1. Yes
2. Not sure (I was one rank away from getting them), I think that they will be shy, but maybe not as shy as the other metal slimes (it may depend on your level).

@RedHawk - Didn't get around to this sooner. You should totally switch your Mage to a Sage. Kazing, Multiheal, the Sage's bonuses and the later Zam spells are totally worth it, not even to mention Twocus Pocus. Just be sure to maximize out your wand, priest and mage trees, as those all help a lot with the lack of the priest's later spells. As for your Warrior, it's totally fine to stay as one, as they're pretty awesome. Switch to Gladitor if you want more offense (though omnivocationalize your shield first), or paladin if you want more team supporting options. As for your priest, provided you can keep up your team's health with Multiheal, a Sage isn't a bad option. I'd keep your Armamentalist the way it is, as it's the only vocation besides the Mage that gets Oomph. Hope that helps. I have an OST that can break down the vocations even more than that if you want.

I got a level 5 treasure map but while I went through the grotto I couldn't find any treasure chests! I beat the boss but I didn't go back in since. Is it normal for there to sometimes be no blue chests in a grotto?

Yes, that's normal. Probably only for low-level maps.

@LaytonApprentice - I've never had that happen to me before, but I guess it's possible in lower-level grottos. I'd only keep that if that was the only map you had with that boss, otherwise, throw it away.

ok thanks guys. @birdman13 I'll probably keep it since it is the only one with that boss and I want to use him to get more maps(he's easy to beat and I got a level 22 map from him)

Am I the only one trying to beat the game with one person? I'm a little lazy to go make a teammate and level him up to around lvl 25 the least by now.

@turtlelink I wanted to try that but I couldn't get past the Wight Knight (sad I know) because after around level 12 it was slow going and the whole battle was: I attack, he attacks, I heal, he heals repeat. I wish I could have gotten farther but my patience was waring thin. Out of curiosity how far into the game are you and what vocation are you using?

@turtlelink - I wouldn't be surprised if you are right now. If you've reached the Bad Cave, try finding Metal Medleys there to level up, as they have a lot of experience.

I wouldnt have the patience to go through the game with one character. Sounds worse than endless grinding with 4 characters. I got smashed by the Wight Knight with one character

@turtlelink: I don't think its possible to beat the game with one person. I'd love to be proven wrong otherwise, but later bosses get 2 turns and that'd be a death sentence to a single character at any level. Your secondary characters level up quite quickly, you should do that lest you wish to not enjoy your purchase.

Alright, I just added it to my wishlist. Now starting the countdown: T minus 9 years, 11 months, and 29 days until I actually get it.

Lol so i guess my One Man Army thing might be tough to pull through.

@turtlelink lol so are you making more party members?

I made one after I fought the white knight, but it was taking too long to level him up to my standards so I just left him at the hotel. He'll come back after I get REALLY frustrated with a boss.

I've found that my characters seemed to level up evenly when I had them in my party. Eg my warrior caught up to being the same level as my Mage after a while.

So I bit the bullet and hopped on amazon and bought the game. Rave reviews and only $25 ("certified used"). I figure I can't go wrong. Now to hijack one of my kids DS's...

I love Jafar, my magic user (originality ftw)!

I have played DQIX for over 320 hours, I've maxed out all of the attributes (level 99 for every vocation + 1 revocation) for 4/6 of my characters. I just started working on the 2nd revocation set for jobs of my main character (+2 shows next to different vocations).

After playing the game for so long, I've observed a few things that might be helpful to people who are at lower levels/just starting. Things I would do differently if I knew them from the beginning would be to dump all attribute points into the vocational exclusive/non-weapon, 5th categories (Litheness for Minstrel for example) until they reach 100 then switch jobs and repeat (you get 100 attribute points at around level 35 give or take). The passive extra stat bonuses carry over between different vocations and would be very helpful for later bosses in the game as well as when you finally hit the grottoes.

I know this information will most likely be more helpful to people who have not changed their vocation yet or those early in the game, so if you know it already, you're probably too far into the game for it to be useful to you. It is definitely a waste to put points into weapons you do not need/use, although omnivocational shields are a must have for all your characters. Definitely put all the points you get into the 5th category for every vocation first is my suggestion. You should find battles easier to manage if you're being wiped out or finding you need to grind a lot for levels.

@turtlelink: Your team members won't gain levels at the inn, it really is a better idea to just have a full compliment with you, they do take a little while to level up, but they catch up relatively quickly. You'll be stuck mindlessly grinding for hours upon hours later on if you don't just bring them along with you now while you're at an earlier part of the game since the highest level characters get the most exp. It'll probably take you 30 minutes to an hour to get them to a respectable level for the part of the game you're currently at, but if you do it Rambo style, you'll be stuck grinding for a lot longer later, perhaps a few hours-a day, unless you have access to MKS floor grottoes before your party members can match your level. Trust me, you won't enjoy that, just sayin. =)

Just started fighting legacy bosses yesterday, so far, they're a piece of cake. I'm giving them the exp. to level up after I win. I'll probably regret the "piece of cake" comment sooner or later.