I'm about halfway through Metal Max Returns, so far I'm enjoying it. The vehicle/on foot modes are kind of neat even if the game hasn't really combined the two all that well so far.Does the rest of the series improve on that any? I'd like the concept and the setting, but I don't think I'd want to play another barebones RPG in the same vein.
Metal Saga remains pretty basic and can get annoying to play with its inventory management.3 gives more control over party customization and adds new classes and motorcycles.2R gives total control over party customization and adds subclassing.
>>3953595Hope this helps.
>>39536253 and 2R sounds more like what I'm looking for.>>3953672I'm surprised how detailed the weapons are for the game, every single one has its own sprite it seems.
>>3953820That’s the charm. It’s also probably the most difficult SNES game to 100%
>>3953888>It’s also probably the most difficult SNES game to 100%Nani?
>>39538203 is kind of shitty but 2R is the best in the series.
I like XR.Got it on sale, didn't regret a single hour
>>3953929Very very low drop rate items.
>>3954088And one is timed to a event
>>3953595Play Metal Saga PS2 after this. And yes, the mechanica keep improving.
>>3954114Art
>>3953888Fair but your easy level tricks here include:>buying hollow charge shells>farming red peony vulcans thru at-grizzlies near canabelle and ghost base>using the east-west subway to skip large map sections>>3954108The lipstick? Sheesh.
>>3954042The only good thing the Xeno games did was finally giving us a playable and customizable Rommel Ghost, and I guess the general tank design was not terrible, I did like the Mario/Bisonte lines as well, outside of that they're HnK tier kusoge.
>>3954391Disagree, I loved a lot about the game. It looks like you're posting the Vita version of Xeno, but I'm specifically talking about Xeno Reborn on Steam which is different.>RTWP combat is fast paced and fun, and lets me one-shot weak enemies before an encounter and get the drop on bosses if I approach right. Positioning can also change a lot if you take advantage of terrain.>Exploration of the overworld is nice and rewarding, lots of nooks and crannies and treasures to find>Customization on the tanks can let you do some wacky shit once you figure out the stat scaling and get through a couple of NG+ runs>Music is absolutely bangingMy only real gripe is that there just wasn't more of it to play. What's there is great, it's just too short.
>>3954396Reborn is an asset flip that got rid of the godawful story of the original but didn't fix the godawful everything else, it just swapped the classic turn based system for RTwP and added Pochi, it did not fix the shitty cast, it did not fix the terrible setting, it was just a slightly differently flavour of bad that kept going offbrand for some reason.Hell Reborn as a whole was largely made to apologize for the absolute shitshow that was OG Xeno and to salvage some money, I think they managed to get more good will with Metal Dogs than with either Xeno entries but so far the series is all but dead after that massive mistake.>>Music is absolutely bangingIt's okay but it's 90% remixes of tracks from old MM games, the standard battle theme remix from MM3 is not even a new remix but a cut from a medley from an old MM arrange album, Reborn added some new tracks but outside of the SoNS theme they're all still incredibly mid and lazy beyond belief, only good thing I can say about it is that Unforedoomed is pretty good as a vocal theme? Not as catchy as Crying Sun but I liked it, for everything else Kadokura largely phoned it in as he was probably being paid in instant ramen.
>>3954401Oh yeah and I did like the bosses' visual design, Yamamoto's still a god when it comes to mechanical stuff and outside of the nostalgic cameos from the older games like Hind Dog or Yojimborg they had some real nice new stuff going like Dora or MechDonald which were pretty fucking cool, credits where it's due and all that.
>>3954368It’s still hard though
>>3954406>>3954396It's one of those games I wish had an infinite NG+
>>3954022
>>3954546Easiest metal max game?
>>39557201. Smoke shells completely destroy the game.
>>3953595>Does the rest of the series improve on that any?Metal Max is a series that doesn't get any improvements, since it already achieved perfection in its first outing. Any deviations are for the worse.
>>3955787Xenogears A shit
>>3954042>Xeno RebornI've heard nothing but people shitting on that game.
>>3955734>1. Smoke shells completely destr-ENTER
>>3955806Same, but I got it on sale and fell on love with it. Maybe it just hits all the right notes for me. I have put a hundred hours easy into optimizing the characters and tanks, and trying different weapon combos and loadouts. The structure makes it easy to just jump in and play without needing to keep track of subplots and side quests and such.I understand it lacks a lot of what people like about the series, but being the only MM game i have played so far I dont have those preconceptions.
>>39557872 (SFC) is the best though
>>3955846Do they have the english translation ready? The only Metal Max 2 that has a fan translation is 2R. Man, they're hard to finish maybe because of the mods or weapon paths that make for a mental softlock, sheesh.
>>3956240No, and I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you. It's never going to happen unless someone else translates the game.
>>3956440
>>3956761>>3956240>>3954835Which one is which game?
>>3956767The first is 3, second is original 2, third is 2R
>>3956771Actually, I’m not sure the middle, but here is more from Saga
>>3956772man I don't remember half of these trucks, I'm not sure I ever saw the bus or fire truck
>>3956787This is nes mod, iirc
>>3956772I have to give MS another shot
>>3956800It's pretty tedious.
>>3956902Indeed, but…TANKS!
mm4 news?at this rate we will get decades long NEVER EVER project XS 1+2 before "95% complete" mm4
>>3956932Wasn't the discord in charge of that chinese-derived fangame and the translators for MM4 currently defunct? Tried to check out their discord only to see that the stopped production and disbanded.>>3956794Metal Max mod to the metal max 2 game?
>>3956932I used Retroarch's AI translation (ztranslate) to play that years ago and it worked surprisingly well with that game, one of the games where I got the best results with it.. protip multi hit weapons like in 3 and 2R aren't the most powerful thing in this game
>>3957109Yes
>>3957202They had three store weapon types in both games. I wonder which types are the best to 100% both games.
>>3957453>AnimeMetalMax (20)What's with the filenames? Anyways that's an intense looking triple-barrelled maus
>>3958473I have 2.7k images I’ve collected of shit over the years on here. Sorry, big on organization
>>3958473>Anyways that's an intense looking triple-barrelled mausIt's the Ochibi-chan from the Xeno games.You'd think a tank with 14 cannon slots would mean Cannon Rush would absolutely fuck but sadly most of those cannons are too small to do much of anything on most enemies and it's much better to pick some other model with free slots and slap as many heavy cannons, possibly Dora's, and you'll have a much more effective Cannon Rush platform.Really cool design though.
>>3958489Dump em, my MM folder is sad>>3957202I didn't know you could do that, might need to set it up so I can finally play this one
>>3958703Ok, also why is 4s story so…out there? I know it kinda ties in to NOAH but, yeah.
>>3958737No idea what the story is, I'll judge when I finally play it
>>3958738Fair enough
>>3958793Fun game
>>3958799Post apocalypse done fun!
never...ever...
>>3956922This shot has got me thinking Chrome Hounds more than anything
If anyone is interested, the new Mad Max game actually focuses on a customizable car and vehicle that kind of feels closer to Metal Max in spirit than I expected
>>3959037*vehicle combat
>>3959012They turned back project site againJust hodl...
What is the arch narrative of MM. something NOAH, nukes world, EVERYTHING is trying to kill humanity?
>>3959184It's simple really>At some point in time Bias Vlad and a bunch of other people create NOAH>NOAH goes rogue (allegedly) trying to figure out a way to save the planet's environment, all answers lead to humans bad>NOAH nukes the entire fucking planet and unleashes a bunch of bots and altered organism on the planet to hunt down the remnants of humanity because humans bad>(You) are hereEverything branches off this, MM1 was about one lone kid accidentally finding and destroying NOAH (also Red Wolf something something), MM2 was about Bias Vlad's fuckery finally catching up to him, MM3 is some random adventure about mutant furry mafia and so on.There's some specific entries like Metal Saga and Hagane no Kizetsu which are specifically tied to the NOAH continuity from MM1, Xeno is an AU universe which is still based around NOAH, but outside of that and by extension Bias Vlad there's no unifying narrative.
>>3954835 MM2R>>3956761 MM3>>3958737 MM4You got the side views for all those vehicles?
>>3959199Sorry, no
>>3959192MM3 takes place in Not America and deals with one of the scientist contemporaries of Vlad. A nutter called Grattanos who is trying to kill the family of his old crush who live in a Not Vault
>>3959297Was the hypercuck actually one of Vlad's buddies?It's been years since I last played 3 so I don't remember some of the finer details about Gluttonous/Gratonos' backstory, probably because like most people I was half lobotomized by Cola being such a fucking Karen.
>>3959037I like that game too but you're genuinely fucking insane to compare it to Metal Max.
>>3959304Karen? No, Cola was worse than a Karen. Bitch qualified as the real antagonist of the game!
>>3959173link?
