The Real Dragon Warrior/Quest Thread

[Tommy]

I decided to dedicate this thread to the RPG series that inspired Final Fantasy and many other RPGs. With an exception of D&D it started it all.
These games are CLASSIC.

Which one is your fave?

I have to say, Level 5 really kept the DQ theme going with VIII.
I also own DW Monster which is a GREAT game. Sorta like Pokemon.

[Nate]

I've only played four of the eight

Dragon Warrior was the first true console RPG, and for what it was, it was excellent. Mind you, I have only played the GBC remake of it, but it was classic. The world was fairly small, and there were some irritating quirks (such as having to buy keys at first, not realizing that bridges were the "level boundaries" so to speak), but it was excellent, and required a lot of work. No blazing through this game, no sir...enemies were scarce with gold, and they were impossible to beat practically if you weren't strong enough. However, even with the large amount of work to overcome the difficulty level, the game was still more or less beatable in 20 hours or so.

Dragon Warrior II (again, GBC remake) added other party members with actual personalities and strengths/weaknesses, plus a huge game world (which even included the original continent!). It was everything a sequel should be and then some, and was great.

Dragon Warrior III was, however, the pinnacle. Not only did it allow you to choose your party members, it introduced the mini-medals, the game boards, loads of side quests, an enormous world...and then, just when you think you've beaten the last boss...you go to a world that seems vaguely familiar...as soon as you step into the World of Darkness, your first thoughts are "I think I remember this music..." It was beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

Dragon Quest VIII is excellent as well, and one of the best RPGs the PS2 has to offer...but it still ranks only secondary in the Dragon Quest universe. I may play IV through VII one day (well, maybe not VII, I heard that one sucked), but as of now, the third one is definitely the best.

[Myoti]

I also had I and II on GBC. I beat the first one (and the ending I found slight odd, as you could still travel the word, minus those blasted swamps). Indeed, it was quite good.

I never did beat the second, and I have played some of Monster (also liked it).

[Tommy]

From what I`ve seen, V is the best. That is why they made a PS2 remake for V.

[uc pseudonym]

I just spent a fair amount of time playing VIII (unfortunately, it will likely be quite a while before I can finish the game) so it was interesting to see this thread. I've played quite a few of the earlier games, though rarely to completion, and I don't feel qualified to state which one I think is the best.

[Wise Dragon]

8 is the only one ive played? Has anyone been through the dragon cave at the end? I keep getting my but handed to me on a silver platter two seconds into it.

[Pent]

I got a 2 in 1 game boy game that had 1 and 2 on it. I beat one and got stuck on 2. I'm not sure how much time I have spent on 2 trying to figure out where to go next, but I must say it irritates me so much that I would go with 1 over 2, even though 2 is the obviously more quality game. I've never played any of the others so I don't feel very qualified to vote.

[uc pseudonym]

8 is the only one ive played? Has anyone been through the dragon cave at the end? I keep getting my but handed to me on a silver platter two seconds into it.

Are you referring to the Dragovian Island following the first ending? Is your trouble with the enemies there or with the secret bosses? If it is the former, I have only one recommendation: kill everything before it kills you. Most of the enemies in that area have nasty tricks that can make the battle much harder. It helps if you have some of the better weapons, like the Liquid Metal Sword, so that you can kill off a lot of the enemies in the first round (as chances are you have higher Agility).

Also, what level are you and what weapon skills have you advanced on which characters? If your character can work together things go much smoother.

[MasterDias]

Yes, Dragon Quest VIII is teh awesome. I still need to finish it up though. It's generally longer then other RPGs.

I'm vaguely wondering how well it sold in the U.S., given how much Square-Enix was really pushing it.

[Wise Dragon]

Yes its the Dragovian Island. Couldn't remember the name of it. Well my problem is that a lot of the time these little week enemies have these cheep attacks that make you die in one hit. It gets annoying because I wouldn't have much trouble if they didn't have that.

[Nate]

The best advice I can give is make sure your team has the best armor you can get. Weapons are nice, but not required. If you can make the Metal King Boomerang that will help, though. Also make sure Jessica has the Gringham Whip.

I never had any problem with instant death attacks...you may need to go gain some levels (Howlwind Hill is the best place to do it). Make sure the Hero knows Zing and Angelo knows Kazing. Also equip Yangus or Jessica (or both) with a Yggdrasil Leaf in the unpleasant event that the Hero and Angelo both fall.

[uc pseudonym]

Well my problem is that a lot of the time these little week enemies have these cheep attacks that make you die in one hit. It gets annoying because I wouldn't have much trouble if they didn't have that.

Which enemies are usually killing you? Can you kill them all in the first round? Basic strategy can greatly increase the amount of enemies you can take out, I've found. For example, if your fighters are doing a bit less damage than they need to kill an enemy in one hit, use something that will hit all the enemies you want to target (a boomerang or whip if they're in a group, or a spell if they're not).

Also make sure Jessica has the Gringham Whip.

It's the most expensive prize at the Baccarat casino, in case you don't recognize the name. I should get this, because my Jessica is primarily a whip user, but I don't want to mess around with the luck manipulation required to get so many tokens...

I never had any problem with instant death attacks...

In my experience they aren't trouble except for Thwhack, that simply because it has a shot at killing everyone.

[Tommy]

Please, people, -not talking to anyone specific- please keep this a thread about which DQ game is the best and a discussion about why you liked it and why the series isso good or bad.

If you want me to make a Dragon Quest 8 helpline thread I will.

[uc pseudonym]

Ah, sorry about that. I rather forgot the focus of this thread. Allow me to make your request an official moderator one.

Wise Dragon, if you want your questions answered PM Bobtheduck or I (he may be able to better answer your question) or make a new thread. We're very glad to help, but we should try to stay on topic.

[Tommy]

Thanks UC. Greatly appreciated.