Tales of Graces F

Arcadia Garden wasn't that bad. My sister and I went in blindly with no map or anything and I figured out my way around pretty quickly.

Arcadia Garden wasn't that bad. My sister and I went in blindly with no map or anything and I figured out my way around pretty quickly.

More or less this. I had mapped it out in my head before too long and it wasn't an issue. I didn't even realize the significance of the butterflies until someone just said it.

Finally finished off Future Arc last night. Zhonecage is next!

Also, I have a question about NG+. I know weapons don't carry over to NG+, but do dualize materials / crafted items carry over or are those all lost as well?

Finally finished off Future Arc last night. Zhonecage is next!

Also, I have a question about NG+. I know weapons don't carry over to NG+, but do dualize materials / crafted items carry over or are those all lost as well?

You can choose to carry over consumables. Not sure on dualization materials.

You lose all materials/cashables/food no matter what NG+ perks you choose. You can pay to keep consumables, but only ones that can be used in battle.

You lose all materials/cashables/food no matter what NG+ perks you choose. You can pay to keep consumables, but only ones that can be used in battle.

So if you keep collection book info, does that mean you can put food in the Eleth Mixer without making it? (in that file)

So if you keep collection book info, does that mean you can put food in the Eleth Mixer without making it?

I'm pretty sure you need at least 1 of a recipe in your inventory to put it in your Mixer.

http://aselia.wikia.com/wiki/ToG_-_Grade_Shop

List of Grade Shop rewards. You can inherit Shards that you currently posses.
I don't know why I see so many complaints about not being able to inherit materials. Oh noez you can't instantly dualize the end game weapon and armor at the start of the game!

I'm pretty sure you need at least 1 of a recipe in your inventory to put it in your Mixer.

http://aselia.wikia.com/wiki/ToG_-_Grade_Shop

List of Grade Shop rewards. You can inherit Shards that you currently posses.
I don't know why I see so many complaints about not being able to inherit materials. Oh noez you can't instantly dualize the end game weapon and armor at the start of the game!

Because I worked hard to collect every item in the game and don't want to have to do it again.

I don't know why I see so many complaints about not being able to inherit materials. Oh noez you can't instantly dualize the end game weapon and armor at the start of the game!

I don't mind it, but it's just weird to be able to create the ultimate gear post-game only to use it for a few boss battles in Zhonecage and lose it once you NG+.

So if you keep collection book info, does that mean you can put food in the Eleth Mixer without making it? (in that file)

Yeah, you don't have to have any of the food/material/book to use it assuming you had it at some point in the previous playthrough. I was using Miso Stew since the beginning of my NG+ (which is a bad idea unless you carry over money by the way -- I didn't have enough gald to refill it).

Because I worked hard to collect every item in the game and don't want to have to do it again.

It really wouldn't be so bad if requests (and the grade attached to them) didn't reset every time. I think that's the only reason I end up making so much crap.

Here's how I see it:

I have to have beaten the game to have unlocked New Game+ so what does it matter if I choose to go through the game with the most powerful weapons? I've already beaten it once, it's not like it's going to spoil the experience.

Wooooooo! Just completed my first playthrough officially. Defeated Fodra Queen, and I am extremely proud of myself right now. Because of my Grade dilemma, I was like screw it and challenged her on Chaos first try. And I actually won. It was awesome. My party was level 137 (and she's 150), so it's not like it was an amazing feat, but I'm quite thrilled. Now I shouldn't have any issues with overriding my Lambda Angelus Chaos clear.

The only thing that bothers me is that my Monster Book is stuck at 99.7% because I don't want to clear Theos on Easy/Normal or something just to finish it and ruin my Grade clear bonus (so stupid!).

Collected all 90 Magic Carta cards tonight, after Reala finally gave me hers.

Eleth Mixer is currently 51xx/9999. I'll get that trophy someday! It's actually not that bad increasing it.

