More impressions and details:
1. Plot:
• A single player plotline that isn't altered due to the multiplayer aspects of the game.
• The player never feels rushed, or too slowed down.
• Moving through the plot, there are plenty, plenty, plenty of optional extra things to do along the way.
• Lots of comedy and inuendo (as seen in other DQ games).
• Cutscenes at various points of the story.
• Lots and lots of what Xbox people will know as Achievements built into side quests (tracked in menu); except they actually give you something of value for compleing them, as opposed to just some completely worthless note.
•While main characters are like DQ3, instead of the incredibly deep and detailed DQ5 main cast, the game manages to feel as character strong as other RPGs through accompanying characters and side-characters. It doesn't feel like anything is really lost.
• When a player comes back to a previously visited location, things will have evolved. The whole world feels like it is moving. It adds a great deal to the satisfaction, and encourages the wish to see how people met in the past are doing from time to time.
•There is a feeling of vastness in the game; FF6's world is tiny in comparison to this game. Although, unlike most vast world games, there is always lots to do; so it takes on the best of both worlds.
2. Things sped up from DQ8:
•Battles:
-Quick transitions
-Quick animations
-Quick menus
-Monsters on the map can be avoided to an extent (monsters will behave similarly to earthbound, they will go after you if you get in their line of vision; but you can avoid them)
-Encounters with weaker monsters are very easily avoided (they will attempt to avoid you)
•Alchemy pot:
-WAY quicker animation
-User can dump items into the pot in groups of 9 (instead of just 1)
-User can make multiple items at once; ie 20 herbs = 10 Strong Potions in one action (instead of just 1 item).
-No waiting, it's instant (instead of several minutes or longer)
•Items - User can now buy hundreds of items at once.
4. Class system:
A) Each class have the following unique stats:
-Character Level
-5 Weapon Skill trees
-1 Traits skill tree
B.) Detailed explanations:
•Character Level
-Different class specific spells and abilities are automatically earned at various levels.
-Skill points gained at various level increments
-Each class has a unique level that starts at 1.
-There are no penalties given for changing classes (you won't lose anything in your warrior class for switching to something else, then switching back later).
-All in all, it is beneficial to switch between classes you can level up easily in order to gain lots of easy skill points.
• Weapon skill trees:
-Each class has access to different weapon types.
-Each weapon type has a skill tree that the user can spend points in to gain skills at various increments (ie. 5 points gets skill a, 10 gets skill b, 15 skill c, etc..)
-Upgrades only effect those who equip the weapon (ie, sword skills only usable by users wielding a sword)
-Weapon types are not exclusive, there are several classes that can make use of each skill tree
-When a skill tree is maxed out, that weapon can be equipped regardless of class (so, for example, a priest could use a sword in this case)
•Traits Skill tree
-Behaves just like a weapon skill tree
-Each class has a unique body skill tree
-Many of these are stat upgrades (strength bonus, agility bonus, etc..)
-These are permanent, switching classes does not remove them; so for example, if the user has +60 Strength in bonuses from warrior class, the user can switch to a priest and still have that extra +60 strength.
-Essentially, the more upgrades here, the more powerful the character becomes in all classes
To sum it all up; weapon skills transfer over to other classes if you continue using the weapon. Trait skills transfer over to every class regardless; they're essentially permanent upgrades. From what I hear, at level 99; you have the option to roll back to level 1 and get more skill points; completionists would do this in a post-game environment (lots to do in the epilogue phase, after the main story is complete).
5. Multiplayer:
• Players aside from player 1 have free roam of the world as their own character.
• Characters in proximity to each other will join the same battle
• Players out of range, who arrive late on the scene, can join the battle (experience penalty for being late)
• Player 1 is the one who has to proceed through the main story, player 2 can only go ahead 1 or 2 scenes in the main story before they can't do anything else
• Player 1 can call other players to his/her location; other players can accept/refuse the call
• Player 1 can open red treasure chests once.
• All players can open blue chests (each player can open it once, so no competition)
• Blue chests, wardrobes, pots, etc... Will be refilled after certain time periords.
All in all, My expectations for this one were high, considering how much I enjoyed the last few releases. This game has, so far, exceeded my expectations. It only seems to be getting better as well.
-Insert Inspiring Quote-
