Dark Dawn Gameplay/plot discussion (SPOILERS!)

[Salanewt]

I think you can buy the books if you get to a point where you can not find them anymore because of the points of no return. I kind of like them, because it is the closest that I can get to seeing the characters from the first two games. Otherwise, I found that I did not need too many references. Come on though, we can not go to Kalay! I can probably pinpoint it on the map, but we can not go to that small fraction of Angara.

Ayuthay? Not sure if you have missed any Awec. When you passed the ruins, how many did you have? Oh yeah, there is a random Jupiter to the west of Kaocho, a Venus that you can easily miss unless you explore Harapa (you need Cold Snap for it), a Mars (which you can get on your way through). Actually, could you please name them? This way, I can check to see which ones you have missed.

It was really funny, but I nearly missed it. For a second, I thought that it was just my imagination.

Have a nice day.

[Awec]

Aight, here are the djinn I have so far:
Flint
Flower
Steel
Bark

Fever
Forge
Cinder

Jolt
Gust
Ether

Sleet
Chill

I've noticed 2 Mars djinn and 1 Jupiter that I can't reach yet. (One is blocked by a man in Kaocho, another is on a cliff that I assume can be reached after activating the alchemy forge at Passaj, and the Jupiter is on a leaf that I assume can be reached after draining/fixing the alchemy well at Ayuthay.

QUICK EDIT:
Just got Breath (the above-mentioned Jupiter djinn) and Surge. Also, I accidentally forgot to open a chest when the water was down, so after a quick run back to well room I found out it was only a vial. 

[Griever]

Say does anyone knows how to get Arangoa Prelude music? i finished that part in the game and i really liked it though i can't find it anywhere >< and I'm not sure how to extract that from the game.

Edit: I found a program that can rip music tracks from NDS roms .. VGMTrans.

[Salanewt]

Awec: I think you are up to speed. Just in case, I have a link to a guide if you want it. It even lists the djinn that are exclusive to Isaac and Garet near the beginning.

[spoiler=Djinn and Summon list]http://www.gamefaqs.com/ds/960545-golden-sun-dark-dawn/faqs/61205[/spoiler]

DarkGriever: Sounds like a cool program!


By the way, is Chaucha actually in the game? I have not been able to find her in either of the Champas, yet Briggs told Eoleo to tell her... did he really tell him to tell his mother of Briggs' death, when there is no Chaucha?

I also went back to Kaocho. Almost everyone died, even the old lady who wants you to take her package to her grandchild. However, according to one of the soldier spirits, everyone who survived is in the locked castle.

Have a nice day.

[Griever]

yah nice program though it only opens NDS roms for now, its still in beta. It will be able to open a lot more in later versions ... that's what the site said anyway.

If anyone want the program .... PM me.

I just got the SHIP!!!!! and i have no idea where to go ><
well if Eoleo can't tell his mom that his father is dead .. i guess he will do that after game ends? just a guess.

[Salanewt]

I suggest that you follow the edge of the eclipse until you find an island that overlaps it. Of course, you might have done that by the time you have read this. Either way, you have to go there before you can get Himi.

Have a nice day.

[Awec]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I missed Gears!
There goes my brilliant 100% first time through attempt...

I just started the Eclipse (to be precise, just obtained the Crystal Dragon) and other than Gears and Spout (which I should still be able to grab) I'm up to date.

[Salanewt]

I just found out why everyone had golden fur near the end, but I never spoke to anyone when I played the first time.

[spoiler=Types of psynergy, you should not read this until you beat the game]
So we now know that there are at least types of psynergy that people can be. We have the elements:

Fire, Water, Earth, Wind.

We also have two new types, Light and Dark psynergy.[/spoiler]

Overall, this felt more like a combination of games than a true Golden Sun game. The music is almost completely different (bordering Zelda and Final Fantasy), and the game feels quite linear overall. It is still a great addition though.

Have a nice day.

[Griever]

Well i say it has very nice music sometimes ... especially Arangoa Prelude ... I found the NDS music extractor just for that one 

Yah like you guessed i ended up in the island but now you confirmed that i did the right thing 

[Salanewt]

Yeah, that was a cool tune. It is unfortunate that it becomes "illegal" to play when you do finally return to Belinsk. I do like the music in the game, it is just that it has changed so much compared to the music in the first two games.

Cool. After you finish with the blue towers, you should head to Yamata/Izumo. There is also a wild Mars djinni there, so you should search near the mountain.

On a different note, has anyone noticed how much easier Star Magician is compared to the other guardians? I killed him sooner than the final boss, yet these other bosses seem quite resistant to my attempts.

Have a nice day.

[Aile~♥]

I'd say the easiest bonus boss is the group of trolls in the volcano cave. All you have to worry about is high damage. Just keep Karis or Rief spamming healing, someone with Protect to keep your Defence up, and have everyone else go all-out with weapon attacks and EPAs.