>>3959626>customizable vehicle combat in a post apocalyptic wasteland fighting marauders, mutants and other tricked out death machines>The franchise that obviously inspired Metal Max in the first placeOh yes, zero connection at all there
>>3959691Now you're just being an obnoxious retard.No one wants to talk about a generic open world game with Bamham combat here.
>>3959745NOOOOOOOOOOO
>>3959903Ok, better?
>>3956787Bus is from the desert, the fire truck is from an auction after killing the Krak Cannon from Dowan btw.>>3959691As much as I like vehicular combat in the post-apocalypse, the turn-based aspect of metal max just hits different, you know? It's like having a power armor and a cool transport rolled into one, and it's like when turnbased rpgs implement a mount suitable for combat. Good stuff.>>3957202>AI translated MM4Is it any good? Also had used the metalmaniax for a translated guide, hope it doesn't softlock me haha
>>3960210Tank motorcycle?
>>3961648By the time this thing showed up my final party was pretty much set.Think that happened in every game except 1R and Metal Saga.
>>3961829Same, I think I used just the Wildbus and Fulsand and probably stopped when I got no more clues for the end of the MM2R game. Also remembeed there were quite some moneymakers aside from the bang bang tanks minigame, and I think it's from those tortoises roaming on that one plateau or alcove near the diving hut iirc
>>3961648God, I love Yamamoto's mechanical designs.He's underrated as fuck
>>3962034
Metal Max 4 more like Metal Max Poor
>>3961648The fact that you can pile the entire party into one super optimized car in MM2R makes the single seaters pretty worthless
>>3962689Concept is neat though. Not sure if feasible though.
>>3962689Except when it doesn't like you having to deal with Bullfrog and his ability to instantly wreck your vehicle.
>>3962810>bullfrog surviving like 40 wrecking ball hits a turn
About to start 2 Reloaded, any tips?It's my first MM besides XR
>>3962847You can shortcut bind items, make sure to bind the metal detector style items and use them regularly, there's a shitload of hidden stuff.Quests are actually high priority here and you can get good rewards from them.Fleeing is really really strong.
>>3962853>Fleeing is really really strong.Thanks, I would not have considered that. My usual MO for RPGs is to fight every encounter no matter what
>>3962862A true grinder, rare anymore, kudos anon.
>>3962689Eh, the games are not really hard enough to push you in one direction or another, one seaters are perfectly fine.>>3962847You should play Returns first so the story twists hit harder.
>>3962922>You should play Returns first so the story twists hit harder.Huh?
>>3962927Metal Max 2 expands on a major plot point from Metal Max 1 and the Metal Max universe at large, so if you don't play the first one you kind of miss on that and the overall build up and reveal don't really hit as hard as they should.Granted we did sort of spoil it earlier in the thread but still.
>>3962929I honestly don't remember anything about Vlad or his company from the first game, but granted it's been over a decade since I played it to completion. Maybe mentioned on a random terminal or logo somewhere but nothing major.I think the overview at the start of 2R is good enough.
>>3962940There's a minor, indirect hint in the weather station log about the scientist that notes how NOAH is going rogue for reasons nobody can explain, that is eventually fully explained by Vlad himself in MM2 after the initial teasing you get in the Vlad museum.One of the few things I liked about Xeno is that they sort of referenced this in the original game and mirrored a setup that ultimately doesn't pay off as Reborn just trashed that entirely and there's no equivalent showdown in that continuity.
So, who is responsible for NOAH, itself or Vlads vanity? Also, played 4 if anyone wants plot.
>>3963012It was Vlad, NOAH was created by Vlad Corp. as a super AI tasked with the objective of finding a way to save earth's environment, Vlad himself spearheaded the project because he was a hardcore environmentalist and the closest thing the world had to Tony Stark.Vlad also had a total midlife meltdown the moment he found out he was suffering from an incurable genetic disease and decided to let the world burn because he was a massive narcissist, he took off NOAH's harnesses and manipulated the data fed into NOAH to force it to the conclusion that humanity was the problem, NOAH went full Skynet, Vlad uploaded his mind into the supercomputer beneath Bias City and the rest is history.He sort of predates Mr. House from Fallout 3 when you think about, he's just way more unhinged and directly responsible for all the bad shit going on with the world.
>>3963085Ah. Well, 3 ties into this sort of. Takes place in another continent though. Gratonos is a mad scientist who’s specialized in genes. He was NOT a contemporary of Vlad though they did live at the same time. Grats had a love for a girl from a wealthy family by the name of King that put all their money into a defense shelter that was NOT a vault, but far nicer. Something happened and the girl gets killed and the King family blames Grats for it. Grats gets left out to fend for himself, but swears vengeance on the King family. He becomes biologically immortal either by way of NOAHs fuckery, himself, or both. You, Drumcan, as that’s the default name, are one of his chimeras. His goal is to get Jaganath up and running, a railgun built into a sub that was one of the 4 Great Weapons to confront NOAH. Please correct me if I have missed anything.
>>3963085>Vlad also had a total midlife meltdown the moment he found out he was suffering from an incurable genetic disease and decided to let the world burn because he was a massive narcissist, he took off NOAH's harnesses and manipulated the data fed into NOAH to force it to the conclusion that humanity was the problemWhich game is this from? From the first game I only remember NOAH making the decision on its own
>>3962847man, it's a really great gameif you want information like item lists go to the jap "metalmaniax" website and use google translate
>>3963181First part is definitely 2R but I don't remember the false data angle.
does metal max work like oriental blue where quests fail and shit if you wait too long
>>39636382R has a quest with a different outcome (you still get a reward) if you take too long. I'm not sure if the game determines "too long" based on game time, number of encounters, or inn stays, but regardless I know the timer only starts after you actually accept the quest.>>3953595>but I don't think I'd want to play another barebones RPG in the same vein.What do you mean by "baebones" exactly?If you mean a lack of a strong central narrative/story scenes, then be careful what you wish for. 3 has more of a story focus and the later half of the game end up sucking because getting railroaded.If you mean you want something to do other than travel to the next town/dungeon and fight Wanted, then yes later games add more varieties of quest, complete with dialogue options for things like negotiating rewards or resolving them in alternate ways.If you mean mechanically, then Returns is already not barebones, it's just easy so you don't really have to engage with any possible complexity.Like, the average player isn't going to even figure out how to use an intercept system or configure their towed tank to provide fire support, nor are they going to do things like cover their face with a cloth item to protect against gas attacks, or find out they can upload programs onto their BS Con like the one that lets you call an orbital laser when outdoors and on foot.
How does Saga stand in the series? Worth starting with?
>>3963707It was my first experience with the series because it was the first released outside of Japan.Inventory management is a little tedious but if you can get over that it's good. The built in speed up for combat really helps.Somewhat related: I went back to 1R today and decided pretty early to drop it because the encounter rate is pretty egregious.
>>3963638Returns does with the lipstick if you are shooting for 100%
>>3963700What is the Annihilation Program/Program NOAH on the best CPU?
so is 4 now the only untranslated entry besides like... some of the non remakes?
>>3963721it makes the tank go Berserk basically.oh, and you can't switch it off once it's on.
>>3963726Yes
Has anyone ever done a no tank run of 2R?
>>3963777Can it be done?
What classes do you guys recommend for 2 Reloaded?
>>3963726There's metal saga on ds tooIt's rather shit game doeThere was also some phone(java?) game mm which is lost media now
>>3963820You can get 2 per character so no point in overthinking itI usually just go hunter for mc and keep og mechanic and hunter companions
>>3963818Presumably. I don't remember if it had any tank specific puzzles.>>3963820I ran with Hunter/Soldier/Nurse the whole game. Switched subclasses as needed.
>>3963833Og mechanic and soldier*
>>3963831The phone games was supposed to be a direct sequel to the first game.
>>3963777I did a no tank run in the original gameI tried doing the same in Returns and I got obliterated by the final boss. I know some Japanese people have done it but I don't know how. However, Returns is great for all kinds of fun runs like protagonist solo run or rental tank only run
Who is the best protag
>>3964384What is that boomer Red Wolf doing with the kids
>>3964384Certainty not 4s
What is the difference between the Max and Saga games? Is it like a SMT/Persona situation?
>>3964432To a degree. Max is the main continuity. Saga is a reinterpretation.
>>3964432Long story short>Metal Max was published by Data East, they also owned the rights to the brand>Data East goes under, Miyaoka &Co. lose the rights to the franchise>They create Metal Saga since they can't use the Metal Max brand, Saga is a separate continuity>Eventually manage to buy back the rights to Metal Max, Metal Saga is pseudo-shelvedThink of Saga as a "what if" continuity that is still based on the world established by the first Metal Max.
