AdamxAtnthony
Neo Member
I would imagine playing instead of watching makes all the difference.
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Xenoblade Chronicles 2 |OT| On the backs of Titans we go!
- Thread starter Kimawolf
- Start date
I would imagine playing instead of watching makes all the difference.
Darkspineslayer
Member
Chapter 3 and I'm still not sure I really understand Driver combos and why I get prompts from my party members on the sides of the screen that I can't trigger. Love the worlds of these games but the mechanics could really do with a tutorial screen. I remember Xenoblade having one.
I just started Chapter 3 and still find battles to be slow, boring, and tedious. The general pattern of wait for six auto-attacks, chain cancels, and then work through combos is super monotonous and dull, but I understand that the battle system expands again in Chapter 3 to include special arts chains and orbs or something.
At this point, I avoid battles like the plague. I'm Level 22 and it takes 2 minutes to beat a Level 20 wolf despite being as efficient with cancels and chains as possible. I mean, come on. Bit stupid to make trash mobs sponges.
nowhat
Member
I just got a Switch, have been playing this quite a bit and am at about where you're at (level 25 ATM) and I so have to concur. There is a lot to love in this game - the aesthetics are wonderful (if you are into anime - if not, you'll probably hate this), the soundtrack is god tier and the environments are beautiful (given the technical limitations). But the combat, while very solid as far as real-time JRPG systems go, can get so tedious. The formula seems to be:
- Is the enemy much above your level? You will die.
- Is the enemy much below your level? You will kill it in short order.
- Is the enemy at around your level? You will grind it out, whether you like it or not.
Don't get me wrong, have been really enjoying it so far. But there definitely are some mechanical shortcomings (the grind and also navigation, which can be infuriating).
Giant Robo
Neo Member
You should do blade combos, they do lots of damage if you pull off a level 3 one.
This was confusing to me at the beginning but now I'm able to pull them off consistently. In case you missed from the tutorial, since you can't look up the info anymore, here's how:
Either you start an Art special of at least 1 with A or accept a special request from your teammates with ZR/ZL.
On the top right of the screen you'll see icons: from left to right, the marked icon is the current stage, level 1 since it's the start, and right next to it, top or bottom is the icon with elemental type that's needed for blade combo level 2. Either you pull off a special level 2 with your Arts of the right elemental type or your teammates do with ZR/ZL.
Pull off the right special level 2 Arts in time and you've performed a blade combo level 2. You'll see which elemental type level 3 arts you need to do for the 3rd and final blade combo, the finisher, in top right of the screen.
If a button lights up, either A, ZR or ZL, it will always be the right Arts special to continue the blade combo.
The catch is that if a mob survives it will take less damage from the same elemental finisher so mix the elemental attacks up. Having multiple blade with different elements bonded to characters give more blade combo options since you can switch between them with up, right and down on direction pad.
Next bit will come up later in the game but knowing about it early also speeds things up.
You can undo the finisher resistance by doing a chain attack by filling the party gauge, the 3 bars top left of screen. Press "+" and then you select which driver does an attack and do a button challenge. Here the key is to use elemental attacks different from the elemental the mob has become resistant to. Chain attacks can do loads of dmg to if you do them right.
Edit: Maybe also look into toppling and launching enemies, they take more dmg in those states and can't attack back. Mix them up with blade combo's for even more dmg.
GamingBird
Member
Well is there a maximum affinity or maximum trust that once reached, cannot go further? How do we know this level is reached?
royox
Member
I'll explain it with an example.
Look at this pic.
Look at the upper right corner, that Seal Blowdowns panel.
Ok let's start then:
A full combo in Xenoblade 2 is: A lvl1 + A lvl2 (or higher) + A lvl3 (or higher)
In the picture, the first FIRE element, the one at the left, means that somebody started the combo with a Fire LVL1 special.
Then it says that in order to keep going with the combo you have 2 choices, a lvl2 FIRE special or a LVL2 WATER special.
Now look again at the pic, you see there's a prompt for Rex at the left with 3 little balls? That means Rex has his next special attack ready to keep going with the combo and the 3 little balls mean he charged a lvl3 special. See Tora at the right? They are showing you he's charging his fire special but he still hasn't reached the level you need to keep going with the combo.
Now see at the bottom? There's Nia with another prompt. That means she has the Lvl2 Water special ready to keep going with the combo but following the lower path of the chart.
Now if Rex uses his combo he will unlock the upper path of the chart, that means that you will need a lvl3 (or higher) FIRE special or a LIGHT one. You will seal permanently one of the enemy's attacks if you hit him with the finisher.
