New to the series (Random first post)

[Antimatzist]

es, it eats away at the hero every time he uses it in combat, but that is the idea - it's a cursed rune, you're not supposed to want to rely on it as a cheat in battles, and your friends have already sworn to fight for you so you don't have to use its power unless absolutely necessary.

But I feel like its battle powers are just not.... well, let me say it like this: In cutscenes, you can destroy whole fleets of ships with it and it nearly costs your life. The spells you can use in battle aren't strong and still nearly ko you. I don't use the RoP a lot in IV.

[sticky-runes]

But I feel like its battle powers are just not.... well, let me say it like this: In cutscenes, you can destroy whole fleets of ships with it and it nearly costs your life. The spells you can use in battle aren't strong and still nearly ko you. I don't use the RoP a lot in IV.

Like I said: It's a cursed rune, you're not supposed to want to use it recklessly. Wanna blast enemies with destructive spells that don't harm the user? Equip a fire or lightning rune. If I had a power that could harm my enemies at the risk of my own health, I wouldn't go around blasting enemies with it willy nilly. There are people who criticized the Soul Eater for making S1 too easy. Come to think of it, in Tactics, where you can recruit the hero and use the ROP without the self harming effects from a fairly early point in the game, people bitched that it was too overpowered
I'm just glad that Suikoden IV did make it so that the curse has an effect on both story and gameplay.

[Antimatzist]

I'm not saying that the effect per se is bad, just that the rune is underpowered for the damage it deals to you. It would maybe work better if it would maybe at Level 1 drain 10% of your HP and add that to the damage instead of dealing a set amount of damage to the enemy and yourself.

[Piisuke]

I thought RoP was quite bad. It gimped you. Only the last spell was useful, but by that time you'd have more powerful options available to you.

[darkknightkv]

Wow, it's been a while. Suikoden 5 is finished.

I did actually try on this one so I got all 108 stars which was fun.

The one on ones were more the same but it was pretty fun being able to fight with different chars other than the main char. I know in Suikoden 1 Pahn is able to do a 1v1 but he just died a lot when I did it. So it was nice to have fair one on one with people other than the main char. (Well Roy's fight was not exactly fair, but the cutscene was one of the best...Yes, I reset after I made the stupid decision).

The war battles were the biggest change, almost like they took suikoden 2's wars and updated them. They were pretty fun and I am a bit fan of the total war series of games so it was easy to pick up on. I was not a fan of the wars on the water though.

So for the actual game, it had some of the best twists in the game and some really nice cut scenes. I also like how they gave the personality back to a lot of the 108 stars, suikoden 3 and 4 kinda lacked that. The graphics were nice but it was also a newer game so yeah. But MAN did it take FOREVER to get going. I honestly think it took me a week to get though the beginning, I just kept stopping. Another "problem" I had was that this game just seems to have overly strong chars out the wa-zoo. Having Zerase so early on and Georg (Yes I know he leaves but he was still there for a while early in the game) made it even easier than most.

The rune....was....not bad. But it just sucks that I liked Zerase's rune more than the main char's.

So the gameplay was nice, I was happy to be back in a 6 man group unlike I was with suikoden 4. The different formations was interesting as well, but I mostly just stayed in one. Lyon was not half bad herself so I did not mind being stuck with her. As for my end boss party, I kinda just went with a generic party of just strong people. Zerase, the prince, lyon, Belcoot, Urda, and Bernadette for healing. This game was interesting to me because it was the first game that I actually wanted to use more people. In the previous 4 games I just picked 6 (or 4) and were happy, but with this one it was much more difficult. I really wanted to use raven (dont know why) and I wanted to use Levi or Jeane but I already had my massive magic user. Oh and cant forget Cathari (Sorry gun lady but I got Urda first). Poor Shoon, he just came in the game too late, he would have been pretty fun if you got him earlier.

I wanted to use George for the end boss but my roommate told me it was not a good idea, so yeah.

Did I forget anything? I dont know.

I think I am going to go back to tactics next.

[Piisuke]

Cathari is absolutely insane, deals massive amounts of damage. If I recall correct, she's the highest physical damage dealer.

Have you tried Lu? I like her as she has high technique and does a lot of multi hits.

Also, if you want OP, try Richard. Always multi hits, dodges every physical attack and mostly follows up with a counter. It does take the fun out of the game a little, but hey ho.

As for a magic user, I personally used Viki, due to her unique ability called Chain Magic where she can double cast the same spell without it costing anything extra.

I agree though, Suikoden V takes a long time to get off the blocks.

[darkknightkv]

So I am replaying a suikoden game already so I picked Suikoden 5. It's interesting playing a new game + with everything I have. Kinda a double edged sword because I used Crazed rune on Lyon and made her less then useless (Where does it say in the game that you will miss a lot). But now that I have access to my warehouse...Boost rune go.

So I am able to also pick my group early.

Prince - I am going to have him as my healer I think so I dont have to use many rune users

Viki - First time I played though I did not give it a second thought to using her. Plus I am curious about the chain magic

Raven - Why not...Seems to be a middle of the road person.

Killey - Asked my roommate, this is who he picked

So I am hoping I can have Lyon in my second party most of the time. I just need to find two more middle of the road stars to use. My last group was super stong. Maybe I will use one of the queens knights.

I am not like some of the other people on here with crazy challanges but I want to try some of the weaker people. I have been using Cornelio a lot in the early part of the game, with the high powered runes I have access too, he is really stong for me. But I dont see him being too much fun.

[Piisuke]

I few characters I can think of:

Try the dwarves. Don't let their small stature fool you, they hit pretty hard.

