The "Currently Playing" Thread

[Andy]

Ahh, Dragon's Dogma. That game was a fuckin' beast. Though the lack of a reliable fast travel system (or even a horse) really hurts the experience, though I think it was fixed in Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen.

But I still remember the first time I faced down a Chimera. Result: Dead. Now, second playthrough, three slashes of my Dragonforged Eden Blade (or whatever the Fire enchanted sword is called) pretty much downs an entire health bar.

[Jack]

I'm about to go out and buy Dragon Quest VII on the 3DS, so that's what I'll be playing probably right up until Pokemon Sun/Moon comes out. I beat DQ7 once before and it's one of the longest games out there. The main story alone easily takes 70-100 hours, and I usually take my time and do all sorts of side stuff n these games. I don't quite know what my playtime was for my first playthrough because I emulated it, but I'd estimate it was at least 80 hours. World record for beating the game is just under 16 hours, so you can cut out a significant amount if you know what's skippable, but still shows how huge this game is.

[Andy]

So, Canas is beast for me on this, my first FE7 emulator playthrough.

Lv. 13 Druid
HP: 42
Mag: 24
Skl: 22
Spd: 19
Lck: 11
Def: 17
Res: 28 (Max)

I mean, holy crap! I've never had a Canas this good on any of my cartridge playthroughs!

[Lightascetic]

(09-21-2016, 06:44 PM)Andy Wrote: So, Canas is beast for me on this, my first FE7 emulator playthrough.

Lv. 13 Druid
HP: 42
Mag: 24
Skl: 22
Spd: 19
Lck: 11
Def: 17
Res: 28 (Max)

I mean, holy crap! I've never had a Canas this good on any of my cartridge playthroughs!

That's awesome, the RNG Gods smiled upon you! I recently tried my first FE8 emulator playthrough... I got Eirika to Level 8 and her Strength was still 4, so I stopped playing, haha. 

I remember on one of my FE7 Playthroughs, I had Serra with maxed Mag, Spd, Lck and Res (25, 26, 30 and 30 respectively, I think). She was a beast! But, I couldn't avoid her getting S in Staves, so she had to fight Nergal with Aura instead of the S-Rank Light tomes =P

[Jack]

I've gotten Ericka all the way up to level 12 with 4 strength before I said "are you kidding me" and started over. I've also had an Ike in PoR with 8 strength at level 15. I rode this one out though and he actually wound up getting strength blessed later on, but I've had some bad luck with lords. Eliwood always turns out mediocre and Roy is just straight garbage.

And that is one blessed Canas. I always liked Canas, but he often winds up sub-par for me. I still use him almost every time though, just because I like dark magic and Luna is OP.

[Andy]

(09-22-2016, 10:55 AM)Jack Wrote: Eliwood always turns out mediocre and Roy is just straight garbage.

This is where you get jealous:

This is Eliwood, two chapters ago:
Lv. 20 Lord
HP: 38
Str: 18
Skl: 13
Spd: 17
Lck: 15
Def: 9
Res: 6

Current chapter:
Lv. 5 Knight Lord
HP: 46
Str: 21
Skl: 17
Spd: 21
Lck: 16
Def: 11
Res: 11

[Lightascetic]

Damn Andy, you're making me want to play again! =P

[Jack]

Oh I've had awesome Eliwoods before (I've replayed this game a lot). But he consistently turns out average or worse. I remember one particular time he turned out a complete beast, had stats similar to yours but he actually had even more Skill and Defense.

[Andy]

I have to admit, I've replayed FE7 a lot. Like, over 100 hours logged on cartridge a lot. But I only ever once got a good Lowen.

Lowen
Paladin Lv. 20/17
HP: 54 + 17
Str: 23 + 5
Skl: 22 + 4
Spd: 18 + 9
Lck: 16
Def: 25 + 4
Res: 19 + 14

Now, you might be wondering, why did I put those stat additions there? Well, this playthrough was on Hector Hard Mode, and I somehow (Don't ask, I forget the sequence of events, used the mine glitch) got the Uber Spear. So that run, Lowen might as well have been reclassed as FE6's King class, because he had the defenses of a general and ridiculously high for everything else (except speed, according to the averages). He could literally tank Limstella's bolting with less than ten damage. My only regret is that I did not get to get him to level 20, as I was levelling Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn's class change weapon levels. That was the playthrough that Eliwood got the Rex Hasta, Hector got the Regal Blade, and Lyn got the Rienfleche. I was so thrilled.

