bean
10-05-2008, 10:57 PM
So Tales of Vesparia is probably the first really meaty JRPG for next-gen systems, and unless you are willing to shell out $20 for a game guide, you are going to need to either wait for someone to get a decent FAQ up on Gamefaqs (http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox360/game/945075.html), or you'll need to go hunting. Below are links to a few guides that I found helpful.
Altered Artes List (http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=945075&topic=45164388) - Eventually as you progress through the game, certain artes can be altered into "altered artes". These are important not so much because they are more powerful (they are a little bit, and some more so than others) but because they are needed in order to pull off higher combo attack chains. Eventually, you'll get skills that allow you to chain basic artes into altered artes into advanced artes. Longer combos increase your damage, allow you to get fatal strikes more easily, and are fun because you start to fill like a badass. There are no clues in game about which artes must be used with which skills in order to gain altered artes, so this guide is invaluable. Once you've figure out an altered arte, set up the skills necessary for it to fire, and go in and turn off all other arte choices for that character. You must use melee altered artes 100 times to learn them and spell altered artes 50 times.
Cooking Guide (http://tales.namco.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=72807) - Certain recipes can only be learned after party member X cooks them a number of times. This guide isn't perfect, but some of the responding posts point out the flaws, so read down if you have gotten someone to master a recipe but still have not unlocked a new recipe.
SubEvent Guide (http://ameblo.jp/koulinovesperia/) - Tales of Vesparia is very much like Chrono Trigger in that it has lots of fun subevents for you to see if you are interested in them. . . you can get them all in one playthrough using this guide or find them slowly through exploration after New Game +. Most of us aren't in junior high with only one game for Xmas that we play over and over anymore though, so this guide is quite helpful if you want to get all the side things. Try to not read ahead too much as the guide attempts to be spoiler free, but some details must be given away in order to give good directions. For example, they have to say which boss you will fight at certain places and how to beat them to get secret achievements.
The game is completely playable without these guides, and I only use the 3rd guide to find out details for quest lines that I have already started and want to see finished. The first two guides simply eliminate guess work. . . something I've never liked in RPGs. If you have any specific questions or you get stumped, feel free to ask here and I'll try to answer them whenever I read posts here.
Reposted this here as I wrote it originally on that other site and I think it is helpful. Feel free to just talk about the game too. This is my favorite next-gen RPG so far (well. . . Mass Effect is up there too).
Altered Artes List (http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=945075&topic=45164388) - Eventually as you progress through the game, certain artes can be altered into "altered artes". These are important not so much because they are more powerful (they are a little bit, and some more so than others) but because they are needed in order to pull off higher combo attack chains. Eventually, you'll get skills that allow you to chain basic artes into altered artes into advanced artes. Longer combos increase your damage, allow you to get fatal strikes more easily, and are fun because you start to fill like a badass. There are no clues in game about which artes must be used with which skills in order to gain altered artes, so this guide is invaluable. Once you've figure out an altered arte, set up the skills necessary for it to fire, and go in and turn off all other arte choices for that character. You must use melee altered artes 100 times to learn them and spell altered artes 50 times.
Cooking Guide (http://tales.namco.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=72807) - Certain recipes can only be learned after party member X cooks them a number of times. This guide isn't perfect, but some of the responding posts point out the flaws, so read down if you have gotten someone to master a recipe but still have not unlocked a new recipe.
SubEvent Guide (http://ameblo.jp/koulinovesperia/) - Tales of Vesparia is very much like Chrono Trigger in that it has lots of fun subevents for you to see if you are interested in them. . . you can get them all in one playthrough using this guide or find them slowly through exploration after New Game +. Most of us aren't in junior high with only one game for Xmas that we play over and over anymore though, so this guide is quite helpful if you want to get all the side things. Try to not read ahead too much as the guide attempts to be spoiler free, but some details must be given away in order to give good directions. For example, they have to say which boss you will fight at certain places and how to beat them to get secret achievements.
The game is completely playable without these guides, and I only use the 3rd guide to find out details for quest lines that I have already started and want to see finished. The first two guides simply eliminate guess work. . . something I've never liked in RPGs. If you have any specific questions or you get stumped, feel free to ask here and I'll try to answer them whenever I read posts here.
Reposted this here as I wrote it originally on that other site and I think it is helpful. Feel free to just talk about the game too. This is my favorite next-gen RPG so far (well. . . Mass Effect is up there too).