>>3964384Pochi and the one from 2
>>3963820wrestlers and soldiers have colossally better stats than the other classes and on-foot fighting is much more locked down and hard to overpower with autistic vehicle builds and so on, and you have to do quite a bit of it. So IMO the power build is to have 3-4 soldiers or wrestlers and put the good secondary jobs like mechanic or nurse on them.You can just get a default artist and put them on the team temporarily to make a stack of special ammo if you want it instead of carrying them around permanently.
>>3964919*even if you don't want to be that extreme, definitely have at least 2 soldiers or wrestlers. The game was built on the MM3 system and the MC of that game is basically a soldier and hunter rolled into one, so the game expected you to always have him plus probably another foot specialist.
>>3964921I think that's overdoing it. Double up on classes just means you'll have even less unique equipment to take advantage of.
>>3965478Rarest drops or best weapons in 2R and 3 please?
>>3965478The second best weapon a soldier can equip is better than the best weapon any other class can equip. Plus there is a lot of unlimited soldier gear like sexy swords and rocket punches so they can put it in all their weapon slots and do all out attacks.
>>3964919What kind of special ammo? I heard of the APFSDS for that armor piercing like the Hollow Charge from MMR
>>3965478Soldiers have access to all the best weapons because they're the specialized weapon user class while Wrestlers don't need any, most weapons in the game aren't particularly worth it and Soldiers get to use all the best ones by design, in fact with multiple soldiers you'll actually have a lot more unique equipment to use because other classes don't really get anything special that soldiers can't use.It's overdoing it because a single Wrestler can take care of any boss you're forced to fight on foot, a soldier and a wrestler just steamroll and multiple wrestlers or soldiers is total overkill.
>>3965540cement rounds are the big one. they're this massive evasion debuff and in MM evasion is both about hitting and missing and how much damage you do when you do hit. And they're very easy and cheap to make and you get them at a low level and you can reach that in no time with a temp cahracter, so if you refuse to use temporary artists to make them it makes someone having the artist skill set explode in value.
Pretty based that MS lets you romance your little sister.
>>3965763And your mom.
>>3965751You don't even need to change characters to have a temporary artist for cement rounds. Just one guy can have the artist set at a low level and switch to it on the fly whenever you want to make more.
Shit... so I got my buggy wrecked and I got killed at a trader camp by some barbarians, then revived back at the junkyard. Where is my buggy? Do I have to hoof it all the way back to that camp?
>>3965851You can usually pay a mechanic in town to retrieve vehicles.
>>3965851You can either pay a merchant to retrieve your buggy from anywhere in any condition, or you can rent a vehicle and drive there and tow it to a shop yourself. The price for retrieval is not bad at all so the latter is mostly something you do to be hardcore.
>>3965863>>3965857Thanks, but in looking for that info I found out I missed out on a few quests by getting killed there, so I'm just reloading my last save. Oh well, that's what I get for exploring I guess
>>3965872No harm in playing in one of the first JRPG sandbox’s
>>3965872I wouldn't worry about it too much.>>3965966He's talking about Metal Saga.
>>3966035Gotta start somewhere
>>3966035>Metal SagaUsually on the newgames I beeline for that casino minigame (abuse the savestating) in that train link between the West and East continent from Alice One. Also unearthing tanks like the Merkava and doing that Maus unlock quest to go around the map. Hope the store bought weapons in the last settlement helps carry the gang into the final boss, but I feel like I fall short of that final dungeon.
>>3954401Xeno Reborn did at least add the gynoid girl as a party member and give her a romance ending, so I appreciated that
>>3966409Two thing missing that would make it a damn good MM game. Towns and People.
>>3966423True. And more vehicle types would have been nice, motorcycles are fun to have in the games that have had them after all. Also it would have been nice if it had at least as much story as 1 or 2, without it being the disappointing story from regular Xeno.
>>3966423>>3966463More vehicle types would have been nice, I was jealous seeing the bikes and the cop car from other games in the series (4?). But I really like the Rommel Ghost and the spider tank, those are sweet. I really like the driving and the rtwp combat. I'm the anon playing Metal Saga right now and I do miss being able to jump over sand dunes and manually take out weaker enemies from range. The game is fun so far, I can't say it has much more going on story or character-wise than XR at this point though.
>>3965821Was the hunter in MS an only child? Off tangent, you can only dress up the lady party members? I remembered the bunny suit but what are the other costumes?
>>3966588He has a sister just like the Hunter from the original.You could give the costumes to a ton of characters.
>>3966597
what order should i play the metal maxes in
>>3966641returnssaga3 (the end kinda sucks)reloadedHOWEVERBEIT if you only play one play reloaded, it's the best
>>3966641Returns -> Metal Saga -> 3 (but don't be afraid to drop it when it starts to suck) -> 2R
>>3966664>>3966667Especially feel free to drop 3 if you hate it because it burning you out for 2R, which is a seriously amazing game, would really suck
>>3966598>Waitress, Ballgown, Qipao, Baroness>Bunnysuit, Maid, Swimsuit, Kimono, MikoLovely, lol. Nice to see that MS is also a minor dressup game, lol. Too bad it's not applicable to their in-party sprites, well at least that mechanic girl and the gunner girl at least. Also, didn't see the robot girl in both those fashion pages, surely she has outfits of her own ingame?
1, 2, Returns, Saga (PS2), 3, 2R, 4, pretend the rest doesn't exist
>>3966553>The game is fun so far, I can't say it has much more going on story or character-wise than XR at this point though.The first Metal Saga was the game that started the trend of having actual stories for the playable cast, so if you expected the same degree of yapping between characters as Xeno you're just not going to get it.Me, I vastly prefer the DQ3 style silent party of nobodies that the mainline has honestly, so I tend to dislike the Saga style writing which Xeno also has, but I can understand being disappointed with Metal Saga coming from Xeno when it comes to that.
>>3953595>returnscurrently using it as my fidget game, seeing the g go up is the best feeling, lol source of webm related here: >>590150
>>3966641Returns then 2R. You can fill in all the lesser games after that. Returns is a nice simplified intro to MM that won't roast your brain with excessive options, then 2R is fun option overload
>>3966597>>3966598>You can give dresses to CarlWHAT
>>39666411 > 2 > MS, then stop
>>3967310Carl apparently, is effeminate. Dunno what relationship he has with the hunter, but being able to gift him girl clothes, very progressive that metal saga.>>3966841Was there an English Translated Patch ready for the SNES version of MM2? Not unless you have any recommendations for an AI translate or machine translation tool to help with said JP to EN
>>3967563No TL, it's just typical 4chan posers. The kind of people that actually learn japanese are ashamed of using it to play old JRPGs so they don't use it to brag
>>3967569>T. Eslking who's buttbuddies with faggotgenesis when someone wants to do an mtl translation.
>>3967563>Was there an English Translated Patch ready for the SNES version of MM2? No, but the more we talk about it and the more a Princess Crown situation might happen.AI translation doesn't work well with it either because of the way dialogue is embedded within the main menu so the AI gets confused by that.
>>3967589>Princess Crown situationThat does sound quite optimistic, was expecting a sort of manual transcribing (hassle) to play it. Anyways, hoping to play it once the translation's accessible, and playing mm2r seems like there's plenty deviations and extra content compared to the base mm2. But at least they still got this nifty (and wacky) hind-looking thing. How I only wished to see a spin with the metal max experience, perhaps with torpedo boats or helicopters, lol.
In MS is there any reason to NOT just equip every tank with the best engine and c-unit available?
>>3967933If it's not available in stores like that last town? I forgot it's name but it looked like a sorta trench town
>>3967112Glad that the East West Subway from Freeza leads directly to Sol and Cannabelle for that. The Big Cannon miniboss (was it after recruiting the rich boy mechanic?) it real sucks, war of attrition kinda thing.
>>3967112Biggest complaint so far? That bitch and Red Wolf.
>>3969414Is that the one where the dogs mangle her once she escapes? Sucks, but Red Wolf himself ain't nice, even when he gives us the Mosquito, lol.
>>3969685No. The one that betrayed him to Gomez.
>>3953672Now I wish I got the Metal Max Returns enemy spritesheet. Surprised there's a comprehensive spritesheet for metal max 2 though.>>3969829Oh that spoiler, right. I need to try out and redo MMR again haha
>>3970449True, protag just stands there like you bitch! Anyway, got his tank
>>3970458>Protag shows up lateMan, red wolf himself is destined to die :( he'd be a cool hunter-soldier hybrid if he were recruitable. Like his gf, he ain't a fortunate son... >Red wolf the tankAlmost always the best endgame tank trio are just the whitemuu, that red tank, and the 12501G abrams, so I just load 'em up with hollow charges and got rid of all wanteds and story bosses. Hope there's an easy-level comp for the other metal maxes and metal saga!