Off-topic: And take that, Role. You and your "only warrior builds can have EPAs!" nonsense. See? I WAS RIGHT. SPELLSWORDS CAN HAVE EPAS IN THEIR DEFAULT CLASSES.

...Ahem.

[Salanewt]

Or that "there is nothing evil, never anything evil" thing either. "No! Evil does not exist in Golden Sun!" Suddenly, an Eclipse that kills dozens of people comes into mind.

Good point about the trolls/ogres though, I think I shall challenge them again. I made some changes before, but I can easily give Rief the Wish set if I want. Summon rushing with Matthew/Tyrell's djinn to take care of the easier ones, and then actual fighting for the others. When #5 comes around, I might have my second party out. Then I use Chasm... of course, Karis has Revive. Being the fastest of Party 1, I could probably make it survive if I keep at least two people alive at all times.

Of course, Protector Matthew is really good as well.

Have a nice day.

[Aile~♥]

The problem with the trolls is that your lowered stats when summoning are liable to get people killed. (They have that huge slash thing that targets every party member.) Ideally, you should be able to finish the battle with everyone standing. Matthew can inflict massive punishment in his default class with whatever that cool endgame sword is. (Is it the Sol Blade?) Just have him spam the Attack command to unleash massive destruction. Purgatory, something that looks like Mad Zephyr, something that looks like Crucible Fire or Radiant Fire, and Megiddo all come to mind. Also, doesn't Eoleo learn Protect in his default class?

You could also just unleash Sveta's Beast Form on the suckers and watch 'em die.

As for that annoying guy who steals your party members, my suggestion would be to equip everyone with sub-par weaponry so you don't have to worry about being hit with Megiddos and Vengeances and Emerald Rushes and all that sort of nastyness. Get them the best defensive gear you can, if anyone has Hyper Boots or similar unleash boosters, remove 'em, and try hitting the boss with single-target base damage and EPAs. Also, make sure to spam healing every round. I believe he also summons using the Djinn of your stolen ally, so watch out for that.

[Salanewt]

I was using Eoleo's base class, but I kept Isaac as a Protector because of Wish (and some of his Mercury djinn). I eventually did it, but I only had three people standing. Matthew, Tyrell, and Rief. Of course, they were my lowest levels, so little harm was done (especially considering how strong some of the monsters in Crossbone Isle are, I can probably make it to level 55+ quite quickly). Yeah, those beast moves are really cool.

And the Ancient Demon is my next target, after I get Iris. Of course, Karis has over 20 Luck because of the Iris Robe that I found, so she might be my best character now (or at least second to Sveta). Dullahan is really cool though, and Fulminous Edge looks even cooler.

Have a nice day.

[Hoopa]

I just 100% completed Dark Dawn, and now essentially playing a new game plus. Gotta say, Ancient Demon was a pain. I found all the other bosses to be fairly easy, but even at completely maxed levels, I still couldn't beat Ancient Demon until my fifth attempt. Danged demon sign...

[Salanewt]

I just killed Dullahan on my second attempt. But wow, Tyrell gets 58,800 experience all to himself. Eh, he would have died too, were it not for one of Daedalus' late missels. I like how much stronger he was, it was a fun challenge. And now, I go on to the Ancient Demon. I have Iris now, so I reckon that I should be able to do it quickly. I hope it still heals and revives both parties. On the positive side, the Iris Robe is still an excellent item.

Maybe I can visit Ayuthay after this, despite the fact that their soldiers wear bras for some reason.

Have a nice day.

[Aile~♥]

Flare Storm is inferior. Go Arid Scorch! XP

Also, Dullahan is a real pain in DD. You start summon rushing? Oh, that's too bad.

"Dullahan summons Daedalus!"

You: "FFFFFFFUUUUUU--"

[Salanewt]

I kind of have to, when he can kill someone in one hit, and has at least two (or was it three?) turns. If things go horribly wrong, he will use Djinn Storm and kill several of my characters. If I were at least level 65, I might have been able to do it. Of course, I did pretty well with only 43+ members. I was really lucky, because he only ever used my weaker summons (like Kirin). Of course, the fact that he has Charon did not help either.

Ancient Demon fell very quickly, but he possessed Karis before his death (best Luck stat because of the Iris Robe). Anyway, I am going to fight the final boss again.

Have a nice day.

[Aile~♥]

It doesn't matter if he possessed her as long as she didn't die. I'm pretty sure she'll still gain EXP as long as she survives, even if she fights on the wrong side for most of the battle.

[Menaus]

What level were you guys when you got finished the eclipse? All my party members have an average level of; 31.4285714(sorry, I just had to be perfect ;D)

What is EPA by the way? (That rhymed!)