3 Stars some criticisms

[kjhseka]

First of all the game is really charming. Not only because it introduces unique features that no any other game made by RPG Maker do, but also because quests and maps are organized in a way that anything is boring. Aside from that, the characters have really interesting personnalities, each one of them. This latter is really well achieved, they seems professional novel characters.

But, aside from that, there are few things that I didn't liked in the game and that I would like to criticize:

1) First of all, randomized monsters encounters with a fixed enconter rate. This might be stressing and annoying. I know we can adjust this on the beginning, but it remains the same until the end of the game. It would have been much more interesting to facing visible monsters and deciding when fighting them.
2) Final quests. I have not finished the game yet. But it's very frustrating that I cannot win the Colyseum with Random at level 52. The same apply for the great recipe quest. What is the interest of having the great recipe at the end of the game and after having won the final boss? What I have to do with fantastic recipes and equipements at that point? I simply disagree about finishing these quests after the end of the game. I also disagree that after the witchwood and the mansion quests I cannot any longer return to Rillia and I'm forced to go into the Sewers, I can't return to Rillia until the end of the game. I also disagree that I have to wait the end to find the secret treasure in the Southern shores, because I don't have Baretta's perception before. The same apply for the crystal containing a wand/sculpture that cannot be moved or taken without Luciana on Gorgeous beach and once I'm in Rillia I cannot return until the end of the game! What do I do with this after the end of the game? All this stuff should have been prepared differently.
3) There are often too many items and some dialogues are too long. It's not very annoying, but it's redundant at times.
4) Some features are not explained and they seems to be completely redundant. For example what is the difference between resistance, defense and armour-up? Just having one value to describe them all would have been much more clear. Also, what is the difference between mind and speed? I didn't find any useful application for mind factor, except when solving some quests that required some amount of mind.
5) Why only active character can level up? This is annoying. Some character are very useful in specific areas, and I often had to use Spark with level 22 while other characters have 50+ level.
6) And finally the game cannot be played without a strategy guide. Complex maps often offers too many possible paths to take without giving a minimal clue about what to take first. This is not very problematic because there are strtegy guides availables, but an independent game would have been better.

In my opinion, without these issues, the game would have been perfect. I also have Laxius Force I and II, and just began the first part. At first glance it seems better than 3 stars in these matters but I still don't know it enough to express an opinion. I still have to finish 3 stars and I'm stuck with coliseum and peak of heroes issues.

Sincerely
A. Langueduc

[kjhseka]

Ok, I forget to tell that I played 3 stars of destiny in hard mode. But despite of that, these quest should be playable even in hard mode before the ending.

[loof123]

All of indy's games have complex maps. You should see Arvendel in LFII. If you like changing encounter rates at every minute play Millennium. If you don't like random encounters play LF Dreamscape and Ella's Hope. BTW it's complex maps that makes the game fun. Indy made it go to the other towns after the end because there are completists.

[Indinera]

Thanks for this very good feedback.

Some features are not explained and they seems to be completely redundant. For example what is the difference between resistance, defense and armour-up?

Resistance Up would be putting your resistance at 125% of its normal value whereas Defense-Up would do the same thing to the Defense Points instead.
Not sure what Armour-Up does but it's certainly different too and told in the spell description.

Also, what is the difference between mind and speed? I didn't find any useful application for mind factor, except when solving some quests that required some amount of mind.

Mind influences the damage you cast with your spells, and the damage you take from enemy spells.
Speed makes you play faster and dodge more easily.

[D-Squall]

3) There are often too many items and some dialogues are too long. It's not very annoying, but it's redundant at times.

WHAT?

5) Why only active character can level up? This is annoying. Some character are very useful in specific areas, and I often had to use Spark with level 22 while other characters have 50+ level.

The game would be very, ultra, really, hyper easy if were like that

6) And finally the game cannot be played without a strategy guide. Complex maps often offers too many possible paths to take without giving a minimal clue about what to take first. This is not very problematic because there are strtegy guides availables, but an independent game would have been better.

Can't believe you're complaining because of that Well, 3 stars and no even one Aldorlea Game are linear, so what did you expect? If you can't play without a guide, it isn't funny do discover places OF COURSE IT IS

The only thing I agree it's why do quests when the game is over, but 3 stars are awesome, the game isn't bad at all. I would slap my own mouth if I said that this game is bad.

[kjhseka]

Hello,
sorry but when I told that maps are complex and non linear and they could not be done well without a guide, I didn't complain about complexity. Complexity is righ and it is an important part of the fun. The issue about what I were complaining was that the choice between a path and another is most of the time purely casual. There are not logical reasons driving the choice. It's surely possible to play the game without a strategy guide, but it's much more time consuming because this will force the player to only make choices over past mistakes, forcing him or her to make multiple save files and replay multiple scenes. It takes much longer to complete the game.

And I surely disagree about the fact that if all characters leveled up including inactive ones, it would be too easy. No uniform leveling-up doesnt mean harder. It just mean longer. If I used Guanidia for a while instead of Spark, I just have to do a two-hours boring monster killing just to update Spark level. This is not harder, it's just more boring. Another thing, when a new character join the party, his level is much more inferior. This is just another annoyance. In all other RPG games, including Aveyond series, when a new character join the party, his level is slightly above the party average. So, if Luciana join the party for the first time and Ramdom has level 35, I expect a level 36 for Luciana, surely not a level 22.