>>3967667>helicoptersClosest we've got is the air battles from Skies of Arcadia and Nostalgia with the airships. having a jetpack for the on-foot combat would be pretty swell.
I want to make a MM-like, but in a different setting. No idea how to handle the in-out vehicle combat, might just omit that part and make on-foot and driving battles/sections completely separate and no switching in battle.
>>3970922That sounds kind of lame.
>>3971214Yeah, the spectacle of Metal Max is to use and not use vehicles as mounts and weapons and armor in battle.
>>3971615>>3971214Disagree. Controlling vehicles is the apoeal to me, not being able to get out of them. Reminds me of the people who want a gundam game where you can get out of the gundam and run around Like why? Just play CoD
>>3967963Hell's Keep. On that tangent, I also saw the flying battleship Tiamat, can it be used like an airship?
>>3971640Imo rpg stories need to be able to threaten your little meat characters independently from when they are fully prepped in their tanks
>>3970919I beat this game 11 years ago, it sucked balls
>>3971640The feeling of power from driving the tank is better sold if there's contrast to how weak you are when out of it.
>>3972001Yup, I just watched the 100% walkthrough instead. labyrinthian dungies do suck, but I think it's worse there in Nostalgia compared to the Metal Maxes (well, at least the ones with the fan translations.)>>3972025Guess to balance their viability, it would be the fuel and armor costs, and also surprised that they locked out healing your tanks to sticking metal plates only accessible after battle. If it weren't for the tank traps, having the ability to heal and replenish ammo in your tanks (on top of having a x99 item cap) would definitely make the game crazy easy (without mentioning the shellspam from hollow charges,) at least in the specific case of MMR.
>>3971640That is a completely retarded comparison. Metal Max has always been about the mix of on foot and tank combat. They started leaning into it more with later entries.
>>3972038Maybe they shouldn't have, since every game after 2 sold less than the last.
>>3972040You're retarded.
>>3972038>later entriesI heard in MM3 you can get softlocked if you don't properly optimize the non-rentable vehicles, at least MM2R is reversible. Anyone who had cleared all the side content and final bosses?
>>3973079I don't think you can fuck up so bad as to get softlocked, but yes, chassis mods are irreversible in 3 and some paths up the tree are just worse than others
>>3973079there's absolutely no possible way you get softlocked.
>>3973134>fucked upmy last playthrough had the sunbeam gun, also neglected the vulcan box requirement, and had a hard time getting the scifi from the speed king bounty. So far, my strongest non-rental is pic related, think it had the double engine and could benefit from an all-cannon build + c-unit cannon rush. Will probably try MM3 again if I still remember the easy clears going from Wara, Rusty Maiden, and that Wahananabi Institute.>>3973163If you've got like a guide or pointers for MM3 or MM2R, I'd like to see it, thanks
>>3970516>he'd be a cool hunter-soldier hybrid if he were recruitableI mean, Drumcan sorta kinda is a Red Wolf expy already when you think about it so that goes without saying, only difference is his bitch ain't dead and she stole his goddamn bike
>>3973852the stamp shop is insanely overpowered in both games
>>3973860>his bitchBitch, yes. But after the hell put through, you can be damn straight he isn’t claiming her.
Foe the people who played either, what are your thoughts on kemco's hit-point team metal max clones? Rusted emeth (technically second game) and armed emeth (old but remade).
Sharing crop of a S300 missile striking the MM2 Wanted, Hovering Nora. What an unusual and fierce flying enemy! Cropped from >>>/vg/564543597 thanks!>>3973870It sure is! I like that early engine though, and killing lucky rats for precious metal bars is way better than killing gold ants and gold turtles!>>3974283>Rusted EmethI didn't like its medieval-like aesthetic clashing with their mecha, but I did like that green looking tank thing. I don't think the devs of metal max and metal saga patented and/or trademarked using post-apoc vehicles and military armored fighting vehicles, or afvs, in a turn based battle manner.
>>3974283>Legally distinct Robo
>>3974923The sardine turbo is a nice crutch, great for getting those v6 pegasus + sea hunters + missile boxes and beelining from Caligostro to Moro Poco to Melt Town, getting the saurus engine + anti-grav ball + keep the missile boxes.>recommended shop pattern?I like the pistol pattern for MM2R, vulcan boxxed and the cement shells help with that rhinogon resource guarding azusa and bar thirsty.>early game tips?Bang Bang Tanks in El Nino or that metal eater gold ant in that island below that pochi town is great for gold.
>>3976221I'm more of a double strike + dirty rush (double attack earlier on) guy than a missile box guy.
>>3976221Best weapons for 3 and 2R?
>>39762963 is more about accumulating lots of good tank equipment and loading it on double engine tanks with expensive chassis upgrades that also include a lot of strong built-in weapons. It's honestly more balanced and intentionally designed than 2R. Just get lots of money mainly because stuff like the shrine tank costs a fortune to get a high end chassis upgrade on.in 2R the c-unit properties like double/triple strike are insanely powerful and you can put multiple characters in one tank so they all benefit from your one precious c-unit that has it. One thing that's really noticeable is that only the buggy and the bus can customize their chassis to have a free S-E weapon in the first slot AND are 4-seaters. The first slot is the only slot that benefits from double/triple strike. There are very powerful s-e weapons that ignore interception, have infinite ammo, or have other great properties that greatly benefit from that.
>>3976303I'll be honest: I don't get the appeal of making one super vehicle and loading everyone into it. Way more fun to have multiple vehicles to play around with.
>>3976499I've definitely made 1-per-vehicle a self-imposed rule for a 2R run in the past but an all-pile-in strategy is just stronger, or even only for QoL reasons. To me it's just an element of 2R's total min/max sperging. 3 is the game they really tried to do game design for instead of giving you a bag of candy, but it's kinda bad anyway.
>>3976270>double strike + dirty rushAre those the hunter skills or a S-E that I can equip like the missile box for the S-E Rush?>>3976303>double engine tanks with expensive chassis upgradesI find that MM3 has it easier with having most of its tanks have that double engine boon. Also, IIRC, their money guide was to exploit a faulty code regarding selling infinite shells? Then again:>reversible chassis modifications?>rolling for a shop that sells the sunbeam gun for the vulcan box strategy>>3976303>In MM2R there are very powerful s-e weapons that ignore interception, have infinite ammoMy choice of that best S-E you described was that anti-grav ball from Caterpillar Villa (accessible after beating Caligostro) but I find that:>buggy AND wildbus (even Sentry Motorbike / Fulsand APC) chassis>5 Anti-grav balls (4 agbs / 3 agbs)>all missile boxesThey don't kill platinum carpets and platinum walkers fast enough
>>3976666If you're going to skip using multiple characters per vehicle you can use the supercar, or just get an extra buggy or bus, by buying from the rental shop too after you make them enough money to give you the option.You can mostly get double strike from a passive c-unit ability, and the c-unit that has it is a pretty early stamp shop reward (the Geminizer). It's also an ability you can build into a Bato tank and the default passive of the "Zero" tank chassis. It makes it so every time a weapon in the first weapon slot fires, it does an extra hit. On weapons that naturally fire many times, this actually gives you an extra hit on every single attack. For example, the buggy has an optional built in weapon in slot 1 called the boxer/tyson/demon arm that normally attacks twice, but with double strike will hit four times. Very late in the game you can use the LOVE Machine to get a triple strike C-unit but there's not much left to do with it at that point. And Bato has a postgame quest where a triple strike c-unit is one of the possible rewards.Dirty Rush is an active skill from another stamp shop c-unit (Active Harry) that makes it so from 2-4 times a randomly selected weapon on your tank is fired. If you only have one valid weapon, it will always use that attack. So, you can build a tank where only the weapon in your first slot that benefits from double strike is a valid attack, and you basically get a free quickshot with a double strike weapon every single turn. Every character can hit 6 times with a 1000 damage wrecking ball every turn if you like. Interception-only weapons are not valid attacks for dirty rush, so you can have one and still use this, and weapons that are out of ammo are not valid either so you can still have an empty feather light cannon to fire cement shells and so on (just modify it down to a size 1 magazine so it's not a pain in the ass). A custom Bato tank can have dirty rush built in also.
>>3961854>MM2R Guide>will add this "MM2R Pistol Pattern To Moro Poco Melt Town Vehicle Guide.png"Sweet, having these ideal vehicle builds for that max sandbox experience is pretty neat. What's not neat is the ass drop rates of specific area gated wanted bosses, like that skunks from grappler tower and caligostro from dark canal. Heard their drops are like essential treasures for later quests and bosses.>Got a moneymaking guide?So far I'd recommend the following:>from Mado to El Nino to Hatoba:Bang Bang Tanks in the El Nino Bar to buy the best El Nino Equipment (Human and Tanks)>from Hatoba to Grapple TowerGold Ants in the island south of dog village and that one grass patch of land near Bito's Tunnel and that Ant Forest>from Grapple Tower to Islaportoclaiming the bounty after killing Skunks, back to Grapple Tower to hunt for Lucky Mouse (weak to vulcan boxes - vulcan rush) It's way better than that one alcove east of Delta Rio and west of Bennett's House hunting those exp and gold walkers>>3976922>Dirty Rush better than Cannon / Vulcan / S-E RushSo far, they're in short supply, will probably explore different S-Es from Caterpillar Villa and Melt-Town for easy battle clears after Sea Hunter hoarding and spamming.
