Expert Clear Progress

[Mastertrek]

And just found out that regardless of difficulty I am way too weak. I can survive 3 turns there but that doesn't change the fact that each enemy has around 600k health. So I will go to Metal Region I found during visit to Forgotten Garden.

[Mastertrek]

Metal Region first area cleared. Not going to next one yet.

 

Gold Region unlocked and I'm farming Gold Gold (or something like that). It is extremely tough on Expert for my current Party but I killed it one time already on that difficulty.

[Mastertrek]

Just farmed enough Scorched Golem Rings to get it to level 99. I got tired of insane gold farming so after 5 minutes I simply started fleeing from all battles that didn't have that enemy which drops it. And the reward for clearing Gold Region filled with gold is.. Even more gold. Awesome.

[GrandTanker]

Cranking away at post game stuff, starting with the Forgotten City, and moving on to Dolly Forest.

The Forgotten City's training grounds were understandably easy: I had been leveling way above the norm via fruit usage, and the grind session I did prior to Neo-Clangorrah left me well above the suggested level anyway. As such, I breezed through it. This is an element of JRPGs that I've thought about at times: grinding in itself is a sort of difficulty selection. The more you grind, the easier the game gets, to the point where challenges that the designers put forth can be easily trivialized, and you can miss out on certain mechanics that would benefit you later.

This latter point was revealed to me when I went to the Dolly Forest. Despite the level suggestion being 200, I was able to thrive there due to the prior stated fruit usage. But it was particularly a breeze. Enemies took more hits, they could easily down my group with a single attack (Bagic Burst), and were respectably quick. My prior strategy of just buffing and laying down numbers no longer worked as well, which led me to start trying the status inflicting skills I had accumulated over the course of the game. A whole new facet of the battle system was revealed to me, as I poisoned, paralyzed, silenced and gnomed my way to victory. Struggling in the Dolly Forest led me to doing more and learning more of the game's systems, and thus I changed around my strategies and methods. Skills such as Gaia Wall, which I never once touched during the story, became vital for me, as well as Burning Shift, and all the shared skills I had no use for since the brutish style of fighting I had before worked so well. This further learning and struggling with the Dolly Forest made the game even more fun, even if all I was doing was using the Curio repeatedly to grind. Said grinding not being mindless mashing of attack is something I like a lot.

What I don't like is the boss of Dolly Forest. My party is at lvl.146-147, and the normal enemies, while still dangerous, as easing off and becoming less deadly. But the boss can wipe my party with a single attack, as well as being immune to the status effects I began to become dependent on. The sudden spike in enemy strength left me with no choice but to grind, and it seems I may actually have to be at lvl.200 to beat them, or at least survive their Ice Wall.

[Mastertrek]

You're not entirely right. The game wants you to grind (or get your health up using Excellent Fruits) because I don't think that you actually must be at specific level to beat any boss (only stats matter). I love most Unisons (Well of Urd + Hyperion heals me fully if my Party can survive.. Even at 1 hp). I already have all the Maid Co-op store Stuff (80 of all consumables and 4 of each Armor and even more Rings because I find them in Blocks)

I know that all Crystals can be found at Jars but I only found 1 up to now from them. And 7 Accelerators. 

[Mastertrek]

I made a great use of Rings. They completely change the damage done by specific skills.

Dealt 20.6m Damage using Blue Whirl on Maidame Curie with a single hit. 

My setup was to equip things that boost damage for Unisons made from same element + Buddy Ring while having all stands with buddies. Even low stats can do wonders.

[Mastertrek]

Acceleration Ring helps with getting treasure without worrying about dying to enemies if you use Flee. I cleared Metal Region from treasure chests entirely thanks to that.

[Mastertrek]

I am close to clearing Overlord Castle.

However, I will have to farm enough of the next two rings to make two buddies level 99.

[Mastertrek]

Main story done.

All 5 optional areas unlocked. Currently at Main Quest 67:)

 

[Mastertrek]

Where are you currently?