Before You Started
Сrеdit gоеs to Mistiry Shak!
- If you’ve never played a Shin Megami Tensei game, this game may feel daunting or too difficult.
- Megami Tensei or “megaten” titles play very different from usual JRPGs.
- While they have gotten more newbie-friendly, these games still demand that you unlearn some RPG instincts.
- For example, useful items are very scarce in these games, especially MP restoring items.
- Additionally, every encounter is dangerous! RPGs typically become easier as you grow stronger, but in these games enemies typically outpace you.
Before we start going into tips specific for this game, it must absolutely be said for those without Megaten experience, or even DRPG experience, that these games do not play like typical RPGs.
A number of important tips and tricks for Megaten feel like awful advice for a standard RPG, and this is by design. This is why we often say that Megaten games make us “relearn” the genre.
When we play a Megaten title, we expect that the habits we learn from typical RPGs to be inapplicable. This varies by title, but is generally true in some form. These games have been this way since the 80s, and this is part of why they are so enduring.
This apply to the whole game, but they can be ignored if you feel comfortable with the game, as it supports a wide range of approaches to the combat.
Grinding is unnecessary. You can, if you want, but EXP gains per area very quickly become nothing. The game is designed to keep you at about the right level for each area just from progressing normally.
If you feel too weak for an area, you probably need to change your skills, fuse new Sleepers, or adjust Sumireko’s affinities, not grind. The minor boosts to stats from each level aren’t going to be the life-or-death difference here.
This applies even when you feel completely overwhelmed. Consider what elements the enemies in the area are using, and adjust Sumireko’s affinities to Resist, Null, or Drain the most common ones.
Also consider adjusting your skills to focus on enemy weaknesses. If several common enemies in the area are weak to ice, using “target all” Ice skills such as Hicala could make combat easier.
As an addendum, if two enemies in a formation are weak to ice, but one drains or nulls it, it’s still worth using. Doing damage to two enemies is typically worth more than the lost damage from the other enemy.
Items are meant to be used. Typical RPGs discourage overuse of items, but Megaten style titles would prefer you use items constantly. Do not save them for “when you need them” – use them.
Related to this, money is power. Money can buy items and weapons. Money is used for healing. It is unlikely you will have an excess of money until very late into the game. Spend wisely.
Because money is power, and items are important, Items and Money are sometimes more preferable to EXP as a reward during combat.
EXP and Level isn’t everything. While they do factor in, and do help significantly, stats and skills are more important. Good stats will help more than being ten levels above the enemy.
For example, a Level 10 Sleeper with Ajirasol will typically do more damage than a Level 20 Sleeper with Ajira.
That said, do not neglect levels, either. Every level increases your Fusion cap. Better fusions means better Sleepers, better skills, and better base stats.
Typically, Megaten games ask you to kill your darlings. Every Sleeper you have will eventually require more and more EXP to level up, and its base skills will eventually become less useful.
However, ADiA gives you the tools to bypass this barrier. If you plan on taking a Sleeper from Level 5 to Level 99, you must be willing to constantly update its skills with Skill Transfer, and Sacrifice to it to give it plenty of XP.
These games are really, really hard. No, seriously, they are. They’re difficult. But don’t be discouraged when you die. The game gives you the tools to succeed. There’s no such thing as locking yourself into an unwinnable fight.
Transfer affinity, change your skills, fuse new Sleepers, try a different strategy for buffs and debuffs, or even just play more defensively. You may be surprised how drastic the change is.
Even series veterans die all the time. You will run into bad situations where you feel like the enemy took you out unfairly. Remember that you’re playing rocket tag and aggression is important.
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