Collector's Book is missing:
4 more Zhonecage spheres for ultimate weapons (have Cheria's and Malik's)
4 more ultimate weapons (obviously)
2 more accessories (Grimm Anklet and Fluffi Muffler)
1 armor (TURTLEZ TOGZ, the armor of SATAN)
And lots of Gems which I haven't bothered to work on filling in yet (probably won't until NG+)

Discoveries are done of course (85/85). Dualizing Book is just missing the four remaining sphere dualizes. Inn Requests are 100% done. Sidequests I missed three in the beginning, so I got stuck with 80/83 cleared. Skits I failed HARD in the beginning, so I got stuck with 90.6% currently (at least two more for sure I can view yet). The main reason I'm gonna do a NG+ is to perfect the Sidequests and Skits (since I mostly achieved everything else already or will be before I start). And to get to 200 and make decent gear and finish out Titles a bit better.

Oh, and... Why must they make Sophie so beautiful at the end and then take it away? WHY? Loved the ending, though. Much better than Main arc.

Yeah I was frustrated at them not giving Sophie that outfit with her long hair. Pisses me off she looks like a 14 year old the entire game.

The only thing that bothers me is that my Monster Book is stuck at 99.7% because I don't want to clear Theos on Easy/Normal or something just to finish it and ruin my Grade clear bonus (so stupid!).

If you're that worried about the grade clear bonus, just do the piggyback tactic on Chaos and do a normal Chaos fight on NG+.

EDIT: pineappleing Floor 4 of Zhonecage. The boss was a pushover, but the goddamn monsters...I never raged so hard at ToGF as I did tonight, because the AI is absolutely horrendous on that floor...
"Oh, all these monsters always do 'Guard Break' attacks? Let's stand next to them, guard, and take 4k+ damage..."

Also, new DLC costumes came out. They're cameo costumes of other "Tales of" characters. Each with their own "Theme Battle".

The "piggyback" method wouldn't work at all. On a first playthrough, even taking off your armor and using a stat halving book, Lambda Theos won't even be doing 100k to you on Chaos, let alone the 900k necessary.

I checked into it, and I would need to defeat Theos on at least Hard Mode to maintain the same amount of Grade. I thought maybe the 100 earned from completing my Monster Book would help make up for fighting him on a lower difficulty, but it doesn't at all. Even on Hard he's freakin' lv180 and OP as hell. So yeah, I just have to deal with the stupid way they set up the game clear grade bonus and accept not fighting Theos until NG+.

Had a really good day yesterday and today, though. Managed to acquire all of the items I was missing. Now every category in my Collector's Book is 100%, except Gems (missing O, P, Q, R and S). I wasn't planning on it, but now I think I'm going to finish it. Those last Gems are EXPENSIVE though...no two ways about it.

If I can finish that and pull off a huge combo (gonna try that 999 business, hopefully), I think I'm FINALLY ready for NG+. I refuse to start if I can't carry over as much as I can. I don't care about bonuses so much (though I do hope to grab some EXP). I ain't mastering my titles and filling in my books again.

The "piggyback" method wouldn't work at all. On a first playthrough, even taking off your armor and using a stat halving book, Lambda Theos won't even be doing 100k to you on Chaos, let alone the 900k necessary.

???

 End Game Boss

[video=youtube;eqG1s9w53mA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqG1s9w53mA[/video]

That's first playthrough, mind you...
Are you sure you're using all FOUR "Halve Stat" books?

Nah, that wasn't the problem. I went full retard and completely forgot about the MOST IMPORTANT BOOK for the whole thing to work (Audacity). I was using the three stat-halving books. Just derped on the key point... Was quite easy to pull off once I realized my error.

Now the only thing I have left is my combo, which is currently at 885. I dunno if I should even bother going for that extra 114 because I really hate Dark Turtlez. Got the 885 because I didn't realize I was TOO strong, and I killed him before the combo hit max. But after all that effort I am having trouble convincing myself to do it again with weaker weapons. Tried an All-Divide one attempt and got destroyed. Maybe I already have enough Grade...

And two Gems to go. My goal was to start NG+ right away tomorrow, but maybe I'll need a few more last minute preps.