>>3977614Do you not know about double c-units? There's a guy in the bottom floor of Islaporto that can modify a chassis to be able to use two c-units at once.
>>3977730*and just in case you don't know about double engines, I think there's a guy (or maybe the same guy, can't remember) that can modify certain chassis to use two engines at the same time, which can lead to astronomical load capacities with the twin bonus engines in MM2R. Usually only one of double engine or double c-unit can be done to a chassis, but even when a tank could have either you ahve to pick one or the other. And sometimes you have to upgrade a chassis before it can use the double c-unit or double engine upgrade, e.g. the Gepard needs to be upgraded to I think tier 4 or 5 before it can do either.In MM3 double c-unit doesn't exist and it's just that a few tank chassis can take a double engine upgrade.
>>3977730>double c unitsWill check that out. Currently playing the mado human equipment shop pistol pattern, would love to have c units like multiple geminizers and active harrys >>3977735I think a few vehicles in mm2r allows for twin engines. I think it's just the mammut from helmets island (treasure island quest from Hatoba?) and the Bato tanks, so far. Haven't gotten the moro poco cave (not dark canal) tank and the zero. Also, what's with the ownership mechanics of that vehicle slot 11 from the Rental Tanks? Are their equips freely swappable, and can collect, sell, and duplicate like the bato tanks?
>>3978019After you collect enough money with a rental in the party you can just go to a rental shop and you get an option to buy any of their tanks. After the first one you have to sell the purchased rental you already have back before buying another one.
>>3973852>that soiyawalkerNow I wonder if that mobile palanquin has a recommended build, like S-E rush, and pack it with the best engines and the best S-Es?
>>3978486S-E rush for sure. It has a bunch of extremely powerful built in S-Es that cost insane amounts of money to progress the chassis enough to get and then upgrade.
>>3954183I will take that poster's advice and outfit my patrol car to be based on Vulcan rush, all aux guns.>>3978122Speaking of money, it's unusually hard to earn gold in mm3 than in mm2r. In mm2r, there's the bang bang tanks, the gold ants, and my favorite, just clearing out the first level of the grapple tower after defeating (and claiming bounty) for killing skunks.>mm3 money making:So far that repeatable quest "Melon Harvest" activates the flag to spawn in melonweens even after reporting the kill to the outside shelter innkeeper (unlocked one carrying out Joaquin's Revenge quest in Wara,) especially the moment when the MC can leave Wara for Shelter. Also, the mollusc cannons near Rusty Maiden helps quite a bit, hate how Happy Cult membership makes it easy to tech up and upgrade both chassis and engines.
>>3978584Nice. Used that meloween hunt to slowly build up and give the best AUX and S-Es for both the Patrol Car and Motorcross prior to fighting that Crazy Tank or that MBT77. Then grinded enough for a metal detector, and just outside the fort with the patrol car (not in the overworld, but in the dungeon itself) was able to search for 2 piercing shells for that money making bug:>1, To Wara, go to the Trunk NPC>2, Deposit 2 Piercing Shells (any Special Shell really)>3, Withdraw 3 of those special shells>4, Sell 255 of those shells>5, Repeat Step 2 until satisfied or have more than 39,800 Gold, in order for:That jackboy resale trick>1, To Sombrero Building, then to the tunnel on the left, right, and up (with the barrels) - go through it and go to the fridge store on the left>2, Buy the jackboy item, make sure it's x99 of those jackboys>3, Resell the jackboys at any regular store, heck, even that Wara stamp store>4, Receive around +2M GoldThat should cover almost all necessary upgrades and expenses in MM3.
>>3977614>>3979268Aww kek wished I played MM3 first than MM2R, so many qol mechanics available in the latest DS game.
saw someone earlier in the thread mention Rusted Emeth, so while grinding out the fastest ways to reveal the entire maps for mm3 and mm2r, found this - just a "max" away from this Metal Hunter.
>>3980124Man, finding an easily English translatable walkthrough for that is quite the challenge. Also, monsters dropping materials to be recycled into gold is novel and immersive, based on post apocalypse and actual monster drop logic, but it sure is a hassle to collect and sell them for top Gs heh
>>3980124Did they finally fix the character names in the dialogue boxes? Mine were still chinese.
>>3975022>what am I gonna do? sue myself?
>>3980847Nope! At least the story is relatively easy to follow. been hunting other tanks, missile launchers and technicals after iron and alloy farming, so yeah, the early game grind is sure punishing than the other metal maxes (especially 1, 3, and 2R.) >pic relatedFinally got that APC, always equip and upgrade with the best gear and vehicle parts whenever possible. Got the technical in the first dungeon, and the tank from an abandonded factory with the skeleton soldiers
>>3980846Usually there's a Japanese or Chinese playthrough, and at least with the English menu and dialogue, it's easier to go through that. Anyways, it's cool to see:>Stackable items that can heal the shielding points (tank HP) via those metal spray bottles>x99 for the revive items>Saving even in the dungeons and to replenish ammo without the need of returning to town>Gear are like key items, so they're available and upgradable only via NPC shop purchasesThe grind is the hassle here, quite used to the speed up toggle in MMR, MS, MM3, and MM2R especially
>>3980846>monsters dropping materials to be recycled into gold is novel and immersiveThis kind of shit almost never works and I doubt it does here.>>3981502Baffling that built in speed ups still haven't really caught on yet in the genre.
>>3981857>Monsters dropping components >Doesn't workWhat do you mean by "work?">>3981857>Save states>Speed upsThese are definitely the two "emulation only" mechanics that I use to bear with the grind and maybe even the unskippable cutscenes I watch in games like that.
>>3981879It adds pointless busywork at best and drags a game down through ungodly tedium at worst. Just have the monsters drop gold and gear like usual.MMR's inventory management SUCKS partly because there's nothing stopping it from filling up with junk items from enemies that are only good for selling.
sharing the liberation of Puetro Mori (from that cocoon sewer monster) using gear earned from Jump Camp and that Radish Wanted Boss Area, the Wananabani Institute. Also:>Beam Eraser Shop PatternHas the exclusive "Sunbeam Gun" Aux Gun sold by the Puerto Mori tank parts hangar. >Sunbeam GunVulcan Rush for that Patrol Car to wipe out those cucumbers in pic related for easy exp (and gold) hopefully the best exp in MM3 so far. Killing slow walkers and metal eaters are way slower, in my experience.>>3982020>Pointless busyworkthe new metal max games (or fangames, or turn based afv mount party battle rpgs) might as well have:>drop cleaners and enhancersthe ones that ensure item/gear/parts drops are most likely to appear after a kill/steal from a monster or a wanted boss>inventory management like those classic FF rpgs and the M&L rpgsinstead of the limited 16 inventories, might as well have each item stack at x99 units, even for things like replenishing tank ammo, tank tiles, (the first two only usable out of battle) and revives (of the usual hunter-mechanic-soldier trio) while in battle. while on that tangent:>MMR's inventory management sucksTrue, glad that went away in MM3 and later titles (and other Metal Max-likes) too
>>3982039>instead of the limited 16 inventories, might as well have each item stack at x99 unitsYes.
>>3982020I don't really remember that about MMR, perhaps I should go back to it.I do remember Lead Mushrooms being incredibly annoying though.
>>3982544So far, it's annoying to go through the car washes of each game, like Santa Poco in MM1 (and MMR), Mado (that default starting town) in MM2, and Rusty Maiden in MM3. So glad we've got the Car Wash Mop in MM2R, also to fill the tank inventory with tile packs may have helped, especially against bird poop to handle those battle or environmental inconveniences.
there's a mop in MM3 in the lost password chest in rusty whatever. The beached ship full of cultists in yellow raincoats.
>>3953672Hope there's a comprehensive spritesheet for the vehicle parts and enemies from the games, especially from the main metal max series and metal saga.>>3982182Yeah, hope the latest metal max game (or its spiritual successors) also apply that kind of ease of inventory management with their tanks.
>>3983514>Lost passwordHate that kind of ""game mechanic"" like where are you gonna find that list of lost passcodes for select MM3 and MM2R chests (does MM4 do that? Hopefully not lol) aside from checking out that JP site metalmaniax?
