Xenoblade Chronicles X

[CrimsonCavalier]

Yeah, I accidentally drove off a deadend path that I thought kept going; tried to jump back up but just slid right to the bottom of the Yawning Giant (Oblivian abyss). Wasn't too pleased to discover that it took away one of my insurance coverages, because the Skell's motorcycle mode is a little hard to control. Nevertheless, the Skell is easily one of X's best gameplay aspects. They change the scope of taking on indigens the same size as a human or bigger and make you the dominating force of nature. I bought every single alternate frame I could afford, trying out one model and then swapping it out for another. Heavy frame might just be the best since they take longer to consume miranium.

Skells are literally a game changer. Ever since I got mine, I've started to enjoy the game a lot more. I'm doing a bunch of side quests, exploring new areas ... it really did breathe new life to the game. I'm trying to get everyone to at least level 30 so I can buy them all their own frame. Well, not everyone, just the characters I like. And Lin. Lin because the game says I have to take her along, otherwise, I wouldn't. Though I'm sure her combat skills will improve inside a Skell .... they can't get worse.

 

[Spirit]

Waiting for the kettle to boil so...

I'm 25hours in, level 22 and rushing towards the end of chapter 5.

I'm still being irritated by creatures at higher levels than me. This is the only rog where I've felt forced to grind. I enjoy the battles but I enjoy exploration more and so far I've not been able to fully enjoy making discoveries.

 

[the8thark]

I have not gotten any Skells yet. I'm still in Chapter 4, just exploring. I am level 21 and roughly 40 hours game played time for me so far.
So far I ahve not felt forced to grind. Levelling up does not take that long actually if you kill things at a continual pace whiel you explore. I didn't do that though, I just ran around exploring and collecting the collectables for the division points (I'm a Curator). Now I want to slowly get my team to level 30 so we can do some more quests. Quite a few of the basic quests are notdoable at my current level. Spending time levelling up does not feel like a grind in this game. It's all fun. I'll slowly get around to levelling up and doing mroe quests.

There is one thing I have noticed in the game. It's not really a spoiler so I can say it herewithout spoiler tags.

• Don't sell anything . . . there are a couple of exceptions. One being the division reward worth 30K cash. That's only good for selling, and selling multiple of the same weapon and armour. Only sell them when you have more than 2-3 of each. Always keep at least 2-3 of each. Don't go out buying every armour piece in the store, just keep 2-3 of each armour you find. Everything else do not sell.
• The reason being, you need to own the armour to use it for fashion gear. Sure you can sell it once it's your fashion gear, but if you ever want to change your fashiom gear to something else, you need to own that piece. Since you can hold so many different pieces, there is little need to sell any till you hit the inventory space cap.
• Never sell any collectable or material you loot or pick up or mine. Reason being, it makes it much easier when you want to upgrade or create new weapons. A good chance you'll have the materials needed already. Secondly it makes those fetch quests that jsut say (this is on X continent) much easier as you might have already picked up enough. If you haven't, getting these quests done using reward tickets to buy the materials/collectables needed is a good idea as well.
• You will get enough money from the Field Nodes you have put probes at and completing quests. I am already at 750k cash without even trying. Just fiddle with the research/mining probe layout you hve to get the best balance between miranium and cash farmed each day. Put the storage probes on the crappy nodes with low stats. Chaining 3 together would be nice but I only have one so far. I honestly do not see a need to use the battle probes, but maybe someone here can tell me how effective they are. I just don't see them being worth it. Has anyone here used any battle probes?

I am pretty sure most people know this already. But that's how I see the best way to play the game is in regards to selling things (ie don't sell 99% of your loot). You don't need to.

 

[CrimsonCavalier]

Waiting for the kettle to boil so...

I'm 25hours in, level 22 and rushing towards the end of chapter 5.

I'm still being irritated by creatures at higher levels than me. This is the only rog where I've felt forced to grind. I enjoy the battles but I enjoy exploration more and so far I've not been able to fully enjoy making discoveries.

It can feel like you have to grind, and in some parts I definitely agree with this. But I think I may have a solution. I may seem like a waste of time, but this is how I played Xenoblade and it's how I'm playing X and I have not had to grind at all:

- First, never fast travel; always walk everywhere you go. It seems stupid, because this world is absolutely enormous, but you'll be better off for it. Walking gets you exploring. Exploring gets your discovering and will allow you to place more probes than if you actually are out putting down probes because you have to.

- Kill everything. Unless it's 3 levels lower than you, kill it. I kill everything that is within 3 levels of my weakest character. That will get you leveled up quickly and it won't seem like a chore, because you get stuff out of killing: weapons, armor, loot, etc.. If you do that, you'll be at an appropriate level for whatever comes your way.

This is just really a hidden way to grind, of course. It's grinding but you don't think of it as grinding because you're just playing normally. I'm actually over-leveled at this point, because I just beat a boss in record time, and I was about 7 levels above the boss. A little underwhelming when you're too powerful, but better than getting killed by a boss 6 times in a row.

 

[the8thark]

This is just really a hidden way to grind, of course. It's grinding but you don't think of it as grinding because you're just playing normally. I'm actually over-leveled at this point, because I just beat a boss in record time, and I was about 7 levels above the boss. A little underwhelming when you're too powerful, but better than getting killed by a boss 6 times in a row.

