I'm usually very thorough in mapping, but I tend to get very lax when I'm trying to avoid a fight with a nearby FOE. I then realized how stupid I am since FOEs don't move any faster than you, so I stopped doing that.

On a side note, I finally found my way to the 10th floor.

One thing I noticed about FOEs on the map: If you fill in spots that you haven't actually physically walked over using guesswork, the FOE will seem to "disappear" briefly.

Oh and for you guys starting out, a little tip: Carry Warp Wires, they help a lot for quick escapes.

Yeah, you have to walk over spots for them to actually be mapped, or else you'll have a blind spot against FOEs. They walk in set patterns, though, so unless your blind spots are xboxhuge, you should be okay.

Of course, none of this means anything against INVISIBLE FOES WHAT.

After reading through this thread, this game looks pretty interesting. I looked on Amazon and it seems as though the first one was only released a couple of months ago here. Given that the chances of the sequel hitting British shores any time, well, ever really are practically nil, do you guys reckon it'd be worth me buying the first game (For abour £25) or importing a US version of the sequel (For a bit more)?

Story is pretty much non-existent in this series, Shin. Really you should just import the updated (Madden 09) version and run with it.

Dungeon Crawling goodness.

Hey, don't totally discount the storyline-- that link Lace put up a little earlier in the thread leads to an amusingly dramatic retelling of the first game's story. When it's pieced together fully, it's not half-bad.

Anyway, as I've told everyone I've talked to, skip the first and head straight into the second. If you want the Town Crown, just get the code from Atlus' site or from somebody posting theirs on GameFAQs or something. I originally skipped out on the first game, and it's absolutely worth it. Heroes of Lagaard is definitive.

I see it like this: Etrian Odyssey / II's story is like the plot in a porno: Its expected to be there, but its not that important.

Status of my party is that everyone has just arrived at level 10, woo~

I DO miss some of the music from the first one. Particularly the First Stratum and Opening Movie / Title Screen music, but
overall its improved here.

The story may not be the best thing you ever saw, but the writing in this game is first class.

Anyway, does anyone else hate the 12th floor? UGH! I didn't know what to use for the ice tiles, so I used the icon with the darkish circle. The enemies are pretty cool in that stratum. The FOE there is pretty neat and there's Sleipnir and those funny snowmen.

By the way, has anyone heard of this 111 page artbook for the 2 games? I wanna get it someday.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b8.../pa1305881.jpg

The fuck would some useless furry piece of shit like you know about writing? The writing is first class. Please. Next you can tell me how GTA 4 should have won an oscar for writing.

First class writing in Etrian Odyssey. Get real. Maybe if you compare it to digimon, which you probably are.

I guess I shouldn't have used that word 'first class' then, judging from your response. I meant to say that I love the little dialogue that pops up when you explore the labyrinth, like when you encounter an event. It does have a professional feel to it, the way they're worded. I don't mean to say it's on the level of Shakespeare or anything :P

Ah, all right. Well yeah, where there is script it doesn't suck. No argument there. There just really isn't very much of it.

Yeah, sorry for my choice of wording. I should be clearer in the future.

I wish there were more script as well. It has potential to be something more. I hope an EO III comes out.

Even just like FF I sort of story. You know, obviously can't be character oriented... but something more than "So, you've come to explore this dungeon..."

Ah I just encountered a new glitch today. I wonder if any of you seen it too? I was on the 12th floor mapping the place out, and I realized as I reached for a tile that um, everything but the tile on the bottom left was gone. They were replaced with tiles that had a diagonal going through them. I suspend saved and reloaded the game only to get the same glitch. I was panicking at that moment so I used a Warp Wire to get back to town to see if it'd go away, but no! The glitch was still there!! I then went back to the labyrinth (1st floor) and the glitch was gone. HOORAY! I hope it never happens again : /

At first I thought maybe one of my party was hit with a status condition that prevented you from mapping, but they were all in good condition, and when I got home I checked the manual and there isn't any -no mapping- condition.

Update: Ahh never mind. It turned out I used too many icons on that floor. So it wasn't a glitch after all :3

Where is the stairs on the 13th floor? It's driving me nuts! I got pretty much the entire floor mapped out and I still don't see the stairs!

Haven't read the thread but yay, great game. Started with EO2 because a friend of mine would only let me borrow 2 and not 1 :) Booted up 1 yesterday on my R4, but I think I'll finish 2 first, 1 after that, although it will be kind of unusual to get used to the "dis"improvements, like not being able to equip on the fly while buying stuff etc.

My party currently consists of:
Landsknecht level 21 - 3 HP up, 3 TP hup, 3 STR up, 3 VIT up, 5 Swords, 3 Cleaver, 2 Tornado, 1 Allslash
Dark Hunter level 19 - 3 HP up, 3 STR up, 3 VIT up, 3 Whips, 3 Viper, 3 Shackles, 3 Cuff
Ronin level 21 - 2 HP up, 2 TP up, 3 STR up, 2 VIT up, 6 Overhead, 2 Sayageki, 2 Zamba, 2 Orochi, 2 Dead Law
Medic level 22 - 2 TP up, 6 Healer, 1 Patch up, 3 Cure, 2 Cure 2, 2 Cure 3, 3 Salve, 2 Revive, 3 Refresh
Gunner level 20 - 2 HP up, 5 TP up, 3 STR up, 2 VIT up, 5 Guns, 1 Fireshot, 1 Iceshot, 1 Voltshot, 1 Haltshot, 1 Take

Just arrived at Stratum 2 :)