>>3984625>pocket rocketsMan I love those enemies in Metal Saga. A rocket launcher with legs is way wacky than the other biped walkers in other vidya - the ones that do come into mind are the cnc gdi titans and juggernauts (especially juggernauts) and hoping to see more crazy tanks like that. pic tangentially related.
>>3985601Apparently, just web searching lost password and MM3, all the passwords are easily searchable. So surprised that the only nice one is the car was mop, and that 99t scrap metal used for that weight puzzle later in the game. Fug, forgot how to get there after unlocking the area by beating Coldblood Dominguez...
>>3987050So…who the fuck IS Gratanos anyhow? Where does he come into the arch narrative of NOAH etc.?
>>3985601The games came out in the DS era, it was always just an internet ARG thing you would look up.
Finished 2R
>>3987822>ARG thingMore like gay advertisement.
Dare I?
>>3988679Nyet
>>3988679If only that was your first game introducing you to the metal max series, because MMR, MS, and MM2R are like quite the best ones, usually for quality of life reasons like easier storytelling and customization.
>>3988758Metal Saga is fucking awful to play.
>>39889483 is decent, 4 is currently unplayable unless you know Japanese
Sharing how to get the swan boat from 2R, looks way fun than the nemesis, also the boat in MM3 doesn't allow tanks in them, right?>>3987831Nice. What was your gear, your team, your tanks?
>>3987856Same thing
>>3989172He’s lying if he hasn’t replied by now
>>3953595>the game hasn't really combined the two all that wellAre there other turn based or any other rpgs that utilize that "hero-and-mount" mechanic well? What are the good non-metal max examples?
>>3990923I'm surprised there's no dragon/pet riding game with the mounted/on foot distinction. Sounds like a steam indie waiting to happen.
>>3990923Xenoshit and its spawn sad to say
>>3990998Wait, I’m sorry…you asked for good.
>>3989943Figures. Anyways, sharing the following:>Easy money from killing Lucky Mouse - for gold bars, silver bars, and 777Gsee >>3977614>Getting Wildbus (with the help of a mine / metal detector)Near Nobotoke Village (be careful of that beetle wanted boss, but it does go down easily if you have cement shells or maximizing sea hunter + S-E rushing)>Getting ElefantFrom that Treasure Island Special Request after getting Nemesis (that boat earned from Islaporto - Delta Rio and killing the U-Shark) go to the bar in Hatoba to escort a hunter, mechanic, and wrestler onto your boat.>if you refuse their drink offer You'll fight them and earn a key to unlock an access hatch in Helmets Island (Pink Bear Head on an Island, accessible via Dog System after exploring it east of Hatoba and south of Delta Rio)>Once inside the Helmets Island StructureYou can beat the 5 police bots, as well as turn on power to the structure, and claim the colonel's ID to remove encounters, shuffle garages, save, and heal in said island
>>3990932It feels like there's a surplus (and excess) of medieval stasis games (especially in RPGs) but to entertain that thought of>Dragon and mount hybrid combatGuess mechanically, armor tile points for scales points regarding dragon HP but it does sound novel to have flight capability which reminds me of Nostalgia having low altitude - mid altitude - high altitude engine upgrades for said dragon to fly and fight aerial encounters. Thinking about it, surprised no JRPG that would use airships or helicopters or vtols for their steampunk or urban fantasy or even science fantasy settings.>>3990998Xenogears and Xenoblade Chronicles X?
>>3993022Saga as well, but very limited
>>3993023I wouldn't say it's limitedThe first game has about a half dozen of extremely expensive mechs you'll never even afford unless you spam the casino for hours that can be used in any fight the second and third game have designated mecha dungeons, with the third game having really snappy fun mecha fights
>>3993025Alas, not enough sci fi jrpgs
>>3992306The Wildbus is sure is one of the best vehicles in MM2R once the best engine, the missile box, and the anti-grav balls are equipped. I like how it clears most encounters very quickly.>>3993023Xenosaga? I remember they made a DS version, and if that was fully translated like MM3 and MM2R in this thread?>>3993035True, I wish I was in the reality where the RPG giants were Starship Quest and Future Fantasy with the fancy telekinetics, guns, and piloting starfighters, all of them in a turn-based battle format.
>>3993039The DS of Saga was not that great, save for filling in plugs for plot issues in 1 and 2.>>3992306I got all the vehicles and my end team was a wrestler, nurse and artist. I want to play them all to get just what the narrative of Metal Max is. 4 , though not translated, is fucking wild.
>>3993025I wouldn't even count XS 2/3 because it doesn't mix them up.
>>3993127>I wouldn't even count XS 2/3 because it doesn't mix them up.irrelevant
>>3993039>Xenosaga? I remember they made a DS version, and if that was fully translated like MM3 and MM2R in this thread?It has a fan tl in development: the released a demo that covers the first few hours.
>>3993299The core formula of Metal Max is swapping between on foot and vehicle sections on the fly. Only Xenosaga 1 does that.
>>3993378So does Saga 2 and 3
>>3993419No they don't.
>>3993423Yes they do
>>3993378>The core formula of Metal Max is swapping between on foot and vehicle sections on the fly"Sections" and "on the fly" are two opposite concepts, anon. Which one is it?
>>3993469What happens when you die in an ES? Do the characters hop out and continue fighting?No, you get a game over. There's no crossover between the two. It's nothing like Metal Max.
>>3993550What happens in Metal Max when your tank is destroyed and you hop out and continue fighting?You get a game over. If you could beat the enemy on foot you wouldn't be using the tank.
>>3993556Stop being a retarded nigger
>>3993561When talking about Xeno anything, it’s hard to avoid shit. Back to Metal. Any beat Metal Saga?
>>3993561>has nothingWhat I thought.
>>3993556>What happens in Metal Max when your tank is destroyed>you hop out and continue fightingCorrect. Xenosaga 2/3 don't do this, so they aren't like Metal Max.
Can someone please leak the 4 troonslation already? I know at least one of you is itt: there are like 40 people who know of this series in the non-JP net
>>3993998They are shit though>>3994003It’s not as good as the previous games
>>3994043>It’s not as good as the previous gamesthat's still fun thoughI played Metal Saga and didn't like it as much as Returns/2r/3
>>3994043>It’s not as good as the previous gamesMan I put 80+ hours into Xeno and 40+ into Xeno reborn, 4 should be alright enough to at least equal either of those right?
>>3956771>second is original 2I remember this one almost six-ish years ago, but thing is, what's with the hiatus of that fangame?
>>3993556That's a flawed conclusion. Having the mechas die and not eject the pilot is an example of poor turn based vehicle (semantics, mecha) combat design. As if the mechas need the narrative of >The pilot's brain and heart are in sync with the mecha body>If the mecha body fails, then the pilot diesKinda disappointing, especially if the combat is not in deep space. At least the vehicles in metal max have much more durability than that of those ""mechas"" in the xenogears and other related mecha based jrpgs.
>>3997441A tank does not eject the crew either. Having them do so is a poor tank game.
>>3997466No, they actually cook.
>>3986256>she metal gear>>>/v/684498678In Metal Saga, they got pocket rockets and another one with a field gun on top of legs. That should be one of the most wackiest of mecha designs in metal max.>be me>browsing the metal saga twitter profile>see pic relatedIf this one's rideable, this could be like the first mecha in metal max. Dunno what the tactical advantages are in having said "tank mecha" wear fishnets, lol.
>>3966220abusing the save / load state is my favorite game nowadays lol
>>3999125Same, except it get annoying when you can't get ALL the unique drops of those bounty bosses, ESPECIALLY in mm2r. So mean, so deadly...
>>4001018I use a code to guarantee drops. Makes the game more annoying to play since it can only be turned off by resetting but after farming stuff like the Speed King engine in 3 and the haunted house plate in 2R legitimately I have no qualms about using it.
>>3999125specific to metal saga, since that train casino has like predetermined rolls, it's quite easy to make bank w/o having to do a mad sweep against the random encounters, especially that bit with the tombstone wanted and its ghost tanks, haha!>>4001473fuark, I'd like a copy of that code for mm3 and mm2r.
>>4003101Here's the one for 2RGuaranteed Drop520E0604 DA304281120E0606 000046C0D0000000 00000000Max Stars5206FEB4 0E0006001206FEB6 00002003D0000000 00000000
>ctrl+f "season of steel">0 resultsI guess it's for good reason, but even in the early game, it's even hard to get your first vehicle here, but looking online for these, they've got an expansive cast and flat vehicle sprites (those vehicle sprites are charming in their own way, haha!)>>4003127Neat! Will try it in 2R. Hope it works also in 3, unless those codes for 3 are different?
So the only way to play Xeno now is to pay for an overpriced PS4 physical copy.I bought one for $70 and the disc was too scratched and couldn't run on my PS5. It ran alright on my PS4 pro (crashed twice) but I'm not digging out an old system for one game so I returned the game.Got one from Ebay for $60 turned out to be Reborn, despite the listing specifically being the original Xeno version.This game might be a wild unicorn to find.
