So my primary exposition to JRPGs was rather unconventional I guess. Which was porn games like Kamidori, Black Souls 2 and gimmicky western games that only pretend to be jrpgs like Deltarune. But I would love to explore the genre more because I found it quite interesting, but I am not sure what to pick. Here are my thoughts about the games I've played so far:>KamidoriDefinitely my favorite so far. The battle system is complex with statuses, elements, etc but it's readable and easy to understand, melee/ranged/aoe attacks, it's all nice. I never felt as if I had to grind much, plenty of missions, workshop management was all good, etc. I also really enjoyed trying to come up with sets of skills and items to overcome some overleveled enemies on the route to NG+(where I wasn't supposed to go). The only complain I have is that the plot was not really interesting. I also played Amayui but it's basically the same thing.>Black Souls III enjoyed the themes and lore a lot. But I found the battle system so bloated and confusing. It was completely unreadable with no explanation of anything, messages disappearing in fraction of second and having to consult wiki and youtube videos to understand deeper mechanics. However this is probably the only game I enjoyed grind just because it was so absurd and unbalanced. I really like how the power scale just keeps going and going with that game, and anything until DLC3 can be beaten with absolutely bullshit strategies and/or overleveling. It was fun, but I wish the game was more consistent and readable.>Neptunia (idk which one)I dropped the game very quickly as it just kept insisting I go grind all the time from the very start. That's so boring.>Chrono TriggerI only started recently. In comparison, the battle system looks really shallow. I heard people love it for the plot so I will probably play it, but it totally doesn't scratch that itch of interesting battles. Also active time is just mehh.
So, what games could you guys recommend me? Something with both interesting battle system and plot, but without too much grind. Something with fun/bullshit strategies/exploits to discover. Cute girl companions is a plus too.
The Last Remnant
Any Megaten game Strange Journey Devil Survivor SMTV Vengeance Soul Hackers Digital Devil SagaRaidouEtc etc etc
>>743251053I'm new to the genre tooI would say that grinding is a very omnipresent aspect of this genre, with very few exceptions. I find persona 5 and e33 to not be particularly grindy. Although p5 is very very long. About a 100 hrs.Smt devil survivor is also another good game that's not particularly grindy. It also has positioning / grid based combat which you might not have played yet. Trails in the sky first chapter is also good (I don't recall having to grind much, and the game lets you lower enemy health if they are too difficult when you get a game over. Without lowering difficulty) Also, there are plenty of jrpgs that have good gameplay but not necessarily a good story.
>>743251245>>743251342Thanks anons, I will put them on a list.I'm surprised most of them are 3d. I get so used to VN style I guess, but maybe it won't be bad too.
>>743251053>Something with both interesting battle system and plot, but without too much grind. Something with fun/bullshit strategies/exploits to discover.Sounds like we're looking for the same thing in JRPGs then. I was also baffled as to why Chrono Trigger is rated so highly when its combat system is so simplistic and its writing is nothing special.Anyway, my recommendations are:>Bravely Default + Bravely SecondThe combination of its job system and multi-action turns leads to one of the most mechanically dense JRPGs ever made. It's my all-time favourite when it comes to the combat system, I love how you can break it in half if you know what you're doing. Its writing is kind of dumb, and chapters 5-8 are very controversial due to how much repetition they involve, but the combat made it all worth it, it's exceptional.>Romancing SaGa 2 (and the SaGa series in general)SaGa games (The Last Remnant that one of the other anons recommended is a part of the series) are known for their complex, experimental combat systems. RS2 is the only one I actually played, I plan to check out the rest of the series later. Its formation system, the ability to freely mix and match different skills, and it requiring you to rethink your party composition constantly makes for a very fun JRPG. The story is almost nonexistent. I heard the remake is good, but I haven't played it.>Enchant FarmVery similar in spirit to RS2. A formation system, a wide variety of characters, the ability to learn skills in battle and mix and match them, an elemental system. The story ranges from nonexistent to a shitpost.
>>743251053>Something with fun/bullshit strategies/exploits to discover.This category of game will also usually have lots of grinding.
>>743252383>Expedition 33If you aren't a purist who thinks a parry system doesn't belong in turn-based games, you may have a lot of fun with this one. I love the way you can abuse the picto system, my favourite combination being auto-death + AP on death + shield on death + auto-revive. The combat is kind of poorly balanced (Act 3 is way too easy), but I still enjoyed it. And the writing/atmosphere/music are exceptional. The ending is a bit controversial, but I personally liked it.Bonus:>Black Souls 2 SL1I think your complaints about readability are valid, but once you get to know the system, it's a LOT of fun. You can pull off some truly absurd combinations, to the point that a SL1 run is not only possible, it's also fun. Planning your route, picking up gear, and theorycrafting various low level builds (especially pre-Black Goat Ring) makes it feel like the entire game is DLC3 tier. And overleveling is no longer an issue.>Etrian OdysseyI didn't like this one, mostly because I don't have a DS and attempting to draw a map manually when I tried to emulate it is painful, but it has a wide variety of classes and people speak well of it.
