Topic: Xenoblade Chronicles X - OT

@briwipdx: Yes. Squad = server.

@shani: and the 2 different squads just have different objectives, right?

@JaxonH: If you hold out and only do what is required for the story, that area will become a little easier once it progresses more. It is also much easier to chart around outer edges of it than to try to reach the middle. The same rule applies to the last area, where stealth is much wiser than barreling in and a lot of times being on foot can mean the difference between getting attacked and being ignored. But even then, I did a lot of strategically retreating (running away) and sacrificing the other skells to survive.

As long as it is not your skell that goes down it doesn't require a check to fix it (and it doesn't count against it). I have quite a few skells that previously belonged to me that have only one claim left on the policy used by my other characters.

@briwipdx: No no, I think you're misunderstanding. With 2 different squads you mean the selection screen when you start the game, right? The second and the third option are basically the same, the only difference is that the third one lets you join the squads where you're friends are online right now. The second will just assign you to a random server where you still could play with other players. And your friends can also join you there.

There is no specific objective either, the online part of the game is really minor and woven into your singleplayer experience. You are somehow connected to the others and you are not at the same time.
This is explained best with the squad tasks: Your squad/server gets 5 of them (there are different sets of them), which usually are something like "kill x of species y" or "gather x of plant y" or "defeat tyrant A". All the players on the server share these tasks. That means - for example if it says kill 18 grexes - that everyone on the server can go kill some grexes and if the sum of those reach 18 before the timer (45 minutes) runs out, you unlock a squad mission which you and the others then can tackle together (or alone), but only once (after it is done, no one can do that mission anymore until it reappears at another time). Every one of the five tasks unlocks a squad mission.
If you see the task cleared (at the bottom right), you can go to the BLADE console in the barracks and find those missions under "squad missions". If someone already has initiated one and is looking for people to play with him, they will also be under "active missions". Then you can join them or have others join you and play together in a closed-world-part of Mira with up to four people. you will be running around in real-time and battling enemies in a party, but of course everyone controls his own character.
And then there are also global nemesis battles, which unlock as soon as the circle in the squad selection screen is full. You will also find them under squad missions and active missions respectively.

I hope this wasn't too much at once or something you already knew.

Lol what, really? That's very inconsistent if you ask me. But well, maybe it was too frustrating for the test players, Monolith will have their reasons for that I guess.

@shani: thanks for all the info, it wasnt too much. i'll take whatever tips i can get with this game.
im still figuring some things out obviously

I liked this one too. There are a lot of great side missions amongst all the fetching.

@briwipdx: I'd say that's pretty normal. Don't let the complexity of the game (or the complaints of some people) discourage you, it's a lot, but it's definitely doable to understand it all, piece by piece.

If you have further questions, you can always ask me or someone else by @-ing the nickname.
Here's also a lengthy guide for the multiplayer part of the game. If you haven't already, you can also look up many things in the e-manual of the game. There are also more general guides here and here.

Or just ask, someone here will have the answer for you.

BTW which lvl and story chapter are you currently at? If you want to do squad tasks together, you can also add me.

@Plateface: Yeah I actually love the side missions (affinity, basic, normal) more than the story missions because they tell you more about the world the people are living in, how living there just feel etc. It makes the whole world of this game become more alive.

@shani: thnx for da links.
im at lvl 39 completing 25% oblivia and some 'comrade' affinity mission involving Doug
before i can begin chapter 6 i believe, maybe its ch.7 idk.
i luv this game. the world(s) and battle system are better than the first imho,
but the narrative lacks the same gravitas. there just SO much to do, just can't get enuff.

@briwipdx: Wow, then you're on a way higher lvl than me although I have completed more of Oblivia and already are two chapters ahead of you. It's really interesting how everyone can have their own, individual experience that differs from everyone else's. ^^ How many hours have you played so far?
I haven't really played the predecessor, only the beginning of the game. But so far I love the story of XCX!

im rounding hour46. ive been grinding on noctilum for its atmosphere and sylvalum for its soundtrack for hours, modifying/upgrading best arts patterns,
and ive been maxing out my AM companies by investing miranium

do u know:
im pretty sure its impossible to change any other characters classes, do you know?
and i havent been able to find a way to change anyone else's soul voice options either.

@briwipdx: You mean the NPC's classes? No, I think they are fixed.
Haven't fiddled around with the soul voices yet, I just kept them the way they were. But that's one of the things I could get busy with later.

Interesting, I'm just past the 50 hour mark an I'm lvl28. Although it makes sense since I didn't do much grinding for grinding's sake. I earned most of the XP by doing missions and the random fights in between, when you are searching for something etc. Although sometimes I didn't feel like battling and just ran away and then went back to continue my search.

I just got the game for Christmas and I want to see how the online is but, I don't know how to start the online quests. So can someone tell me how to do the online missions?

I'm trying to collect all the pets. Does anyone know how many there are ? I got 3 cats and 1 dog so far.

You know the room in the barracks that have like 5 to 7 NPC and a console ? That's where you select those missions.
If you pick a mission it will ask you if you want to recruit (online) or go with your current team (npc).
You can also get recruited by someone and play with them. All you have to do is pres (-) when a gold pop-up with an invitation appears on the top left corner of the screen. This can happen anywhere or at least it happens a lot when I'm exploring.
Don't forget to pick the "Online" Squad when you login the game. I'm not sure you'll get those notification if you don't.

Once you're in the waiting room with other players don't forget to go check the big door to set yourself as "ready" to do the quest.

Read this: https://www.reddit.com/r/Xenoblade_Chronicles/comments/3u77rz...
It provides a lot of good info.
@briwipdx
Nope. Characters classes and soul voices are all fixed. They cannot be changed.

Some of the normal missions and affinity missions get dark. I just did Hope's and that got dark.

@DiscoGentleman: Nice. Since I assume it's not DiscoGentleman (or is it?) - at least I don't see your nickname - which one is yours?
But yeah, more interaction between friends's character would be nice.

Is it true that you can't see the character of your friends if his lvl is too high? I never saw DaGreen's avatar for example although he always sees mine too. And we have both tried de-registering and re-registering our avatars. ^^

At least three cats and four(?) dogs. There's a Calico, Tabby, another cat, Labrador, dalmation, beagle, and a dog on Mt. M'Grando.

@TheXReturns: I counted the number of side missions that I've done so far: 48 basic missions, 35 normal missions and 13 affinity missions. Although I did a few after that, too.
Just finished chapter 8 with 57 hours on the clock. I had about a million and bought a light lvl30 skell + the strongest weapons/armor for every slot. Turns out I had the right amount of money, because afterwards I had only 26500 left. ^^

And I also got my first cat.

Indeed!

@Shani It's because I like being underlevelled in RPGs. I enjoy the challenge and the strategy. The only time I actively grinded was because I was a little too underlevelled... (Chapter 10 boss, you'll see what I mean).

@Discogentleman Yeah. You and Shani hang about outside my barracks all the time. It makes getting division support a lot easier. Balancing's reliant on one thing - no matter how good you are, something can always one-shot you. XD