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Edit: Okay, I'm confused. How do you make R and S Gem? Marian can't polish Q Gem, so I figure it must be from Dualizing. How do you get Rank 10/Star? Is it only possible by Dualizing two identical Rank 9 Effects together? Like, Rise 9 + Rise 9 will create Rise Star on the resulting Gem?

Or how is it possible? These last two Gems are much more time consuming than I expected.

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Double Edit: This is really bothering me. I know there's nothing important in it, but it's the last treasure chest I haven't opened and I WANT TO KNOW HOW TO REACH IT. I must be missing something insanely obvious.

 Full Video

[video=youtube;pYR1_OHOaeM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYR1_OHOaeM[/video]

It's on the 42F of Fendel Tower. In that video, he looks right at it starting at 21:41 and tries to get to it until 21:46. How do I find the stairs that lead up to it? I swear I've explored every inch I can find.

It's on the 42F of Fendel Tower. In that video, he looks right at it starting at 21:41 and tries to get to it until 21:46. How do I find the stairs that lead up to it? I swear I've explored every inch I can find.

Take the elevator to floor 41 (or 42, I can't remember), then take the stairs. You're right in front of it then. It has old, terrible glasses for Hubert in it.

Edit: Okay, I'm confused. How do you make R and S Gem? Marian can't polish Q Gem, so I figure it must be from Dualizing. How do you get Rank 10/Star? Is it only possible by Dualizing two identical Rank 9 Effects together? Like, Rise 9 + Rise 9 will create Rise Star on the resulting Gem?

Yes, you need to dualize two Rank 9s to get a Rank Star. If you dualize any two gems with Rank 9 of the same effect together, it should give Rank 10.
i.e.
Attack 9 Defense 9 + Attack 9 Defense 9 = Attack 10 Defense 10
Attack 9 Defense 1 + Attack 9 = Attack 10 Defense 1
Attack 9 Defense 9 + Attack 9 Defense 8 = Attack 10 Defense 9
Attack 9 Defense 1 + Attack 9 Resist 1 = Attack 10 Defense 1 or Attack 10 Resist 1
The last example, when two effects are at the same rank but different types, the result will depend somehow on the prefix/suffix of the gems, or in the case of two weapons/armor, I believe the order they appear in the list.
Best way is obviously example 2 for higher ranks, and example 1/3 for lower ranks.

Thanks for the help, guys.

Made insane progress now. Got my Platinum trophy yesterday, after finally maxing my Mixer. Working now on better filling in things to be fully satisfied. Remaining stamps, soul orbs, etc. Trying to do EVERYTHING I can think of doing. Still need to unlock some Qualities and get those R and S Gems, but that will come when I shift to working on gear. My party is all level 200. Have most Titles for everyone, all Arte mastery titles unlocked for everyone except Sophie (getting there...). Trying to get it down to 0-3 titles missing for everyone. All are mastered, of course.

NG+ was so much fun. I started it with 4717 Grade, so I was able to get everything I desired and lots of stuff I didn't plan on (like +1000 HP, +500 Eleth, +CC upgrades). I bought everything except the lower EXP and damage upgrades, basically. haha And I didn't carry over gald, battle items or shards. 10x EXP was so great. Once I got to the Zhonecage I just jumped into Floor 9 and I was 200 in like...an hour. Game was a lot more fun with a higher level and playing in Chaos from the start (and not sucking).

Such a great game. I love Tales. I can't believe I didn't like the battle system originally. lol It's amusing to me now, thinking about that. I LOVE it. The A and B styles are great. The CC system is wonderful once you get stuff upgraded (and get used to it). Asbel's A-Artes still suck balls, though. Only ones I use are Burial Blade and Void Sword because they're alters from B-Artes I use constantly! Concussive Bolt -> Burial Blade all day long. I even play as Pascal, Hubert and Sophie sometimes now. Quite like them, too, just not as skilled on them.

MALIK BEAM is wonderful.

Little over 200 hours clocked now. And I imagine I'll still be playing into May.