>>743251053Download a Gamecube emulator and a copy of this bad boy, and you can thank me 60 hours later.
>>743252976And when you're done with that, https://store.steampowered.com/app/330390/GRANDIA_II_HD_Remaster/
>>743251042>Complaining about Black Souls 2 battle system (literally the best aspect of the game)I'm sorry you're fucking retarded, you'll be destroyed by any other more complex game.
>>743251042Expedition 33
>>743253335The combat system COULD use some work. As OP said, the messages fly by so fast, the status effects aren't even explained in the game, and them expiring at count 3 IIRC fucked me over more than once (notably in the Lindamea fight) before I got used to it. But yeah, the combat's great once you get past the initial learning curve.
>>743251053I've been replaying Xenoblade with the S2 upgrade. Still a masterpiece. Actually it's better than I remember, the combat's deeper than I thought and there's clever ways to fight enemies you should have no business beating pretty early on.If you liked Kamidori, Unicorn Overlord or Fire Emblem are probably up your alley.
Treat these two games as two acts of the same story.>"but it's just another turn-based JRPG"Two words: Djinn System. Turns what would be a grindathon into customizathon.
Can someone give me a rundown on black souls? Is there loli and are the h scenes good?
>>743252383>>743252453>>743252976>>743253127>>743253864Thanks! Especially for short summaries.I guess I will have to make a spreadsheet to compare and pick one at this point heh.>>743253335m8, the problem is not with complexity, it's presentation and implementation. The game literally has 1000 skills and 250 status effects in the code. Many of which are one offs and/or share same icons with others. The game would benefit tremendously if:>you could read battle log>let you check the names of effects in place>have in-game journal with all the statues and skills seen so far listed with their stats>same for monsters, items, etc>settle for a clear element system with proper weaknesses/defensesEven what you have already in the game is sometimes just plain wrong. Eg:>Tinker Bell's Powder - Activates Dodge for all allies for a long time.This description is just false. It doesn't activate Dodge, it activates Aerobatics, which is a separate skill. I was so confusing seeing two same icons when I dodged after using that item. I had to consult wiki to figure out what the fuck was even happening. That's just bad design.But other than that, the battle system is not really all that bad. I still had a lot of fun playing it. I just wish I could approach it more methodically, but the game is really not constructed with that in mind.
>>743254316The story is beyond retarded with the worst characters ever written, and the battle system is completely solved by alternating two massive damage-reduction spells while attacking with the rest of the party.At least it's kind of pretty. Sometimes.
>>743254446There is many lolis in the game and you can even pick your preferred flavor of incest in BS2 (child/sister/mother).As for h-scenes, they are ok if you like rape and ms pain graphics. But this really isn't a game you should approach as fap material in my opinion. Porn there is not really to make you horny(unless you have very specific fetishes) or as a shock value, but rather to give a certain depth and character to the game. What BS does really good, is how it incorporates these themes instead of just a reward for the player for rescuing the damsel. The rapes, porn, sexual dynamics are all essential part of the narrative and game world as a whole. It's really has a lot of importance in artistic and narrative sense. The game is just very dark fantasy and explores themes I personally haven't seen in any game to be honest. At the end of the day, it's the plot, mysteries and lore which are the strongest part of that game.Just play it. BS1 is not really long and you can make it even faster if you visit designated grinding rabbits. You will get a taste of it and how it feels. Just keep in mind that it's more like short introduction, it's BS2 where the lore and scale of the game grows to much greater highs. It's such an unique and interesting game that I think it's a must play if you like interesting unique stories and can stomach the themes.
>>743251053TWEWYbut it's basically locked to the DS native system (ports are shit) if you want to experience the cool gameplay systemsemulation is cancer for it
>>743251042Kamidori essentially has the same battle system as Fire Emblem so try that out if you haven’t. Only difference is no base management side game type stuff.Path of Radiance and its sequel Radiant Dawn are my favorites.
>>743251053Trails in the Sky 1st has a free 10 hr demo on steam, the combat is simpler in that game (but still good/more interesting than most jrpgs) but the series has a stupidly long plot that is maintained over the like 14 games that follow it and the combat/varies/gets more complex as the series continues. Has a completely retarded amount of dialog and the story and characters still show up 10 games later with one plot going over an entire continent. I love the combat and regularly spend an hour just customizing/tuning my builds/party because its' fine. You don't ever need to grind
>>743256149>Only difference is no base management side game type stuff.Three Houses basically had that. Newer Fire Emblem games have all kinds of wild systems outside of the battles.
