I haven't got vary far (just outside the castle), but I already have a growing dislike for the battle system. It's not that the battles are hard, or unforgiving, or that bad really, it's just that they are: A. Random. I hate random battles. B. Slow. The animation takes forever, C. Repetitive. Attack, Attack, Attack, Heal, Attack Attack, Attack, Heal...

Bottom line: Unless this game has some killer class/skill system, I honestly ratter play Xenogears or Dragon Warrior. And I hate those games. :P

Edit: You know, screw it. What am I complaining for? I hardly played the damn thing. If there are so many damn problems with it I should get off my lazy ass and make my own game anyway. With Blackjack! And Hookers! You know what? Forget the game and the blackjack.

Unless this game has some killer class/skill system

Class and skill systems aren't really what RPGs are all about... -_-

With games like DD (and most old RPGs), battling is just something you do to make it a game, for the most part. If you aren't the kind of guy who enjoyed the old SNES and NES RPGs with their simple battles and brutal levelling curves, it's probably a bit too harsh/bland for you, yeah.

Still, I urge you to remember that most modern battle systems, while more complex, are still pretty crappy!

With games like DD (and most old RPGs), battling is just something you do to make it a game, for the most part.

This is exactly why I hate games like this, and Xenogears, and any other "story over gameplay" RPG. It gets to the point where I just much ratter see a slideshow of the story, or an anime version, or something. Besides, as good as these stories may be, they are still usually rip-offs of other stories, or ridden with clichés, or just badly written. Stories are for books, movies, TV or something of that nature. Games are about gameplay, no mater how much people might want to deny it. That doesn’t mean a game can’t have a good story also, but as a storytelling method, games are pretty bad. There is just too much in the way of the story. Too many distractions, too many variables, too much stuff that has to be done on the side as filler. Most RPGs just degenerate into mindless fetch quest after mindless fetch quest for no other reason then to fill the game up so it goes over the 40 hour limit. This isn’t how games should be made. It should be gameplay first, story last. Always. If you want to tell a damn story at least be polite enough not to make me sit through a mindless battle every two steps.

Edit: I should clarify one thing incase anyone brings it up: Before anyone spouts off any nonsense about "real" RPGs (aka tabletop crap) being about storytelling... Your right. But in that case the gameplay IS the story, not badly overlaid on top of it like in Computer/Console RPGs. Battles aren’t just fought randomly or without warning, they are part of the progression of the story. Every encounter is planed out, every instance accounted for. Every action alters the unfolding story in some way. This isn’t the same as randomly being put in a battle with a monster every two steps, killing it, gaining exp, and going on without a moments hesitation to the next cutscene. In a tabletop game, all battles are story events. Interactions between characters in battle are as important as outside of battle for character development. In Computer/Console RPGs however, battles are mostly just filler and a way to gain experience. Hence my point still stands. Of course, I have played a tabletop RPG like once or twice in my life, so I am by no means an expert. :P

Gren, wasn't it me who complained to you running away didn't work? Plus I had troubles even hitting the enemies.. (T_T). Those were the two most frustrating hours of my life you biatch!! :P

Gren, I think as a whole we are all fed up with random battles. Random battles are just annoying, unrealistic, and repetitive, even if you have a great combat system.

And its too bad your business in Austin didn't work out, its the most awesomest place ever!

Yep, discovered another way past the guards I hadn't noticed before. In the meantime I thought it was necessary to beat them so I'd been fighting quite a bit. Past act 1 now.

The encounter rate isn't too bad. Sometimes you get into a fight just 3-4 steps after the previous one but that only happens like 20% of the time. Default attack is quite weak for all characters, even the melee guys. Usually after several fights I find one where there is a weak monster, kill everything else off, then have everyone guard to restore sp and have Drek toss in those heals.

I dunno, it seems to me that rather than do that, there oughtta be a way for the party to "wait a couple of minutes" and regain some sp when not fighting, just like guarding does during combat. Like an 'idle' option or something. You could always throw in a chance of getting into a fight when idling to avoid abuse. Sometimes it's just tedious to wait for a fight when all you want is just restore your health, and it feels kinda weird that you're "healing up" in a battle instead of at rest.

Btw the cutscene at the end of Act 1 (at the East bridge) was pretty nice.

Edit: Forgot to mention, when I first reached the puzzle section of the mines the game crashed with a dialog box saying something about not enough channels or something for sound. The sound also seemed pretty choppy in that section.

I suggest a sound on/off and music on/off toggle option. Not that I hate the music, but sometimes when you're just building your party you wanna play something more lively (or whatever).

I've seen like four, five RPGs ever with what I would consider a truly good, stand-up battle system worthy of pride. Most of those RPGs incorporated a reflex element into their game. Number juggling gives you more to do, but it rarely results in a better system.

Haha lol I admit I played River City Ransom too. And thought it was "awesome". Although, that was then.

You can turn the sound off for verge by modifying the user.cfg. Turn sound to 0 or to 3 or something (I forget).

Some of the characters are supposed to be less combative. Especially the skill heavy ones. And slash is supposed to get to be Drek's default attack. Basically, normal attacks will be weak until you buy the most powerful weapon available. Then they'll be ok. Of course, for the chrs weak in strength, you wanna focus more on their skills. I did mean to put combat items in the game (heat snaps for explosions, etc.) but I never got to it. That probably would have helped.

Grandia II for the dreamcast had a nice battle system. Too bad the rest of the game was uber-repetitive. And the story started out pretty cool but got too cheesy and preachy. At least it had a message I guess.