game Maradice Isle - Tips for survival

[bulldozerman185 41]

Hey there! It's Bulldozerman again!

Now, I'll be the first to admit it: I'm no real expert on RPG's or anything, although I have beaten a ton of them, from Final Fantasy to Golden Sun, and even Lunar. But I did want to come around here and give you guys a few helpful tips for how to stay alive in Maradice Isle: Dawn of Shadows, for you newbies.

This is for those of you who haven't played a lot of RPG's. If your interested in RPG's and are looking for a good MLP-themed game that'll keep you busy for a while, or if you just want to cruise through the game and see the story, but not suffer through it, then this is where you need to be.

 

THIS AIN'T YOUR GRANDDADDY'S FINAL FANTASY!

 

Now, this isn't your standard RPG like the original Final Fantasy on NES. This is a series of mysteries you have to unlock. From the true reason why Strange Tidings went evil, to learning how Melody's parents met their untimely fate, and eventually, discover a way to save Strange Tidings from the evil that's holding him, something you have to do to secure the best ending.

All of this takes time. You gotta explore the towns, you gotta talk to everypony around you, you've gotta read journals and the like, use magic to solve puzzles, and pick up clues along the way that'll help you get to the next part, and ultimately ( hopefully ) save the island from eternal evil.

 

BE COMMITTED!

 

You gotta be committed to play this game. This isn't some game of Pac-Man where your done in half an hour. This is saving Maradice Isle, and possibly the world, from eternal evil. And the Mane Six can only do so much to help you out ( if your interacting with them at all ).

It takes time. There's levels to be grinded for, there's puzzles to solve, shrines to conquer, and monsters to destroy. So be ready for it.

 

LEARN TO INSULT!

 

From the very earliest of the games development, it was evident that one of the biggest skills you would learn is the ability to hurl insults at the screen. This game lends itself to the player screaming profanities and the like at the top of their lungs.

I know, I know, cursing out the enemy isn't good sportsmanship, but believe me, when your walking through, say, a forest, and you get jumped by some monster from out of nowhere, and you know you can't run away from it, and your low on health, your going to want to let fly with a "Son of a Bugbear!!"

Also, there's something really satisfying about killing the boss monster that's been keeping you from the next section of the game after about a couple hours, and ripping out a good ol' fashioned "TAKE THAT, YOU SCRUB!!" You feel really good about it.

Some royal guard is keeping you from progressing, there's nothing wrong with letting loose with a "Hah! Royal guard? More like a royal pain in my flank!" That's alright!

 

DON'T DROP YOUR GUARD!

 

There is NEVER any downtime in this game, even in the towns. One of the very earliest bosses is going to take place in the dead center of Ponyville, so you can't afford to lower your guard and risk getting destroyed by something your not prepared for.

Also, if you happen to come across any baddies that are lying around randomly as you explore the world map, don't take any chances. Walk up to them, and use one of your spells to take them out while they're snoozing. Those monsters are going to get up eventually, and you might be in trouble when they do.

 

STAY HEALTHY!

 

One important thing you need to learn is what spells your party has, and how you can effectively use them to dispatch the opposition. Like, for example, you don't want to use a spell that hits all the enemies for fighting a single powerful boss, but those kinds of spells are VERY effective for clearing out crowds of foes ( something that your sure to run into A LOT as you near the Changling Hive ).

You gotta stay healthy, warrior! You don't want to be going into a battle, and start clicking on commands, and then realize "Oh, whoops! Now I gotta heal!" That's not good! If there's a brief pause in the action between battles, take the time to use healing items and spells to replenish your dwindling HP and MP reserves.

Because believe me, NOTHING is worse then getting caught off-guard by something you didn't see coming. If you get into a fight like in the image here:

Look at that. Your going to be trying to heal yourself on the fly in the middle of a battle, and that's a bad, BAD thing.

If you got plenty of healing items in reserve, you can use those to quickly heal up your team, and be ready to fight off whatever comes your way next. Unless you got a Nature Pony. They're pretty much able to keep the party healthy on their own.

 

SAVE OFTEN!

 

Your going to be wanting to save the game constantly, or you'll have to go back to the beginning.

