Hope totori isn't like rorona

[SakiChan]

To be honest, other than story telling, I don't think this series has evolved since Atelier Iris 1. It is still my favorite for gameplay. Two and three dumbed down the alchemy. One of my biggest gripes with rpg's nowadays is that too many companies try to change up a winning formula too much. Tale of games should be plenty proof enough that if you make a single, good gameplay game, it can stand on its own merits, yet everybody changes everything that is fun in most of their games to try new, usually boring or just bad, idea's.

I can agree that this serie's if moving away from me in terms of gameplay, and I am sad about that. I hope Totori minimized the time component, if not do away with it entirely, because I think it will hurt the company more than help them if they stick to that on consoles.

Comparing Rorona/Totori to the Iris + Mana-Khemia 'series' isn't that much of a good 'idea'. Why? 'cause Rorona/Totori go more on the way of the traditional Atelier Series games.(aka. those way before Iris/MK)

[vampko]

To be honest, other than story telling, I don't think this series has evolved since Atelier Iris 1. It is still my favorite for gameplay. Two and three dumbed down the alchemy. One of my biggest gripes with rpg's nowadays is that too many companies try to change up a winning formula too much. Tale of games should be plenty proof enough that if you make a single, good gameplay game, it can stand on its own merits, yet everybody changes everything that is fun in most of their games to try new, usually boring or just bad, idea's.

I can agree that this serie's if moving away from me in terms of gameplay, and I am sad about that. I hope Totori minimized the time component, if not do away with it entirely, because I think it will hurt the company more than help them if they stick to that on consoles.

Comparing Rorona/Totori to the Iris + Mana-Khemia 'series' isn't that much of a good 'idea'. Why? 'cause Rorona/Totori go more on the way of the traditional Atelier Series games.(aka. those way before Iris/MK)

Well, Atelier Iris 1 is pretty close to the original Atelier formula. It was mainly because you had a male main, and there was a strongish emphasis on combat that it deviated a bunch. Still, it had a great alchemy system, lots of emphasis on gathering, and dating sim elements, along with involving story with the shopkeepers. But, the main plot was nothing like an Atelier game.

@Tiredman
I hope they keep with the time component, it makes things interesting ~

Also, if they made it so you could keep everything on newgame+ would that make it better for you? I'm not saying any of the Arland series does, but that would certainly make a second playthrough more like what you want. Where time isn't such a constraint, because you already have recipes/ingredients/levels to deal with stuff as you see fit.

I really think Iris and MK, were games they put out to try and grow their fanbase, while slowly getting them more used to the ways of an Atelier game. Like how the third Iris game was also heavily steeped in time management, and both the Mana Khemias also heavily used this concept, along with bringing in the dating sim elements, and a very involved alchemy system.

[Tiredman]

Ok, let me rephrase, I hope they do away with the time component on the alchemy part of it, or at least not make stuff take 1 to 3 days to make. I want the exploring to be what takes time, not every single action. Oh, and dungeons that take 7 days to get to are no fun.

[SakiChan]

Ok, let me rephrase, I hope they do away with the time component on the alchemy part of it, or at least not make stuff take 1 to 3 days to make. I want the exploring to be what takes time, not every single action. Oh, and dungeons that take 7 days to get to are no fun.

I see then somebody didn't play Atelier Annie at all ,eh?

[vampko]

Ok, let me rephrase, I hope they do away with the time component on the alchemy part of it, or at least not make stuff take 1 to 3 days to make. I want the exploring to be what takes time, not every single action. Oh, and dungeons that take 7 days to get to are no fun.

I see then somebody didn't play Atelier Annie at all ,eh?

That was already fairly well established by them. They got into it for The Iris and MK series it seems.

[LAMV]

One of my biggest gripes with rpg's nowadays is that too many companies try to change up a winning formula too much.

Blame the anti-jrpg crowd.

[vampko]

One of my biggest gripes with rpg's nowadays is that too many companies try to change up a winning formula too much.

Blame the anti-jrpg crowd.

Cept, in the case of Totori, they didn't change up a 'winning formula' , but are going with something that's been very successful. Rorona was VERY successful in Japan. And Totori was also. What Tiredman wants, is what Ar Tonelico gives. Atelier games are not there for the combat, or the gripping story of saving the world, they're there for a story about living life, and social interactions. Oh, and resource management.

[Orliatzu]

At first, the time-based gameplay of Rorona annoyed me. However after I had completed roughly 70% of my first play through I was already mentally calculating what I was going to do, in order, for my second run through. Its that feeling of having to plan carefully to waste the least amount of time as possible that ultimately drew me into to game more and more.

Can't wait for Totori!