[Jack]

I love Lowen. I always used to use Sain as my go to cav because of his high strength. Then after a few playthroughs I started boss abusing Kent and using Wallace's Knights Crest on him in Lyn's story for a cheap pseudo-prepromote. When I did that I started training up Lowen to get the Knights Crest that would usually go to whatever cav I was using, and I found I like him the best. He occasionally turns out mediocre, but his tanking ability is always there. Sometimes he gets his usual tanking stats as well as some good strength, and his extra point of Con is nice as well. He went from being a solid insurance cav to my favorite Paladin.

[WyvernSlayer]

I always WANT Lowen to be good (I like big meaty defensive units), but every time I've tried to use him in earnest, he's just awful. I get unlucky with growths and eventually dump him for Kent or Sain.

---

Meanwhile, I'm currently undergoing a Fallout 2 challenge. My plan is to beat the game using only rocks. Like, actual rocks. Throwing rocks. Bashing people in the head with rocks. I am Rockman. God bless the Enclave.

[Andy]

(10-04-2016, 08:02 AM)WyvernSlayer Wrote: I always WANT Lowen to be good (I like big meaty defensive units), but every time I've tried to use him in earnest, he's just awful.  I get unlucky with growths and eventually dump him for Kent or Sain.

I've never been able to repeat the feat of Lowen's amazing-ness, Especially now that I'm trying to.

Though, admittedly, I have had a more offensively focused Kent that was pretty beast.

Kent, 20/10 Paladin
HP: 43
Str: 24
Skl: 21
Spd: 23
Lck: 10
Def: 18
Res: 10

Stats are pretty ballin', especially considering this is the Kent I Lundren-abused for the better Hector Mode pre-promote. I don't remember why I stopped levelling him.

[Andy]

Welp, finally got Canas to level 20. I am satisfied.

[Jack]

The main problem with most dark magic users, including Canas, is the speed. Or more specifically, the extreme weight of dark magic and magic users' low con. Canas can use a Flux tome fine but anything else will severely lower his speed. That's why Sages are the best magic class, because Anima is the lightest magic.

Pent4lyfe

[Andy]

(10-20-2016, 10:29 AM)Jack Wrote: The main problem with most dark magic users, including Canas, is the speed. Or more specifically, the extreme weight of dark magic and magic users' low con. Canas can use a Flux tome fine but anything else will severely lower his speed. That's why Sages are the best magic class, because Anima is the lightest magic.

Fair point. Like he is this run, though, he can use Luna and still DA the Dragon and Nergal. While getting a significant damage reduction against Nergal. And even with his support, Lloyd will have a hard time dodging a Luna from Canas, I can rest assured of that.

(10-20-2016, 10:29 AM)Jack Wrote: Pent4lyfe

Moar lyke:
TriErkBackuPent.

'Swhat I did.

[Lightascetic]

Speaking of Lowen:

The Defence is madness, and the Skill upset me, but that Defence!!

I think he's the tankiest Cavalier I've ever had. I also gave him a Secret Book afterwards because I couldn't bear looking at that 9 =P

[Andy]

That's a sexy awesome Lowen. Like srsly, congrats. Beefiest beefcake on a brown horse I've ever seen. Dat hair's messing with his ability to hit things, tho.

That playthrough with the SuperCanas, I was also using Lowen, and Kent. They both turned out mediocre, with several levels-up gaining only one stat or, occasionally, none. Also, neither one got an S in weapon levels. Like, when I made a Link Arena team just to preserve the units in there, the first one, was Canas, Athos, Hector, Lyn, and Eliwood. Of the thirty stats in the screen, more than half were capped. Some from stat boosters, most not. The second team I made had the next best folks up there: Lowen, Rebecca, Dart, Harken, and Isadora (Yes, laugh. I used her). Even with stat boosters (Which I spread where they were needed, because good gravy dat skill stat hates me) the only maxed stat out there was Isadora's speed, which was a natural growth (She was, unbelievably, faster than Kent).