Good times to save? You just got to a new town and got full health. Don't be saving when your party's only got, like, %10 health left and no healing items left. That does you no good unless your in a town, because your going to end up dying over and over, and then your stuck.

You just got some new key item? You just reached a new town or settlement? You just met one of the games main characters? All of these little milestones, your going to want to constantly save. You make it out of a dungeon, save.

It'll also give you a chance to rest your fingers, because BELIEVE ME, you will get a cramp!

 

BE CREATIVE!

 

Many items are hidden throughout the game environment. Your going to want to search every nook and cranny to see what items you can discover, because not all of the loot in a dungeon is going to be in super-obvious treasure chests, like most other RPG's.

Also, if you just got whooped by some boss in the later parts of the game, you may want to consider changing up your strategy. With seven character classes to pick from at the start of the game for your four party members, you should be able to form a solid, consistent strategy for dealing with enemies. Like one example, a party with a Frost Pony, Ember Pony, Thunder Pony, and Nature Pony. Use the Frost Pony to buff your teammates defenses, use your Ember Pony and Thunder Pony to quickly take down the bosses health, and the Nature Pony can keep the party healthy turn after turn. If somepony runs low on MP, have your Frost Pony use an MP restoring item on them while the fighters continue to hit the boss.

 

JOURNAL = GOLD!

 

The journals are very important. These are something your going to want to watch out for constantly as you go through the game.

A lot of times they're found in dungeons, and sometimes they're found close to boss chambers. The journals can give you tips and insight for how to tackle some of the games tougher enemies. Some of them even feature special dialog that can help you piece together some of the games more puzzling questions about the characters backstories.

While your main goal is to, of course, stop Strange Tidings, remember that your also playing detective and trying to solve all these baffling puzzles that constantly loom over your entire quest, so your going to want to collect all the clues that you can.

 

DON'T FOOL AROUND!

 

If your engaged in a battle, don't just stand there and spam the "Fight" command over and over like an idiot! Your a deer in the headlights; They're just going to take you out.

You can defend if your low on health. You can use "Super" attacks when your SP meter is full enough. You can use items. You can use the summons you find later on in your adventure.

You have multiple options at your disposal for how to defeat the enemy and continue on with your adventure. Don't think that your Ember Pony is useless at magic just because his "ATTACK" stat is higher then his "POWER" stat. Many of the Ember Ponies spells revolve around using both magic and their own physical prowess to damage their foes.

Also, I can't stress this enough: Pay attention to the descriptions of each of the seven classes at the start of the game! One of the keys to success in Dawn of Shadows is going to be recognizing each classes advantages, disadvantages, and how well they work with the other classes. Remember, you only have room for 4 characters in this game, so barring any duplicates of the same class, you can only take 4 of these 7 classes with  you per playthrough, so you need to learn and understand what each class can do and form a solid, unique party that can overcome the games later challenges. The Frost, Ember, Thunder, and Nature Ponies are a good choice for beginners, as it's the most flexible and offers up the most options for offense, defense, and support.

 

HAVE FUN!

 

So, there's your little intro into what to expect from Maradice Isle: Dawn of Shadows.

But listen: The only way to really learn how to play the game is to go and play it, assuming it's out yet ( which, as of the time I'm writing this, it's nowhere NEAR ready to come out yet ). And if it isn't, well, go play some other RPG's to help you get into the swing of how they're played and handled, and help you prepare for this game.

Just remember to keep your eyes and ears open, and use your head, because your going to need strategy as well as skill if your going to make it back to Maradice Isle alive!

So for now, goodbye, good luck, and try not to get yourself killed, will you?

[Shadow Beam 1,179]

I assume this RPG is of your creation? Remember that this section is only directed towards the showcasing of the apps/games produced by the users themselves. 

[bulldozerman185 41]

Yep, it is. There's no need to worry. When you boot up the game, you'll see several logos on the opening screen telling you that MLP and all related content is owned and copyright by Hasbro Inc, and that the game was developed by Bulldozer Studios. Very hard to miss.

If anyone else posts on these forums claiming to own the game, they are liars.

[Shadow Beam 1,179]

Very well then, best of luck with your work!