But all these issues are just little annoyances. I never told the game is bad. I began to play Laxius Force, and I find that it's better in these aspects. Much better.

Sincerely
A. Langueduc

[D-Squall]

Hello,
sorry but when I told that maps are complex and non linear and they could not be done well without a guide, I didn't complain about complexity. Complexity is righ and it is an important part of the fun. The issue about what I were complaining was that the choice between a path and another is most of the time purely casual. There are not logical reasons driving the choice. It's surely possible to play the game without a strategy guide, but it's much more time consuming because this will force the player to only make choices over past mistakes, forcing him or her to make multiple save files and replay multiple scenes. It takes much longer to complete the game.

I never said that you said that the game is bad AND what's the problem with that? The part of playing a RPG is that you make mistakes, lots of mistakes

And I surely disagree about the fact that if all characters leveled up including inactive ones, it would be too easy. No uniform leveling-up doesnt mean harder. It just mean longer. If I used Guanidia for a while instead of Spark, I just have to do a two-hours boring monster killing just to update Spark level. This is not harder, it's just more boring. Another thing, when a new character join the party, his level is much more inferior. This is just another annoyance. In all other RPG games, including Aveyond series, when a new character join the party, his level is slightly above the party average. So, if Luciana join the party for the first time and Ramdom has level 35, I expect a level 36 for Luciana, surely not a level 22.

Aveyond is Aveyond and 3 Stars are 3 Stars If the levels would be like that, the game would be VERY EASY and I must say that the game would be very booooooring if would be like that.
If it's annoying, there's the easy mode for you to try.

[loof123]

And if you level up every character. When Random is Level 35 of course Luci will be Level 22. Because for the game to be at most fun from battles you should be at level 27-28. I was at that level. Killing with level 35 would be too easy. Indy doesn't want you to level up too much. At that point over 30 would make the game easy.

[kjhseka]

Hello,
I agree with you about the fact that the game should be hard in order to be challenging. But don't confuse hard with long. Guanidia it surely better than Spark during fights, but Spark is much more useful in observant mode. This imply that I have to use both alternatively. And nothing is bad with this, furthermore alternate between characters is a good idea. What is bad is that I can't never manage to maintain them on similar levels.

Even worse when characters like Coryol join the party. When it joined Random had level 53 (witch wood, hard mode at still impossible to win the coliseum). Coryol's level 27 was almost useless. He is whiped out with a single enemy's slash, and this doesn't make him very useful. Also, why Batabog has a decent level when joining and not Coryol? (But Batabog is not useful at all, I never needed him).

Ok, I still consider that the major issue is that there are too many final quests. I still believe that after the end of the game it's worthless to sell the Golden Pyramids, to find the treasure, to be millionaire, to have fantastic equipments, the six weapon relics, the special recipe, win the colyseum and so on. What I have to do with all these stuff if I have no longer any important boss to kill?

At least I managed to find the air orb before witch woods. I reached at least level 17 in peek of heros. Now I have the five orbs, at least I have one thing.

Best regards
A. Langueduc

[DragoonHP]

Ah... hello.

Now straight to the topic at hand, kjhseka wrote:

Even worse when characters like Coryol join the party. When it joined Random had level 53 (witch wood, hard mode at still impossible to win the coliseum). Coryol's level 27 was almost useless. He is whiped out with a single enemy's slash, and this doesn't make him very useful. Also, why Batabog has a decent level when joining and not Coryol? (But Batabog is not useful at all, I never needed him).

That's I dare say is Indinera style, or I think it. Laxius Power was the game that hooked me to RPG and ultimately to Aldorlea games. And if you have played LP, you wouldn't be complaining about this fact.
And what's the use of Level 57 Coryol. The player will then just take him for granted. If the player have to level up the character big time, he will learn many things about the character as a result. Like what's his forte and what's his weakness. You may not find them useful now, but in the big run it helps.

Ok, I still consider that the major issue is that there are too many final quests. I still believe that after the end of the game it's worthless to sell the Golden Pyramids, to find the treasure, to be millionaire, to have fantastic equipments, the six weapon relics, the special recipe, win the colyseum and so on. What I have to do with all these stuff if I have no longer any important boss to kill?

Mind me, but you don't have to do them. For a player [or myself] the game ends when I don't want to play it anymore. The first time I played 3 Stars, the game for me ended at Witch Woods [got lost, too prideful to check out a walkthrough]. So, it solely depends on you.

[*Logan*]

Indy doesn't want you to level up too much. At that point over 30 would make the game easy.

Um, It's kinda hard to avoid leveling up since the random battles are so frequent.

I'm not going to run away from all the battles...

[loof123]

You can make random battles low at beginning. But I made it maniac. It helped me level up.

[*Logan*]

You can make random battles low at beginning. But I made it maniac. It helped me level up.

How many steps before a battle started?

[loof123]

I dunno. I didn't count.

[Indinera]

it is mentionned at the beginning of the game, i think.