[Lightascetic]

(10-23-2016, 04:58 PM)Andy Wrote: That's a sexy awesome Lowen. Like srsly, congrats. Beefiest beefcake on a brown horse I've ever seen. Dat hair's messing with his ability to hit things, tho.

That playthrough with the SuperCanas, I was also using Lowen, and Kent. They both turned out mediocre, with several levels-up gaining only one stat or, occasionally, none. Also, neither one got an S in weapon levels. Like, when I made a Link Arena team just to preserve the units in there, the first one, was Canas, Athos, Hector, Lyn, and Eliwood. Of the thirty stats in the screen, more than half were capped. Some from stat boosters, most not. The second team I made had the next best folks up there: Lowen, Rebecca, Dart, Harken, and Isadora (Yes, laugh. I used her). Even with stat boosters (Which I spread where they were needed, because good gravy dat skill stat hates me) the only maxed stat out there was Isadora's speed, which was a natural growth (She was, unbelievably, faster than Kent).

Yeah, I've used him on a few playthroughs, but he's never been this BUILT. I have Sain at around level 10, and his stats aren't too bad. I'm still struggling to whittle down my units to the ones I want in Endgame, I always struggle with that! 

That sounds like a crazy Isadora, and at least she's better than Marcus, haha. And yeah, your Canas looks insane, although I just got him and his second level-up was every stat except Defense. I always use Kent and Sain until they get a few levels, then determine which one is doing better. This time, Sain destroyed Kent so I abandoned him pretty early on. But Lowen, man. LOWEN. I'm pairing him with Rebecca, and she's such a glass cannon right now: she keeps getting STR SKL and SPD, but she's level 11 and her DEF hasn't gone up AT ALL. Sad times, but at least Lowen was blessed. 

Serra always works out well for me, too. On my most memorable playthrough she maxed MAG, SPD, LUK and RES. She's looking pretty good this time, too (with an Angelic Robe to help her survive early on). Only mistake I made last time was still letting her use staves, so she got an S in that and could never use the S rank Light tomes (although she still 1v1'd Nergal with Aura). She's a character I can never not use; I'm attached =P

[Jack]

(10-20-2016, 11:16 PM)Andy Wrote:

(10-20-2016, 10:29 AM)Jack Wrote: Pent4lyfe

Moar lyke:
TriErkBackuPent.

'Swhat I did.

An average Erk turns out only marginally better than an average Pent, and even then you could argue that Pent's higher con offsets Erk's higher speed. The problem is Erk has so much room to level and shaky growths, so he quite often winds up screwed in something. Pent is impossible to screw up, he's usable right at his base stats and once leveled will wind up very similar to Erk. So you essentially get a free leveled Erk without having to invest anything in him, allowing you to give Erk's exp to someone else. In HHM, Pent overshadows Erk by such a huge margin that there's virtually no reason to ever use him aside from helping you soften a few knights in the early chapters.

Pent's only real downside is he's forced to have an A Support with Louise, who unlike Pent does not turn out only marginally worse than Wil or Rebecca. She's just straight up worse in every way, but again she gets the benefit of not needing any input from you, so if you didn't use either she's a good enough replacement to get you by.

[WyvernSlayer]

(10-24-2016, 10:13 AM)Jack Wrote:

(10-20-2016, 11:16 PM)Andy Wrote: Moar lyke:
TriErkBackuPent.

'Swhat I did.

An average Erk turns out only marginally better than an average Pent, and even then you could argue that Pent's higher con offsets Erk's higher speed. The problem is Erk has so much room to level and shaky growths, so he quite often winds up screwed in something. Pent is impossible to screw up, he's usable right at his base stats and once leveled will wind up very similar to Erk. So you essentially get a free leveled Erk without having to invest anything in him, allowing you to give Erk's exp to someone else. In HHM, Pent overshadows Erk by such a huge margin that there's virtually no reason to ever use him aside from helping you soften a few knights in the early chapters.

Pent's only real downside is he's forced to have an A Support with Louise, who unlike Pent does not turn out only marginally worse than Wil or Rebecca. She's just straight up worse in every way, but again she gets the benefit of not needing any input from you, so if you didn't use either she's a good enough replacement to get you by.

I wasn't above using Louise in Wyvern-heavy chapters, though - even in HHM.  Not like there's much of a payoff to babysitting Rebecca in that mode, anyway.