, I wait until he gets all of his abilities to evolve familiars. Also make sure you have another one that can pick up the slack, since it will take a little bit for mite to build up his levels again.
 
[quote name='IanKazimer']My man. I've got my digicubes next to me right now. FF7-10 and Chrono Cross.

Also, bro-grabs for the FF9 love earlier in this thread.[/QUOTE]
Hehe, I love the FFIX soundtrack case: the special plastic mold with all the characters embossed in it. It has been, and likely will always be, my favorite FF.
 
Ok I feel like a moron, I just now realized that the numbers next to the hearts on the familiars' pages in the guide is the % chance to capture them.....:whistle2:\"

Now that that's out of the way time to grind until I capture this damn banana bunch thing.
 
[quote name='cgarb84']Ok I feel like a moron, I just now realized that the numbers next to the hearts on the familiars' pages in the guide is the % chance to capture them.....:whistle2:\"[/QUOTE]
I finished the game before finally finding where the familiar spells were in the guide. . .

I gave up looking through the appendix where, IMO, it should have been and just by chance found them finally. To be fair, the table of contents does NOT mention familiar spells but does have a SPELLS and characters page. Yet to find a page that describes each familiar's favorite food though. This is why I really prefer Brady or Piggyback guides for RPGs, because they've never let me down heh. : \
 
So I just started playing and just wondering where I can redeem my familiar tickets? I'm at the trials right now. Did I miss something/someone? Also, how long will Griffy and Gold Hurly last me?
 
[quote name='navalg1337']So I just started playing and just wondering where I can redeem my familiar tickets? I'm at the trials right now. Did I miss something/someone? Also, how long will Griffy and Gold Hurly last me?[/QUOTE]
Did you finish the trials? If so, turn right around and talk to Solomon again. Griffy will last you the entire game. He's incredibly broken paired with Esther.
 
[quote name='Jodou']Did you finish the trials? If so, turn right around and talk to Solomon again. Griffy will last you the entire game. He's incredibly broken paired with Esther.[/QUOTE]

Thank you.

Any suggestions/ideas for familiar setup with both characters? Just finished the volcano area.
 
[quote name='navalg1337']Thank you.

Any suggestions/ideas for familiar setup with both characters? Just finished the volcano area.[/QUOTE]
You should be headed south soon, so pick up a Purrloiner on the way for Oliver. Other than that, it's really up to you want to do.
 
[quote name='navalg1337']Thank you.

Any suggestions/ideas for familiar setup with both characters? Just finished the volcano area.[/QUOTE]

I'll reiterate what others have told me and have helped me a lot (and this is long after I left these areas), and some of my own experiences.
1. The next area you're going to will have Purrloin (or something like that, it's a cat with a knife) and Monoliths (robot tombstones). Catch both. The Purrloin is like your Mite with lower defense, but attacks much faster. After leveling it, it's pretty fierce. The Monolith, after like 10 levels, is basically invincible against physical attacks. It doesn't have much of an attack or magic defense but for most fights, he's great to have as a tank.
2. The next ally you get (in about a few hours) starts of with the crappiest familiar... trust me, I spent 28 levels with it and then dumped it. Make sure you train a familiar for him.
3. The sprite (little fairy you got in the forest) has terrible attack but later on, its high magic and super fast movement speed makes it a fantastic healer and magic attacker. The monkey and the penguin are pretty balanced, with the monkey having more of a focus on attack power/speed and the penguin having higher defenses.

I'm sure others can give you more in depth feedback.

EDIT* Oh, and catch one of those sun familiars... you don't need to use it, but it'll be important for a quest later on (much later on, but it'll save you a trip).
 
[quote name='Vinny']2. The next ally you get (in about a few hours) starts of with the crappiest familiar... trust me, I spent 28 levels with it and then dumped it. Make sure you train a familiar for him.[/QUOTE]
Bonehead works well, so he could grab one in the desert now and have it leveling. I did that myself and they never used anything else for the entire game lol.
 
The boss @ the end of fairy island was hard to beat man

I think I died over 4 times, barely beat it.

Seems like I'm lacking something.
 
Sorry to steer off the current topic.... I really want this game but the cag in me says to wait. Especially considering my daunting backlog. So I guess the question is will this become really hard to find if I wait around for a drop or a sale?
 
[quote name='Brainberry']The boss @ the end of fairy island was hard to beat man

I think I died over 4 times, barely beat it.

Seems like I'm lacking something.[/QUOTE]
Mighty Mite with Cut Loose would have saved you a lot of time. :lol:
[quote name='Rumors']Sorry to steer off the current topic.... I really want this game but the cag in me says to wait. Especially considering my daunting backlog. So I guess the question is will this become really hard to find if I wait around for a drop or a sale?[/QUOTE]
Tough to say, but more than likely yes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top