>>743256324Don't listen to this guy, he's a Falcomfag. The bugspreaders of the JRPG world.
>>743256468Nta but what's wrong with trails fc?
Grandia, enjoy. <3
>>743258457I've never played the remake and have no intention to, but I got tricked into buying the original for way too much goddamn money. Thought it was terrible. It's so bland and tedious, and everything Falcomfags profess to love about the characters was made up whole cloth by the localizers "punching up" the script.
>>743256403Three Houses has that but I’m not a fan of the way they did it.I unironically think Kamidori did it better.
>>743251053I'll recommend some favorite stuff of mine but I don't really feel like elaborating too much. I'll answer questions if you have any:Turn Based:Dragon Quest Shin Megami TenseiWizardry (inb4 "That's western" - 1-3 and 5 rock, and I also played Gaiden 1 and 2 and loved those as well, though G2 felt a little rushed in comparison to the others). Wild Arms (A bit on the easy side and the game really needs a retranslation but the dungeon design was fun and it's fairly short at about 20 hours, with bonus content)Majin Tensei (SRPG spinoff of SMT, in fact you could probably just call it "Fire Emblem SMT")Farland StoryFinal Fantasy 1, Tactics (I assume I'd like 3 and 5 too but those are the only ones I finished that I'd say I love. 7 was okay). ARPG:Revival XanaduYs 1+2 (I prefer the PCE-CD engine port, but most versions are interesting or work. Most people probably prefer Chronicles+)Brandish 1 and 2Crystalis (Has a retranslation of the Japanese version, God Slayer, if you're interested)King's Field (personal favorite was 3)Hydlide 3: The Space Memories (Has a Genesis/Mega Drive port, "Super Hydlide").
>>743251042>But I found the battle system so bloated and confusing.Outside of buffs and debuffs being multiplicative with each other (and to what degree since you need to check the fucking equip screen each time you apply something) the combat system is fairly intuitive to pick up, or at least that's what I would say but if you're completely new to JRPGs then I could see you being overwhelmed.>It was completely unreadable with no explanation of anything, messages disappearing in fraction of second and having to consult wiki and youtube videos to understand deeper mechanics. Wait, were you playing the Steam version and naturally didn't look in the game folder since you have no reason to, or did you just never get told/peek into hints.txt if you were playing the older non-Steam version? While it would be better to have a halfway decent combat UI you can still reference hints/txt for 95% of statuses in the game. Messages do run by fast but they're not unreadable. Also consider an SL1 run if you liked the cheese.>>743251053>Something with both interesting battle system and plot, but without too much grind. Something with fun/bullshit strategies/exploits to discover. Cute girl companions is a plus too.I can do 2 out of 3 of those with Labyrinth of Touhou 2 and LoT Tri. Plot's basically just there but the gameplay is solid and strongly encourages adapting your team to the boss. Really, most RPGs kinda suck on the plot front and those that do have interesting plots tend to suffer elsewhere (usually gameplay) so you end up taking what you can get more often than not.Also Chrono Trigger isn't some plot/gameplay masterpiece at all, but it is a classic and is generally suggested as a way to ease people into JRPGs. Kamidori is basically just Fire Emblem with extra steps, maybe play Path of Radiance if you want something without a completely retarded plot like half of the series has while still getting the same general gameplay. Neps are cute but their games are kusoge.
>>743251342>Any Megaten gameThe plot is questionable in a lot of them, but if he's looking for an entry point into the series then Devil Survivor 1 is a great starting point since he already has some experience with SRPGs and the story is actually decent.
>>743254516I got tired of the combat because scrolling through rpgmaker skill and item lists sucks ass.>>743251053hands down Souzinengi V. The plot is lighthearted and simple, but I love the combat mechanics, the interface and stage/enemy designalso SaGa Frontier because the different races and the combos are addicting, and it's an eccentric game in a good way.
>>743258965I believe that the remake is more faithful (although I'm not sure how much, I pirated it anyways)
>>743260891>the combat system is fairly intuitive to pick upOn the basic level sure. But it gets convoluted when you introduce weapon swapping, attack times vs repeats, statuses unique to bosses/weapons, etc.>or did you just never get told/peek into hints.txt if you were playing the older non-Steam version?I have played it before it was on steam. I did read hints.txt>95% of statuses in the gameMore like 5%. The game has way more statues than the 10-20 most common ones listed in hints. It also doesn't help that it's a text file and statues in game are only displayed as icons.