[Justin iZ Here]

the only thing about rorona i didn't like was the time constraints...i mean i loved the game but everything you can do costing 2+ days is just..boring as you have no time to really do anything else but whats needed in the story unless you spend a whole month preparing for the next assignment so you can have a free month to spend doing whatever...to much trouble imo, time constraints on RPG's of any kind are bad imo as i like to take my time with just about everything i do, im not a rushed gamer at all.

[vampko]

the only thing about rorona i didn't like was the time constraints...i mean i loved the game but everything you can do costing 2+ days is just..boring as you have no time to really do anything else but whats needed in the story unless you spend a whole month preparing for the next assignment so you can have a free month to spend doing whatever...to much trouble imo, time constraints on RPG's of any kind are bad imo as i like to take my time with just about everything i do, im not a rushed gamer at all.

I didn't feel rushed at all. And I had plenty of time to do anything pretty much. I just had to manage which relationships I worked on. that's all. I got Cordelia's ending, and was able to explore everything. I even had nearly a month left to screw around and level. Pretty much every assignment, I could screw around for at least half the time that was given for the assignment.

Part of why it worked out, is I never neglected a fight or gather. Well, at the very end, I did skip some fights, because they were pretty much a waste of time, but up till then, I fought every single battle. I also completely neglected anyone but Cordelia and Lionella. Well I put a fair amount of time towards various people, but never really that much.

[bloodyaftertaste]

I do wish that Rorona wasn't such a fast paced game. And what I mean by that is that because things did take a lot of time the deadline did come up fast and while for most months I had enough time to make the deadline on the first try, the game felt rushed. I didn't get to explore all I wanted to. But I guess that is part of the challenge and also part of what makes you want to play again. Though I wish more could have been done on the first play through.

With that being said I did love the game and am looking forward to totori.

[Zyco]

I love the time element. As stated in this thread it adds replay, and uniqueness to the game and for once you dont have a endless treadmill to go thru to play a game. I love how I have a time limit to do things and based on what i do in that peroid gives you your ending.. I loved chose your own adventure books as a kid.

I am sure it could use some reworking.. honestly it reminded me (the UI) of Valkryia Chronicles. So it could probably be reworked some for originality and I think the UI overall could use some downsizing, it seems so big and zoomed in.

[Tiredman]

My issue is the time constraint on alchemy. Nothing else. I can live with all the other time constraints if it wasn't for that one thing. And no, I have never played atelier annie. I started the alchemy line of games on the ps2, at least i think they were all on ps2, and I don't play hand held's, so no hand held games for me.

[ChaosForce]

As this is my first post here, I don't want to sound to harsh of a critic about a style that apparently MANY people like. However...

Iris2 and MK1-2 were by far my favorite games from GUST.Sadly though,the way things are looking... the chances of GUST making 'epic' titles are getting smaller and smaller. The Arland series is very disappointing due to three things.

First: The objectives are boring. I know that the usual JRPG formula might be stale,but 90% of your objectives now are...'make × number of × and give it to someone'. Ummm... why can't there be SOME adventure?

Second: Why in blazes is there NO FINAL BOSS AT ALL? I thought maybe the first game didn't have one because they were treating it as a prologue for Totori (Which to be honest,was why I thought they made it so...bland as well). Unfortunately,ALL the Arland games are Final Bossless!

And Finally: MK had THE BEST sound track in GUST history(yes better then AR Tonelico...minus hymns of course)! Now its...dull.

Ok, gang up and destroy me! lol.

[vampko]

As this is my first post here, I don't want to sound to harsh of a critic about a style that apparently MANY people like. However...

Iris2 and MK1-2 were by far my favorite games from GUST.Sadly though,the way things are looking... the chances of GUST making 'epic' titles are getting smaller and smaller. The Arland series is very disappointing due to three things.

First: The objectives are boring. I know that the usual JRPG formula might be stale,but 90% of your objectives now are...'make × number of × and give it to someone'. Ummm... why can't there be SOME adventure?

Second: Why in blazes is there NO FINAL BOSS AT ALL? I thought maybe the first game didn't have one because they were treating it as a prologue for Totori (Which to be honest,was why I thought they made it so...bland as well). Unfortunately,ALL the Arland games are Final Bossless!

And Finally: MK had THE BEST sound track in GUST history(yes better then AR Tonelico...minus hymns of course)! Now its...dull.

Ok, gang up and destroy me! lol.

'epic' describes Totori I think. I loved Rorona, but it definitely wasn't going for that.

Also, Totori focuses more on the adventuring, so I'm not sure why you're saying this. With Meruru even more so.

Final Bosses aren't all that important, but Totori looks to have story based bosses. And Meruru probably moreso.

I disagree. Rorona had a better soundtrack by far than MK in my opinion. And Totori better than Rorona. With Meruru already having a soundtrack which is just blowing my mind

have you even played totori, or watched the videos?

I've only watched the videos and I know this much.