>>4005263There's the english script insert for the jp vita version but that plays like ass even fully overclocked
Started MM2R recently. Pretty fun. Got two tanks now. Thank God for metalmaniax as I get lost often.
>>4005963Don't abuse the wiki. It's more fun to wander around and discover stuff on your own.
>>4006001I'm using it for stuck side quests and challenge hunt locations. There seems to be a number of quests that you can start but aren't able to complete until after doing different quests with nothing to indicate as much in game.
>alright time to do a challenge hunt on the open water>the enemy you need never fucking appears>you can't use your hunter skillsawfulkill the devs
What does a tachyon radar even do?
>>4006173>alright time to do a challenge hunt on the open waterWhich one has a water section?
>>4006683MM2R
>>4006680>Tachyon RadarSupposedly it's an accuracy enhancer that improves the "hit rate" of a tank's equipped weapons by 5%, it stacks at a max of 20% if you're going for either a 4 SE 1 Cannon build or All SE build (at least one equipped SE that can deal damage)>Pic relatedI'd treat it as vendor trash, even though it's sold here >>3961854 at Islaporto (better for you to stick with sea hunters like how this >>3977614 guide suggests) instead of having those tachyon radars equipped.
>>4009348Thanks. Doesn't seem to be worth a slot. There's some enemies that are kind of hard to hit but I can't see this making much difference.
randomly stumble on metal max xeno reborn on steam sale and many reviews says its a gutted version of original so thinking to play the original insteadanyone tried xeno on vita3k? a youtube vid shows it plays perfectly well but on compatibility list it shows ingame+ which means there are issues
>>4009992Yeah, I'd rather the anti-grav ball and sea hunter reserved for those S-E slots - if there's one for AA like the Thunder Crown to take our that wanted Flying Fish and Hind Dog, then that would be mighty great. Also, the best full S-E vehicles lately are just the Buggy and Wildbus so far.
>>3954401>the standard battle theme remix from MM3 is not even a new remix but a cut from a medley from an old MM arrange albumJeez, and I thought falcom using super arranges in the games was lazy. That's next level.
>>4012811It's a good arrangement to be fair and the mixing is not bad either, but yeah, taken straight from the second CD that came out with MM3's OST toohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE8Si3I4Zl4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J28xPe796E&list=PLavPZQO7N5efUheg8rO_9KYp9Y1aYixU-&index=6
>>3953672Having the SNES version of the battle sprites would be great, so quite surprised with china having almost all of the metal max content.
>>4013081>>4012811>>3954401Unless you played the rest of the series beforehand, I don't think anyone would notice or care. This is the first named Metal Max available in the West, remember.
>>4015462>Metal Max NES and MMR were merely fan translated and therefore emulatableFug. But kudos on the fan translations making Metal Max fairly accessible >First named metal maxWas it Metal Saga because of some tangential trademark infringement of a Metal Max (or Mad Max) that was used in the US/EU during those times?
Sharing a find of one of the many metal max fangames - surprised it is thriving in china (at the same time, so much apocalypse with status screens and cheat system donghua) like so.>>4010627Why Metal Max Xeno? There’s mm1, mmr, mm3, and mm2r as the latest fan translatables
The pistol pattern in MM2R having the best engine - the saurus engine right after that wilderness carrier questline (from that Hoc Traders) is one of my favorite vehicle parts. Just wondering if there are best SEs aside from a fully attack and ammo maxed out Sea Hunter and Anti-Grav Ball though.
>>4005114>2D tank spriteThat's cool-ish. The pixel art from the earlier metal maxes are top tier, though. Can't believe it's like the only notable, nice-looking tank turn-based party rpgs out there. pic not related.
4 troonslation status?
>>4015603Metal Saga is a side series
>>4024527I remember savescumming a pistol start for an eventual replay but never remembered why until now.
>>4031826Some patterns have better patterns, and if you newgame+ your MM2R then the other patterns are fine once you got the one with the best engine (pistol pattern) first. Man, after getting saddened and eventually unfazed with Mercenary Maria's death over and over by Ted Broiler, I do a mad dash to the Mado equipment store to check out if they have a pistol on stock - if not, reset (especially in my first playthroughs) alrighty - also wished almost all the obtainable vehicles have the double engines aside from the tanks.
https://x.com/msaga_official/status/2084097716708376914Season Of Steel remaster for console and PC
>>4036488wtf why
>>4036502>>4036488so it is a fan project that is getting an official release?
>>4036488Of all the things they could remaster and release globally they chose THIS?
>>4037509A rando wikifag did it for fun and showed Success and they said fuck it let's gohttps://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/08/03/170127.html*Metal Saga: Hagane no Kisetsu* (Metal Saga: Season of Steel) is an RPG featuring humans and tanks—and a successor to the *Metal Max* series—that was originally released for the Nintendo DS in 2006. Tailored to the hardware, the game utilized a full touch-screen control scheme.However, due to issues such as the inability to use standard physical buttons and the presence of numerous bugs, the game struggled to gain the recognition it deserved. Now, twenty years after its initial release, the title is making a comeback.According to an article published on *Automaton* on August 2, the project involves "Joystick"—the creator of the most comprehensive strategy site for the game in the Chinese-speaking world. The control scheme has been completely overhauled and optimized for keyboards and gamepads. With plans to fix the original bugs, the title is shaping up to be a definitive version of the game.Additionally, an article published on *4Gamer* on August 1 notes that Success Corporation is involved in the release, with a new announcement expected soon.*Metal Saga: Hagane no Kisetsu* has been brought back as a remaster thanks to the efforts of a dedicated Chinese fan. Will this title finally receive the appreciation it merits?
>>3953595Just started playing the Metal Max translation after randomly stumbling upon it looking at Jap only games and i'm absolutely loving it. I have ran into one snag however. South of Negi there's this little secret trading spot within these trees. From what i've seen from other playthroughs it should just be a little campsite-like area, but after I walk into that sandy square I get this glitched mess on the right.Not sure if anyone else has had this issue or if it's just me. I got the translation from https://www.romhacking.net/translations/4065/ and patched it myself using Lunar IPS if that helps at all.
>>4037538Try repatching a different download of the rom, you should be able to use the same save file if they're named properly
>>4037544>>4037538also there's a prepatched version on rgt/repo (formerly snee-d romance)
>>4037522>>4036488Let me guess, no English version ever?This has got to be the most cursed JRPG series
>>4037522>with a new announcement expected soon.
>>4037544>>4037550Thanks for your help guys. Never knew RGT was a thing so i'll look into that shortly. I managed to find a, so far, working patched version from the NES/Famicom Retroachievements collection on IA.
>>3964384I like MM1's the most. All the other Hunters have more defined goals to explore the wasteland, Drumcan wants to learn about his past, MM2 protag wants to destroy the grapplers, etc. Meanwhile this kid just wants to be a monster hunter lol. His design is also pretty cool, red suit and tie gives off the impression he wants to appear older than he is.
>>4039936>red suit and tie gives off the impression he wants to appear older than he is.I figured he worked the front desk at his dad's shop
>>4039936It's a cool design, no wonder Yamamoto gave him a small cameo in Sabercats
>>4040112It could be the dude from 2 since their designs are almost identical.
>>4040112Considering how often mangaka hit the bucket it's a miracle he's still standing and making art, his work on Gehenna in Tokyo was really cool.
>>4040129Nah, it has the jacket so it's clearly MM1's Hunter, outside of the goggles and pants being different MM2's Hunter doesn't have the jacket in any of his illustrations, that's how you can tell them apart, even here>>3964384 you can see the trademark distinction.>>4040133Yamamoto is super prolific but he's one of the few mangaka who do care about their personal health.He also loves his job so it's not that surprising that he's still around and drawing stuff.
>>4040142>MM2's Hunter doesn't have the jacket in any of his illustrationsCheck the back of the box.
>>4040237That's not Yamamoto's work but fair enough, the chibis on the back cover and manual illustrations do not follow that.
I honestly like MM3 better than 2R, I won't try and defend it from all the complaints it gets, they're really all true, but there's something about the game that keeps me coming back. I think 2R is a bit *too* convenient if that makes sense?
>>4043008Not really. Most of the QoL features introduced in 2 (like being able to completely strip vehicles of their engine/c-unit) only remove annoyances that didn't add anything.
>>3959199NTA, but here's 3's.
>>4043128Anf here's 2R's.