Aside from that, Belcoot, Hazuki, Goesch, Gavaya and Isabel. The latter two are quite strong actually. I just really like using Isabel.

[Jocky]

I just really like using Isabel.

I have to agree with you there Piisuke!! I found Isabel to be awesome, and her armour was pretty cool too! And having Mathias in your party made them a deadly duo! He was an average fighter with a half decent magic skill and she was an insane heavy hitter, but their combo attack if I remember rightly (which I used all the time!!) has 1 of the highest damage multipliers in the whole of SV!!
When I first completed the game I was using: Prince Freyjadour, Lyon, Isabel, Mathias, Cathari and Zerase. In my eyes this team was HUGELY powerful and I had no difficulties in finishing the game. And I got to use Isabel, Cathari & Zerase's Conceit attack on the final boss, which I found hilarious!!

This game was interesting to me because it was the first game that I actually wanted to use more people. In the previous 4 games I just picked 6 (or 4) and were happy, but with this one it was much more difficult.

And I totally agree with you darkknightkv. In the previous 4 games, you found a team that you thought worked well and stuck with them for most of the game, unless you were forced to include someone else for storyline's sake. Although I have then gone back and run through most of them with a different team than the previous times. But SV was the first of the Suikoden games where I actually enjoyed having someone booted out of my party to include a new member for storyline's sake because I was like, "Great, I wonder what this guy/girl can do!!"

But character/combos I definitely want to try out and suggest people to give a bash are; Norma & Ernst; Bernadette, Nelis, Yahr & Goesch; Hazuki & Richard; Sharmista & Nifsara and lastly but by no means least Sagiri & Shigure!

[darkknightkv]

You know something....Isabel might JUST be what I was looking for....A melee that is not EXTREMELY overpowered.

Maybe I should just go with her partner to fill out the rest of my ranks...

Oh and they are able to be gotten "Kinda" early....Maybe I will use her and her partner will replace Killey!

[Jocky]

If I could only suggest 1 or 2 out of the whole list I posted earlier on, the it would definitely be Isabel & Mathias. I promise you, you can not go wrong with those 2! And I bet you will get to like them, not only as a pair of great fighters, with their decent weapons & armour and their awesome unite attack, but as a fairly solid base in which you can swap in and out other members of the team without having to worry about being suddenly overpowered, because these 2 can hold their own against anything that is thrown at them!

[Piisuke]

You know something....Isabel might JUST be what I was looking for....A melee that is not EXTREMELY overpowered.

Maybe I should just go with her partner to fill out the rest of my ranks...

Oh and they are able to be gotten "Kinda" early....Maybe I will use her and her partner will replace Killey!

Rahal and Roog maybe? They're not great characters, but seeing as you do not want to use overpowered characters (of which there are many), they should provide a decent alternative.

I disagree with Jocky on using Richard though. Apart from Cathari and Zerase, he's simply too good. As a melee fighter, he's so far ahead of anybody, it's scary.
Sagiri and Shigure where part of my team for the majority of the early game, they're pretty solid characters. Kyle is a good choice as well.
The Island Nations trio is another alternative worth looking into.

[Jocky]

I disagree with Jocky on using Richard though. Apart from Cathari and Zerase, he's simply too good. As a melee fighter, he's so far ahead of anybody, it's scary.

In all honesty Piisuke, I have never actually used him! I just knew that he was a decent fighter with a fairly good unite with Hazuki. Is he really that powerful?! His demeanour in the game (always on about Mueller?!) made me think he was fairly average, because he never showed any extraordinary strength or magic skill, in fact he always seemed like he had his head in the clouds! What is it that makes him so unique then? Or is there a particular setup that he needs in order to make him seriously over-powered?

[Shasarazawoowoo]

I disagree with Jocky on using Richard though. Apart from Cathari and Zerase, he's simply too good. As a melee fighter, he's so far ahead of anybody, it's scary.

In all honesty Piisuke, I have never actually used him! I just knew that he was a decent fighter with a fairly good unite with Hazuki. Is he really that powerful?! His demeanour in the game (always on about Mueller?!) made me think he was fairly average, because he never showed any extraordinary strength or magic skill, in fact he always seemed like he had his head in the clouds! What is it that makes him so unique then? Or is there a particular setup that he needs in order to make him seriously over-powered?

Richard is NATURALLY overpowered. I don't remember his speed, but he's quite powerful, I think he multi/crits often, and he tends to parry and counter a LOT. Occasionally, he'll get hit by physical attacks, but probably not very often. Very agile, nimble, and able to whoop some serious ass. I personally love using him, because I just adore his character, but I know some people prefer to leave him out because he's practically to fighters what Zerase is to mages.

(I also think him having such a laid-back, cheerful, ditzy personality is supposed to be irony or something, because he's a beast in battle. He's certainly not the first character of that sort in Suikoden, or anything. I can't think of any immediate examples (closest would be Minako from the Sailor Moon anime, I think she's more serious in the manga? And maybe Usagi, and perhaps Dumbledore and Mrs. Weasley from Harry Potter to some extent), but there are a decent numbers of Richards in media.

[Jocky]

He never seemed to stand out in my eyes. I obviously overlooked him as you so correctly realised, because he is understated, quiet and, if not, a little ditzy!! But you are right, often its the quiet 1's you have to watch out for!! I am at this point in time, doing the Neclord story arc in SII, after starting the series a couple of weeks ago from the beginning. But I can say I'm definitely going to be giving him a try out when I get on to SV!! Thanx!!