This is why story mode quests need a level range. So we know what the optimum level to do them at is. Actually all quests could do with this. 4 stars tells me nothing. I beat a 4 star quest easy when I fuund a 2 star quest killing a some tyrant 3 levels above me and it wrekt me. This matters most for the story quests though. Then we know what we want to do. Either be at the right level or way over level it depending on what our own personal preference is.

Say a quest said - recommended levels 25-30. Then I know not to try the quest at level 21 if it's killing a tyrant. I'll level up first. But withoit knowing, I have to find the tyrant, try it and get my ass whooped by it to know. This is only a minor issue, more a quality of life thing. But it'd be nice. The star ratings are not consistent at all in what they call hard and easy.

Also what does it mean in on the job board, a quest has say 2 stars but one of the stars is bold?

 

[Night Owl]

I thought bold stars indicated a set of stars. So 1 bold plus 1 star would be a set plus 1 star.

 

[Frozen Chosen]

I'm pretty sure a bold star counts as 5 stars or something like that. It's supposed to be harder

 

[Triforce King]

 

[Ronin]

Waiting for the kettle to boil so...

I'm 25hours in, level 22 and rushing towards the end of chapter 5.

I'm still being irritated by creatures at higher levels than me. This is the only rog where I've felt forced to grind. I enjoy the battles but I enjoy exploration more and so far I've not been able to fully enjoy making discoveries.

After you get your Skell, nearly all of those indigens who've given you trouble will become stomping ground for you. If I remember correctly, you can start doing proficiency exams to earn the Skell after chapter 6 or 7. I was at around level 30 with 70 hours in-game before I could get mine, but most of the time before then I was experimenting with the classes and exploring the planet (discovered all of the continents, to boot). Now with a dedicated trio of Skells equipped with flight modules, the entire world is pretty much open to my team, although flying exhausts miranium rather quickly.

...Case in point, practice and perseverance will get you to the best part of the game before you know it. The end result is absolutely worth it.

 

[Spirit]

Just completed chapter 5. Interesting stuff going on. I like how it has intensified things.

Want my skell though and want to be a higher level but thats nothing new.

I need to figure out how to equip my augments. I dont want to change my class either. I'm good with samurai gunner.

 

[the8thark]

I need to figure out how to equip my augments. I dont want to change my class either. I'm good with samurai gunner.

As far as I know you can use the arts and weapons you have mastered in any class. I plan to use the long sword weapon/arts in the 2nd shield trooper class. Not sure what ranged weapon I want yet though. I don't use the ranged weapon though apart from taunting in enemies I can't initially get into melee range (too high or overwater).

My character is a purely melee combat fighter.

 

[Spirit]

As far as I know you can use the arts and weapons you have mastered in any class. I plan to use the long sword weapon/arts in the 2nd shield trooper class. Not sure what ranged weapon I want yet though. I don't use the ranged weapon though apart from taunting in enemies I can't initially get into melee range (too high or overwater).

My character is a purely melee combat fighter.

I recently switched from samurai gunner to commando and lost all my arts. I'll level all the classes up when I'm done with the story and just doing sidequests.

 

[the8thark]

I recently switched from samurai gunner to commando and lost all my arts. I'll level all the classes up when I'm done with the story and just doing sidequests.

That's strange indeed. When you do the last class in a set (ie one of the 6 final classes it says those weapons are mastered). You have to max out Samurai Gunner then max out duelist. Then you have those 2 weapons/arts mastered and use those two weapons and arts from those weapons anywhere you want. There is 6 branches. You have to max out the entire branch to master both it's weapons. Do both the classes. You only levelled up one, Samurai Gunner, you have to level up Duelist then you can use those two weapons and associsted arts anywhere you want.

It's the same for all 6 combinations of weapons. You have to level up both end classes to 10 to master it's two weapons and associated arts then you can use them with other classes.

Well that's how I understand it.

 

[Spirit]

That's strange indeed. When you do the last class in a set (ie one of the 6 final classes it says those weapons are mastered). You have to max out Samurai Gunner then max out duelist. Then you have those 2 weapons/arts mastered and use those two weapons and arts from those weapons anywhere you want. There is 6 branches. You have to max out the entire branch to master both it's weapons. It both the levels. You only levelled up one, Samurai Gunner, you have to level up Duelist then you can use those two weapons and associsted arts anywhere you want.

Well that's how I understand it.

Ooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....

I went to commando because i don't like using the duelist shield. Hmpph. I'll use it while moseying around oblivia

 

[the8thark]

Ooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....

I went to commando because i don't like using the duelist shield. Hmpph. I'll use it while moseying around oblivia

What I plan to do is to master the weapons I want to use the arts of, then I'll pick the class that has the best combination of class passive and skills I like. It's not so straight forward as different classes have different numbers of skill slots available.

As fair as I know once you've mastered a class you can use it's skills in any other class. But the class passives, as listed on the class choice page are specific to the class you choose.

I don't like the shield either. For two reasons, a shield is for blocking, not attacking (usually) and I just don't like the shield arts. Duelist is not a bad class though. It's just a (mostly) better Samurai Gunner (uses the same weapons) and arts.

My current set up uses arts from the 3 different longsword classes.