The Return to Yggdrasil Labyrinth (Etrian Odyssey) - Log 1

Yeaaaaaah man. After watching too much Krimmydoodle and TheOnlyOne, after fiending for EO4 so much (which I'm still seriously considering buy a 3DS for), and after "finding" my DS and accepting that I can play on this broken piece of trash, I've decided I'm going to try to play through Etrian Odyssey 1, 2 and 3 before 4 comes out hopefully this Christmas season.

I love this series, even though a lot of people don't. What's funny is, if you knew me and my gaming habits (or lack of, lately), you'd think I'd absolutely hate this series. It's (relatively) hard, grind heavy, traditional battle system. And then you have to literally draw your own frickin' map. "Cartography: The Game" as Mr. Annual called it. There're just loads of things that should theoretically make me pass it like many other gems.

But I love it. Something about making my own party and walking around lost for hours in this game draws me in. I seriously don't know why I love it so much, because I can't imagine it being the first of it's kind... well, beyond using the DS to draw maps. And it's not like I'm specifically "good" at these kinds of games. I'm not very creative in party making, never been horribly bright when it comes to effective grinding. I just do and hope it works, sorta.

However, since I'm on the second time through this game, I have a better idea of what I'm aiming for. It's gunna be funny, somewhat aggravating, but most importantly a great time-waster since I'm constantly sitting around "bored out of my flippin' mind" for some ungodly reason.

The party I'm rolling with is a simple concept, but already lolsy in execution. It's "a combination of stuff that people've told me is broken about this game."

-2 Dark Hunters
-1 Alchemist
-1 Troubadour
-1 Protector (just because I didn't want a medic)

Lot more interesting than my generic first playthrough party which consisted of.
-2 Landscketchs (however you spell it)
-1 Protector
-1 Alchemist
-1 Medic

I've played pretty much all day with the hope of just getting out of the 1st Stratum today, and doing one a week until I finish. I got up to Fenrir and got scraped pretty badly. But everything else was very tolerable. In fact, the first time I screwed up and waltz into a F.O.E., I actually bodied it soundly. Damn near perfected the thing.

I'm fairly certain I screwed the Troubadour up. I was thinking that I want hear to learn Healing first as a replacement for a Medic. Yeaaaaaaaah, didn't realize that base-level healing only heals 1 or 2 HP. It works out because the Dark Hunters are (obviously) just going to Drain everything that moves, but it was funny having this useless character for ten levels, just to realize SHE'S STILL USELESS. She's been holding her own, though.

I also don't understand/know/remember how to make the Alchemist work ('cause we sure  as hell aren't making bomb ice and salutes ;_;). I know it's supposed to be something with poison being busted in the game, but I don't know the criteria for it. I'd rather not look it up and figure it out. I'll save that for.. eh, endgame if I don't figure it out by then.

Beyond that, everything's been fine so far. I'll make an effort to get out of the 1st Stratum tomorrow (if I don't work), and if that goes well, I'll finish the 2nd one by Sunday morning. Hopefully this doesn't kill my Persona 4 Arena practice (I actually had to FORCE myself to practice at 11:30 tonight, lol).

Aaaaaaaaand that's log so far. Until next time!

(P.S., Etrian Odyssey 2's party *will* center around double Gunners. Depending on what classes are in the game, I might just say f' it and do quad or even quin Gunners, lol.