Topic: Xenoblade chronicles gameplay

Hey all,
I started to play xenoblade chronicles and having some issues with the battle system. Im now against the first boss (in the first cave), and dont really know what Im doing wrong.
I just wait for a skill to load, use it, wait for another and so on. I dont use strategy at all- just focusing on attacking with every skill available before my life gauge is down.
Will it be better in the rest of the game, when I have more skills to use? and generally, what is the best way to learn the battle system of that game and enjoy it as well? cause it seems like an epic game, and it will be a shame to give it a miss right from the start =

Thanks in advance =]

I can't think of a single RPG that doesn't give you more tactical options past the first boss. Yes, Xenoblade gets more complex later. You're barely 5% done with the game, if that much. Give it some time. I was still learning how to work stuff more than halfway through the game.

The metagame consists mainly of controlling aggro and attacking from the correct direction. Characters fit fairly neatly into archetypes. Shulk is DPS, Reyn is a Tank, and Sharla is a Healer. Debuffs are also very important. Something I learned later is that Chain Attacks increase the potency of debuffs. Say, your "Mage" uses Summon Earth (causes poison), and it's used at the end of a chain attack for x8 damage. The poison damage is also x8, and that's something ridiculous; like thousands of HP per tick. (EDIT: it's actually 8x damage)

Do you even have access to Chain Attacks at where you are in the game? Even if you do, you're likely not going to be at the point of consistently getting past 3x combos until at least mid-game.

This topic is probably going to be locked because there are already two topics for XC.
Here's the Xenoblade Chronicles Wii topic, and here's the N3DS topic.

The skills and chain attacks take a while to get a hang of. If you're having trouble with a boss, just get your characters a few levels higher than it and you'll be fine.

Thanks guys

I guess ill just have to give it more time, and maybe get the help of some guides to learn the battle system. glad to hear theres more to come in terms of gameplay (and I guess storyline as well)
and sorry, didnt know about the official topic for this game XD

For that first boss you want to let Reyn draw most of the aggro from the Queen Arachno if you can. It may be best to let Reyn do most of the attacking as using your arts draws aggro. If you can, just try to have Shulk do auto attacks to fill up the talent gauge so you'll have a Monado art ready to go when you need it. Of course, if you can get in a slit edge from the side to lower its physical defense or a backslash from behind for more damage it would probably be a good idea. Also try to keep an eye on your HP levels and use light heal accordingly.

It's actually been quite a while since I fought that first boss, but that strategy should work perhaps with a little doing. Just don't give up because there's a lot of awesome gameplay and story moments that it would be a shame to miss!

ill remember the advices, really sounds like much a deeper game than I thought =]

As Dezzy quoted. Just get some levels higher and you will make the first boss. In that early stage of the game you don't have to play strategical, you can't anyway. You should just have Shulk and Reyn as playable characters.

I'm almost done with this game (I actually haven't played for a couple months, really need to get back into it and finally beat it), but I actually found this, while fun, to be one of the most mindless games I've played in a long time. Battles for me never really get past that "spam one or two attacks while waiting to hear Reyn yell 'Wild Down,' rinse and repeat" except for a couple of tough battles. I still enjoy it, I just never used a ton of strategy.

I was playing it a while back on vWii and the battling got to me, just felt a fairly tedious experience, required too often. Didn't stop me buying the 3DS version for some reason, but I haven't played it any further yet. I guess I'd done 10-15 hours.

The battle mechanics in games like this really do develop as you progress. You shouldn't take the start of the game as representative of the whole game. Later on, you're doing things like combining characters for which skills work in sequences and things like that, which you aren't doing much early on.

Glad to see so many comments =] I guess the battle system in this game is one of the cases of "you either love it or hate it". I guess ill just have to learn it, grind a bit and continue my progress through the story.
One thing I did like about the game is how it takes out the tedious elements of most of the RPGs, like healing your life with medicine during your travels. You mainly focus on the battles and story, which is great =]

I don't like the battle system either, but between toppling enemies, getting chain attacks, and using debuffs, there should always be some strategy in your fights..

@Xyphon22 The game is what you make it. I personally feel that things will go more smoothly when you plan and play strategically.

While some have said they don't like the battle system, and that's fine, being able to enjoy it is a huge part of enjoying the game. Lucky for me I loved it. @VoltageX This is a pretty deep game all right. Make sure you take the time to learn about skill links and gem crafting! I can tell you about those if you want me to.

While some have said they don't like the battle system, and that's fine, being able to enjoy it is a huge part of enjoying the game. Lucky for me I loved it. @VoltageX This is a pretty deep game all right. Make sure you take the time to learn about skill links and gem crafting! I can tell you about those if you want me to.

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I hope ill learn to enjoy it as well =] great, thanks =]

I got my characters to level 120 and did nearly everything in the game. I still never got round to understanding gem crafting. I used it to make some awesome stuff. I wasn't clear on the mechanics of it though.

@dezzy?
How to lvl 120? The max lvl cap is lvl 99.
There are foes with lvl 120, and those you can take down by toppling them constantly with dunban, melia and shulk for example.
Using gem crafting and chain attacks is essential to be able to beat the thoughest enemies.

Just wanted to thank everyone on the thread =] after I researched and experienced a bit, Im now in love with the game XD the gameplay, and also the graphics and storyline. Glad I didnt give up on this =]

I might be misremembering but I think the level cap was for the Wii version and they removed it on 3DS. Either that or I'm just confusing my character levels with the enemy levels.
And yes, I did use gem crafting and chain attacks. As I said, I used gem crafting a lot, but didn't figure out the exact nature of the mechanics of it.

I'm wondering if anyone can help me out with something to do. I've almost beaten the game, I think I'm on the second-to-last boss or close (don't want to spoil anything), and after looking up online I've decided I just need to level up (she's level 75, I'm 70, and the consensus seems to be you need to be at least 72 or 73 to have a change, preferably 75 like she is). My problem is the most recent quests I haven't completed are back at the Fallen Arm, and those enemies are only like level 50-55. So I either do quests that give me almost no experience and so will take me forever to level up, or I just grind tougher enemies (who are all ether in this place and are an extra pain) which will be a lot more boring. Working on Colony 6 and trying to get the ingredients for these powerful weapons that someone recently gave me the quests for both seem extremely random and full of trial-and-error, but maybe those would be the best. Any ideas?

@Xyphon22: For that boss I went to Gaur Plains to fight Gogols which made grinding faster, also for that boss you need to kill the enemies around her first to do good damage.