Yeah mate, thats not my problem at all. I can pull off combos with ease and the top right seal path is easy to interpret. My issue is why do I need to pull off two full Level 3 combos to kill a fucking dog. Im two levels above the trash mob as well. What gives with the crappy HP imbalance?
im still early in the game, but has a decent setup that 1 hit kills stuff already close to my level. Are you sure you have got the affinity chart filled up and efficient items?
I had something that makes physical auto attacks 25% stronger, and the initial art 70% stronger, then use the equivalent to back slash to initiate a battle that often even ends there.
Thats how it worked in the area before where i was
the save Nia at the ship part guards got 1hitkilled mostly.
The praise was based on how polygon downrates games because of sexualization of female characters not the game itself. Even watching the game looks fun because the cutscenes are so over the top that its stupid fun to watch.
But Xenoblades is also basically a gacha game which many people consider bad right now. Your strength is also totally based on "luck" of the draw. Yes you can not buy it with real money "yet" but the concept is the same.
Giant Robo
Neo Member
Hmm, have you also looked into using augments and weapon chips, leveling weapon arts, using pouch buffs etc? All that stuff adds up.
Giant Robo
Neo Member
I stopped looking at it as an/compass and more as a proximity meter. If you're close(within 50m) just press L and you'll see the dot on the map.
Zenaku
Member
Making use of blade attacks is also important for damage. One setup I like is having Nia break an enemy, then I Down them with Homura's hookshot, and immediately switch to an axe blade to use their attack that does extra damage to downed enemies, followed by their rising attack.
It does a lot of damage as is, if I used accessories and cores to increase damage to downed or raised enemies, it'd make an even bigger difference.
Just behind him as he runs off is a big slope, run up there until you get to another lumberyard, and go left from there. Keep to a hard right and you should end up in the area with umons shipyard.
It does a lot of damage as is, if I used accessories and cores to increase damage to downed or raised enemies, it'd make an even bigger difference.
Go to the first fast travel spot in the first town, where the shops are (I only know the Japanese names, sorry) and head out into the field. Stop when you see the big monkey, and wait for him to run off to the right.
Just behind him as he runs off is a big slope, run up there until you get to another lumberyard, and go left from there. Keep to a hard right and you should end up in the area with umons shipyard.
Mister Wolf
Member
Are completing quests the fastest way to boost trust with a Blade?
RPGCrazied
Member
Does it ever rain in the first zone? Never seen it.
And I like how you can add rain effects to some cutscenes in the theater.
And I like how you can add rain effects to some cutscenes in the theater.
My side quests are piling up, most of the time I spend a little time looking for the ingredients, locations or whatever then give up as often in these games I stumble upon them later or I'm genuinely blocked until my blade has reached a certain level. Not fussed progressing the story but still feels like I'm missing out on sweet rewards or content.
OuterLimits
Member
Just started playing the game. Really enjoy the world and early story so far. I also thought I would despise the voice acting, but so far I'm enjoying it.
My main concern will be the battle system later. I like Xeno X but felt I needed a college course to understand the battle system. Is this game even more complex than that?
My main concern will be the battle system later. I like Xeno X but felt I needed a college course to understand the battle system. Is this game even more complex than that?
Dr. Kitty Muffins
Member
I'm surprised someone hasn't made an Arkham joke by now. The word Titan is forever ruined. Lol
bigDdestruction
Member
Im a little annoyed they didnt sync the lip flaps with the English audio. Its clearly them speaking in Japanese. It really does break the immersion for me. I did switch to Japanese and the voices are awesome but then there are parts while playing in the world where the characters talk to each other and theres no subs for that.
RPGCrazied
Member
Seriously, where is the rain? Played 20 hours, seen rain like twice in cutscenes. Never saw it again. Chapter 4, 22 hours in. Finally see some rain! Chapter 3 end cutscenes was bad ass.
Danjin44
The nicest person on this forum
It might take while to get what the combat is all about but once it does, to me its was most satisfying and "feel good" combat I experienced in JRPG.
Do you really want the rain?, monolith soft made the botw rain after all! Which was even second to a worse weather in X, the sporeweather was a nightmare until you learned how to play around it.
Finally left the first titan and got a bit into the second, the defense or hp sure skyrocketed on the enemies recently, doesnt get oneshotted by my combo anymore. That said, its the first combatsystem in the xenobladeseries where i feel there is actual interaction and a bit skill involved, a nice improvement!
Sosokrates
Report me if I continue to console war
Maybe they haf to cutback the rain because the visuals are more advanced. The same thing with GTA4 and GTA5
Zenaku
Member
For some reason, it seems like the game doesn't like changing the weather. In the previous games the weather would change when you fast travel or change the time (sometimes it could take a few goes) but in X2 the weather likes to stay constant.
I had some bad weather in an area when I wanted to do some leveling, and nothing I did could get it to change. Fast travelling, sleeping at inns, resetting the system; the weather wouldn't budge, so I had to give up and train elsewhere.
