OH SNAP!

[Mitera Nikkou]

You're made of tribble sausage!

But he also had a barrel fetish! That's pretty embarrassing.

And lookit his face! It has pathetically embarrassing written all over it!

[Raleigh]

*Shrugs.* Meh, I liked him. Better than Ernest or Opera anyway.

[Mitera Nikkou]

If Opera was the blonde with three eyes, that's one of the characters that I preferred to use. Actually, if I remember correctly, she was one of the reasons why I as able to dominate the battlefield. I think it had something to do with a good combination of offensive and healing capabilities... I can't remember for sure, since it's been so long.

[Jello Shot Mischa]

You're made of tribble sausage!

Awww, I was hoping it'd be something more rubbery.

[Mitera Nikkou]

But that is rubbery! That's the trouble with tribbles, you know!

[Raleigh]

Hm.. you must have better luck with her than me. I only used her in one play through and never found her all that helpful. Actually got better use out of Ernest than Opera myself. I think it stems from the fact that I only ever really need one healer and anyone else pulling that duty is one less person tearing my opponent apart.

[Mitera Nikkou]

I like having auxiliary healers, because the main healer is usually weak and, in certain games, indisposed when they're being attacked. That's why I like Natalia, from Tales of the Abyss. She's got a long-range attack, does decent damage, and has healing magic just in case.

[Raleigh]

Ah, reminds me of my brother's play style then. I usually have a single healer, one nuke 'em till they glow level black mage type, and then two fighters. Failing that I use blue mage or red mage types to fill out the entire party in an rpg.

I personally prefer characters that can do more or less every class's set of abilities at once but I rarely get that in any game. The whole wear heavy armor, hit hard, cast powerful black magic, and at least be able to revive dead allies if possible.

[Mitera Nikkou]

I just like flexible characters, so when something unfortunate happens someone else will be able to pick up the pieces instead of going, "what do I do, now," because no one can fill in for the character that died. When that happens to the healer, and you've no back-up healer (and especially if healing items aren't aplenty or restricted), it's usually when the enemy is strong enough to knock your team about and you're going to die unless you have a healer. Taking damage is good and all, but no damage-dealer is reliable unless they stick around, and for that I prefer having a strong backbone (which healers are).

I'm the kind of person who likes the valkyrie class in Fire Emblem (of which I include Mist and Elincia from 9 and 10), because they can attack, heal, and have good speed and movement.

[Raleigh]

Flexible is good I suppose. I just carry around a lot of resurrection items so it never becomes too great an issue. That and I'm almost always a good 5 or so levels above what I should be at any point in the story.

[Mitera Nikkou]

That sort of leveling is only excusable in Nippon Ichi games!

I try not to rely on healing items too much, since they can cheapen the experience. Especially in a lot of games like Final Fantasy, where you can usually acquire up to ninety-nine of something, including stuff that heals and revives everyone, makes everyone invulnerable, and other such things.

[Raleigh]

Heh, there is no such thing as cheating so long as its in the game's system itself is my policy. I find it easy enough in most any rpg to just build up enough money to buy healing items if I need them. I almost never have to actually use them past the first three hours of the game though. Being five levels above what is expected I find is far too easy to do in most any rpg really. I recall being like some 20 levels over the projected in things like Final Fantasy Tactics due to me working on mastering the classes in the first chapter.

[Mitera Nikkou]

Doing it in Final Fantasy Tactics is for a good cause. ;p

Man, I want more Tales games to get here. Or another Star Ocean. I'm beginning to prefer these real-time battle systems.

[Raleigh]

Well I don't know about any new Star Oceans being in the works but there is Tales of Xillia, Tales of Graces F, and a Tales of the Abyss 3D on their way here. I also understand that while they aren't real time battle system games there are quite a few Gust games either just recently released or coming out soon. The third Ar Tonelico for instance or as I was playing earlier that game they released with NIS Hyperdimensional Neptunia.

[Mitera Nikkou]

I haven't really been keeping track of those things, but I'm definitely waiting for Graces F, and I'm hoping for the PS3 installment of Vesperia in English. One of the characters from Hyperdimensional Neptunia reminds me of a character from Luminous Arc. It looks like an interesting game, so maybe I'll add that to my wish list.