>>743251042Rance series if you want more porn games with gameplay like Kamidori and Black SoulsThere's 10+ games in the series and each one has different variations of JRPG gameplay. Sengoku's one of the best ones and is more of a strategy game rather than jrpg, but it's not a bad starting place since it's self-contained mostly. The series has a continuous narrative so you'll get more out of it if you play in order though.
>>743251053>Something with both interesting battle system and plot, but without too much grind. Something with fun/bullshit strategies/exploits to discover. Cute girl companions is a plus too.Hat World fits this to a T.
>>743263112>More like 5%. No, not really, unless you're counting buffs like the Resins, basic stat ups and Soul Shield where the game still tells you what they do in the item/skill description even if it doesn't tell you everything about them like the degree of increase. I'm in a rush so just taking a quick look through my ingame items and skills, Hints.txt covers>Poison/Deadly Poison/Virulent Poison which is only from that one Hydra enemy in the cathedral IIRC>Bleeding>Madness>Hollowing>Sleep>Oiled>Feeble>Burning>Madness>Fear>Silence>Dodge>Frostbite>Vulnerable>Stun>LacerationHints.txt does not directly cover>Requiem/Immortality (though the skill stating that you become immortal for a short time is fairly self-explanatory)>Kill (aka Insta-Kill, though the game could be better about what all is %HP damage or Insta-Kill if you're not paying close attention)>That one ankle chopping skill enemies do in DLC 3
>>743251042MGQ Paradox is kind of run of the mill in combat terms but it has a lot of build autsim if that appeals to you
>>743251042Where's the English translation for kamidori?
>>743266403https://sukebei.nyaa.si
>>743251042Phantasy Star IVRadiant HistoriaSuikoden IIEtrian Odyssey IVRomancing SaGa 2 or 3Xenoblade ChroniclesFinal Fantasy TacticsShining Force III TrilogySMT Devil SurvivorSeiken Densetsu 3Vagrant StoryXanadu NextValkyrie Profile
Out of curiosity, are there any jarpigs that at least try to do the whole open-ended, choose-your-own-adventure angle like Skyrim and shit? I feel that'd be interesting to play.
>>743269645Lunatic Dawn's a cool place to start in that regard.
>>743251042play a shmup instead. pigger.
Other people already told you to check out the SaGa games and I'll add another rec to the pile
>>743270251>moonrune-type gameI was hoping for something playable by mortal men, but I appreciate the recommendation nonetheless.
>>743270364Passage of the Book and Book of Futures are fully translated, you can start there. I'm waiting for full translations of the other games too.
EarthboundGrandia on SaturnGrandia 2 on DreamcastSkies of ArcadiaPanzer Dragoon RPGPaper Mario (N64)Lunar on Saturn or Sega CD
is crystal project a jrpg?
>>743270316Who says I don't. There is more than enough touhou for me to play for years. I do not need recs for that.
>>743265329There is about 250 statuses in the game, many unique to specific enemies, weapons and skills. These are just the tip of the iceberg.
>>743251042May I get some recommendations too? Preferably ones on Switch, but don't mind if they are on PC/more recommended on PC.Mostly looking for something with a fun/whimsical and/or interesting story and fun combat, the kind that makes you wanna get into fights often.Don't particularly care about the amount of grinding the game may have, I actually would like ones with plenty of grind if the combat in them is entertaining enough.I played and enjoyed both 3DS Bravely's, M&L: SS, Unicorn Overlord and FFV-VII.Thanks in advance.
>>743251042I would Recoomend those.>Hat World New Testamentrpgmaker game full of cute girls and a strange plot, the combat is easy and there is no exploration but the first time you clear it it will be maybe 30 to 40 hours and from then on it plays way faster to clear every character. A shame is has no real level design and fighting is just grinding as you progress. The extra bosses and final bosses are hard.>Look OutsideIt looks nice, the combat is simple but I liked it a lot as it focus more on equipment, items and the niche your party members have. There are no cute girls unless you are a bit weird, I liked the history, is quirky but not quirk chungus and gay like Deltarune.>Ruina: Fairy Tale of the Forgotten RuinsExploration is like a tabletop game, combat is easy but is about preparation and balance, you only have yourself and 2 other party members from a wide selection of characters and can change it anytime. I didn't finish it because it started to act up and it was because I selected a different combat song, by the time I solved the problem some time passed and I losed interest in playing. I should pick it up. There is a maid and a dragondaughter too if you want cute.>Radiata StoryI love this game, the character, setting and the history are damn good. Combat is good enough, the main thing of this game is that to get a new party member you have to be friend with them and in that you have to fulfill some requisite like visiting them at certain time, completing a tiny sidequest or pass time with them a couple times. It has two routes with a whole different cast and history.