I had some bad weather in an area when I wanted to do some leveling, and nothing I did could get it to change. Fast travelling, sleeping at inns, resetting the system; the weather wouldn't budge, so I had to give up and train elsewhere.
ajim
Member
Thank you! Found it!
IbukiLordSA
Member
Would love to get a rare blade, chapter 3 and still nothing both common and rare cores have just given me common blades 
RPGCrazied
Member
Yeah, I think its a cool effect. One of the cooler thing in Xenoblade games is the weather system.
Well, in the 2nd area, its like playing a different game then the first area. The framerate is pretty smooth even with the rain effects and large draw distance.
How does Tora get more blades?? Everyone else has 3 but him, still has one.
DrunkShogun
Member
Just beat chapter 3 and games finally clicked for me. Have three rare attack blades with different elements for Rex and Nia has the one additional rare healer blade. Still a bit annoying blades cant be transferred across more easily.
Rhetorical Question
Member
Friends, how is the exploration aspect of that game? I'm not a JRPG guy, so I'm not sure I'll like the combat system. But I might be interested in the exploration, since I like the artstyle. Are there some hidden locations and so on?
AdamxAtnthony
Neo Member
Yes. I think the exploration in this game is really well done. There is a lot to stumble on and many hidden locations to find.
Rhetorical Question
Member
That sounds good. Gonna grab it this weekend. Tahnks.
AdamxAtnthony
Neo Member
I should have qualified also that the battle system takes a loooooong time to get used to
Zenaku
Member
Yeah. I haven't had major problems with it throughout the game, but its only now I've truly got the hang of Fusion combos. I can manage 700k damage at the moment, gonna look into assist cores that can take that higher.
Original Man
Member
for those on chapter 5 and higher, whats your party setup looking like?
RPGCrazied
Member
Is beastly cores legendary? If so I got my first one. Really cool one, looks like a dark skin Diablo.
Gormless Noodle
Member
That's a unique Blade from a special core. There's some cores that give you a specific Blade and that's one of them. You might have seen another in a store for 500k.
Danjin44
The nicest person on this forum
Im not exactly sure what "thing" you are talking about.
I'll explain it with an example.
Look at this pic.
Look at the upper right corner, that Seal Blowdowns panel.
Ok let's start then:
A full combo in Xenoblade 2 is: A lvl1 + A lvl2 (or higher) + A lvl3 (or higher)
In the picture, the first FIRE element, the one at the left, means that somebody started the combo with a Fire LVL1 special.
Then it says that in order to keep going with the combo you have 2 choices, a lvl2 FIRE special or a LVL2 WATER special.
Now look again at the pic, you see there's a prompt for Rex at the left with 3 little balls? That means Rex has his next special attack ready to keep going with the combo and the 3 little balls mean he charged a lvl3 special. See Tora at the right? They are showing you he's charging his fire special but he still hasn't reached the level you need to keep going with the combo.
Now see at the bottom? There's Nia with another prompt. That means she has the Lvl2 Water special ready to keep going with the combo but following the lower path of the chart.
Now if Rex uses his combo he will unlock the upper path of the chart, that means that you will need a lvl3 (or higher) FIRE special or a LIGHT one. You will seal permanently one of the enemy's attacks if you hit him with the finisher.
This was incredibly helpful. Was in chapter 3 and didn't know most of that.
Now towards the end of chapter 4. I find myself just running and avoiding fights a lot. They just take so damn long. I don't even want to salvage because having to fight stupid fish monsters to open the chest is so tedious.
Late chapter 4 spoilers re: party comp.
Does Tora ever manage more than one element at a time? I've played a fair amount of Tiger and still no elemental plans.
I think I'm going to drop him as soon as I can because being stuck with just earth really limits my combo paths. But if I drop him I don't know who I'm supposed to make a tank as Nia's cat makes her the best healer and everyone else seems DPS-centric.
I think I'm going to drop him as soon as I can because being stuck with just earth really limits my combo paths. But if I drop him I don't know who I'm supposed to make a tank as Nia's cat makes her the best healer and everyone else seems DPS-centric.
Spukc
always chasing the next thrill
That furry thing
Danjin44
The nicest person on this forum
Really!!? Once the combat clicked with me I just start hunting monster to fight with so I can practice blade combos and fusion combos and once i got better it the combat became so much more enjoyable.
Do you mean Tora or Azurda(Gramps)?
Danjin44
The nicest person on this forum
Then I don't know which one you are talking about, because so far I haven't found any of the characters "annoying".
Original Man
Member
Just completed chapter
. Damn this game is incredible. Story/Characters are awesome and once you get the combat it's awesome as well. Can't wait to see how this game end
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