age-old JRPG problem

[Dice]

Dragon Quest is one of the few series that doesn't suck from Square Enix in my opinion.

Not a surprise to me though. How the mighty have fallen so hard, keep making remakes of your old glory.

To each their own - I can't handle the "classic" element that I already played through enough in my childhood.

Know what's funny about what we hate in JRPGs?
The fact that it's imbued into their culture.  Heeeeyy~ Those AKB pose like anime girls!!!!!!!! DUN DUN DUUUUUN.

Therein lies my main problem with JRPGs, some of the archetypes are more cultural than anything.

[PotRoast]

Know what's funny about what we hate in JRPGs?
The fact that it's imbued into their culture.  Heeeeyy~ Those AKB pose like anime girls!!!!!!!! DUN DUN DUUUUUN.

Therein lies my main problem with JRPGs, some of the archetypes are more cultural than anything.

Sadly this is true. Much hate is generated for no better reason than because they are Japanese.

[ZeronHitaro]

Call me crazy but...I've never noticed any difficulty spikes in a game...ever. Well, at least not since I was 6. Back then I had a problem with skipping so many battles because I wanted to advance the story only to have to restart because I couldn't kill the next boss and a lot of the stock enemies were causing me to have to use a tent after every battle. XD So I eventually forced myself to fight every battle I came across.

That philosophy has carried over and since then I've never noticed any "Difficulty Spikes" in RPGs. *shrugs* Then again that might just be me having played them so long as my only main genre of gaming.

[Dice]

Call me crazy but...I've never noticed any difficulty spikes in a game...ever. Well, at least not since I was 6. Back then I had a problem with skipping so many battles because I wanted to advance the story only to have to restart because I couldn't kill the next boss and a lot of the stock enemies were causing me to have to use a tent after every battle. XD So I eventually forced myself to fight every battle I came across.

That philosophy has carried over and since then I've never noticed any "Difficulty Spikes" in RPGs. *shrugs* Then again that might just be me having played them so long as my only main genre of gaming.

Yeah, I over-exaggerated I think... but I remember Choco Eater being a retard (Mi'hen Highway) and the Seymour's proved some threat (and secret dungeon)

[ZeronHitaro]

Call me crazy but...I've never noticed any difficulty spikes in a game...ever. Well, at least not since I was 6. Back then I had a problem with skipping so many battles because I wanted to advance the story only to have to restart because I couldn't kill the next boss and a lot of the stock enemies were causing me to have to use a tent after every battle. XD So I eventually forced myself to fight every battle I came across.

That philosophy has carried over and since then I've never noticed any "Difficulty Spikes" in RPGs. *shrugs* Then again that might just be me having played them so long as my only main genre of gaming.

Yeah, I over-exaggerated I think... but I remember Choco Eater being a retard (Mi'hen Highway) and the Seymour's proved some threat (and secret dungeon)

...oh good grief. You made me remember the Chobo Eater. XD That fight was always a bit frustrating simply because every time I got him shoved against the cliff edge he'd immediately push back to middle ground the following turn. XP

[Gen Eric Gui]

Yeah, you're right, but I don't think any amount of grinding would have helped you with her. You just gotta be pretty fucking lucky half the time, keeping at least one member in zombie, so when she uses Megadeath (Or Slipknot, Cradle of Filth, whatever the spell was called) on you, you can phoenix down like crazy.

Just noticed this.

This is the argument that causes RPG's to be nothing more than grindfests.  You're essentially complaining that this boss was bad because you couldn't grind past her, and that you had to use a strategy to defeat her.  IMO, Yunalesca was the most interesting boss in FFX simply BECAUSE you couldn't beat her without the right strategy.

Of course, even then she wasn't really that bad.  You just never heal Zombie ever unless you need to regain HP.  That's the entire strategy against her.

[OkamiGeisha]

Sadly this is true. Much hate is generated for no better reason than because they are Japanese.

I would just make a distinction between pop culture in terms of what is marketed and consumed in Japan and Japanese culture as a whole.  After all, we wouldn't want anybody not from the USA looking at an American playing a typical WRPG while eating a big mac and slurpy and saying 'that's American culture for you'!  

[Starmongoose]

@GenEricGui: I liked the Yunalesca fight :) I was just agreeing that it was a tricky one, and I remember losing a lot. The luck part came into it simply because even if you did keep everyone in zombie, you were protected from the 100% death-spell, but you still have Full-life's and Curagas getting thrown at you, with no way to heal.

She was definitely an interesting fight.

[pseudonym]

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment seemed like a grind-fest. It seemed like every five seconds I was fighting someone.

Old school grind-fest: 7th Saga.........blah

age-old JRPG problem is re-hashed stories and characters. The whole we can beat/overcome/control our destines/save the world/etc. plots are several re-hashed and boring.

I came across a game that I thought was going to be different than the tried and true formula of the JRPG (story) but in the end it was the same:

Persona 4