>>4043008Don't know about convenience but I personally really like 3's setting and story, places like Puerto Mori, Shelter or Morgue Town are some of my favorite settlements ever, on average I like 3's world more than 2 although I have to say 2's peaks are higher.The music is also fucking amazing, the vibes are just chef's kiss and MM as a whole has godlike vibes to begin with.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URKeIQsnOGA&list=PLavPZQO7N5efLhcMklZXE3lX3-mydZ0SN&index=3https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tLGsyPdBwg&list=PLavPZQO7N5efLhcMklZXE3lX3-mydZ0SN&index=13https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsJc1uu0Vc0&list=PLavPZQO7N5efLhcMklZXE3lX3-mydZ0SN&index=292R does win out by virtue of being so fucking massive as a game and also having many iconic locations like the Golden Hotel, but I think MM3 is just as good when it comes to the world due to being a little less silly for better or worse.With all their respective flaws and shortcomings 1, 2 and 3 are a goated trilogy for me, 2R stands at the top but the gap between games isn't really that big.
>>4043058Fair enough.>>4043291MM3 OST is fantastic but for some reason I always thought the regular battle theme was a bit "weak", I dunno, I think it isn't as energetic as the other games's. Not saying it's bad, just not my favorite.>>3963085Really now? I swore it was the other way around: Vlad uploaded his consciousness into a computer in order to preserve it while his body rotted away, but then NOAH went skynet and took control of every A.I system in the globe, this included Vlad's "mind" which led to him becoming obssesed with immortality and creating the grappler army so he could kidnap humans and experiment on them to create a perfect, never aging body he could upload himself into.But it has been a while since I last played 2R, so it's entirely possible I'm forgetting some dialogue somewhere.
>port of MS Season of Steel announced>Cygames said their Metal Max project hasn't been abandoned and is still in progress, according to their latest interview at FamitsuWe're going to eat so good (eventually)
>>4044639>according to their latest interview at Famitsu>2022. That's almost 5 years old now. Plenty of time to quietly can something.
>>4044639>>4044742When was the last news about Saga Wolves or whatever it was called
>>4044639What's with the 5th chibi? Is that supposed to be the dude from Xeno?
>>4044768I think that was the MC of the canned MM Wild West? Not sure.
>>4044768Nah Xenodude has red hair
>>4044768MM5 protag
>>4044847I hope not, looks like a chick
>>4044863Looks more like a stand in for a player created avatar to me.
>>4044742Nah 2022 was when Cygames bought Metal Max and took on board Miyaoka himself.In the latest interview (last month) they explicitly said that no project was canned and all previously announced games are still being worked on. Although only time will tell.>>4044753Teaser released two years ago, where they also shown a glimpse of gameplay. Judging from the level up screen looks like is running the same game engine as Xeno Reborn.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbD7GITt9xM
>>3953595I emulated Metal Max Returns a while ago and enjoyed it way more than I expected, I dunno how this didn't go on to become a more popular IP, the setting and concept alone is so distinct
>>4047172Not hard to see it if you look into the series' history>Starts off in the late NES days when almost no JRPG got localized>Neither SNES games got localized either despite being fairly successful but at least the series has created a following in Japan>Data East croaks while they were planning to release a Dreamcast game that gets killed off mid development, Miyaoka loses rights to the franchise so he has to start again from scratch with Metal Saga>Metal Saga is localized outside of Japan but it has no name to stand on in the west and it's drowned in a sea of big budget, highly marketed games, failing to create a niche for itself>None of the DS games get localized because Metal Saga bombed, but at least Miyaoka can buy back the rights to MM proper, by now even in Japan there's really no hype anymore>Miyaoka has an identity crisis and goes off the wall with Xeno, which is the most controversial game in the franchise's history and so far it looks like it killed the series until further noticeMM is a quintessential cult series but it's not hard to see why it didn't get popular, like many other old cult series like Glory of Herakles or Tengai Makyou, for what it's worth it definitely left a mark in the industry.
>>4047172The original Metal Max on FC/NES is insanely advanced for its time period. Feels like a design that could have come out for the first time 20 years later.
>>4047438>like many other old cult series like Glory of Herakles3 and 4 are solid games. Funny to see all the shit Nojima is lambasted for (bar time jannies) in some of his earliest games: the man loves mistaken assumption of identity as a theme.
>>4047438I'm amazed I've never heard of Glory of Heracles before
>>4048146One of DEs more interesting but well under the radar RPGs
I drew a Wiesel some time ago unrelated to Metal Max, but I guess if I paint it green it can serve as fanart? Worth a shot I guess.
>>4049741The little tank that really could
>>4043291I agree, MM3 feels like it achieved a perfect balance of tragedy and comedy. MM2 for example, is a fantastic game but it can also feel too gloomy at times, with the Grapplers having the entire map on a chokehold. Metal Saga on the other hand is trying way too hard to be funny to the point it gets annoying.
>>4052880That's why I just beeline to the last town in the West Continent. Wished it was easy to just go in guns blazing in that ziggurat, and also bummed that the best last town parts are not technically good enough for even the mobs surrounding the last city and last dungeon. At least Alpha a cute
>>4049741Cool tank, it's a Metal Saga lookalike although the Metal Saga version has like a brownlike desert finish to it.>>4053646How about the other girls?
>>4070158>How about the other girls?I think the Female Hunter looks really cool but I almost never use her because MM3 locks you with Drumcan and MM2R has unique sprites for the MC if you choose to be a hunter. I know party composition is completely meaningless in MM2R because of the headphones, but I dunno, it feels cheap using them.
alpha dying multiple times to become a c-unit, I hope not! she's the cutest in saga.>>4072918It's kinda a bummer that only the hunter sprite is different when you pick that as your starting class - I do like the red haired hunter girl and lad much more than the blonde ones. >headphonesI think the limitations here would be the gear that is allowed to be equipped and the headphones just impacts the subclassing. If there was a class perk to unlock all the weapons and gear of that subclass to the main class then any class distinction means for incredible flexibility on all three human party members.
lol?https://www.exophase.com/game/4583090-steam/achievements/
>>4086807At least it's a sign the series isn't fully dead, even if it's probably just a low effort port or something.
>>3980975Well, playing more of these, but got stuck with that tower and train boss, so probably going to check a guide and grind a whole lot of materials since I ran out of main gun and S-E ammo.
So I was planning on replaying Returns but decided to pick up the FC Metal Max since I never got around playing it.It's been years since I last played Returns, is there any guide/quick reference sheet or something for the good drops from enemies? Or stuff to find on the world map with the Detector? Just got the King Panther and I wanted to get the best stuff for my party.Also, about the C-Units, whats the best one for Red Wolf/King Panther/Panther?
>>4099288https://metalmaniax.com/index.php?MM1
>>4072918Party composition is definitely not meaningless, it's more that some shit is just clearly overpowered because you get the foot power stats of soldiers or wrestlers or hunter's driving stats without losing the utility of... utility classes
>>4099598Thanks. I completely forgot about the V48 Kong engine near Sol.Also, I guess C-Units only affect tank defense in MM/Returns? I was under the impression they also affected accuracy, but I guess I was wrong.And is the original supposed to be easier or harder than Returns? I remember having problems with Bad Valdez and Rommel Ghost when I played Returns but now I absolutely destroyed them in two turns. And I didn't even have the Lens Bazooka
>>4100197discovered any good reasons to play the FC version rather than Returns?
>>4100221I love the 8-bit style on the NES/FC. Otherwise, no, not really.It's still a fun game, anyway. And It's always nice to check out the roots of a series.
>>4100343I kinda feel guilty for not wanting to play an FC game but I've played Returns like 3 times over the decades since AG tl'd it and I know it too well
>>4100197The NES game is insanely easy once you get over the harder early foot section. Smoke shells are OP as absolute fuck.
>>4100567I keked audibly when I noticed the Big Cannons are fought in the same battle unlike returns. But after that and getting the soldier + third tank, I breezed through the rest of the game. Hell, my soldier one-shotted Dust Franky.>>4100563I enjoyed it, but honestly it's a one time deal. There's no reason to go back to it over Returns. And even less so compared to Reloaded or 3.
>>4100176The combat classes are Hunter, Soldier, and Wrestler while the utility classes are Mechanic, Nurse, and Artist?
>>4108442Yeah, pretty much, although Hunter is not really much better than a Mechanic at vehicle fighting if you have some way for the vehicle itself to give you a strong attack command like a cannon/SE rush. The stats of wrestlers and stats+equipment options of soldiers just put them in a completely different weight class than any of the others on foot though, and there are a lot of powerful foot bosses that you don't have many tactical options against (unlike all the options you have for building vehicles). And then you can stick mechanic, nurse, or hunter on them as their secondary and they have their stats plus most of what those classes do.
>>4108547*and trying to do that in reverse, like a mechanic with soldier secondary, doesn't work at all because the power is mostly from the stats and equipment with active skills being a distant third. It was just a kitchen sink kind of design they gave to players to do with what they feel like, a lot like with how ridiculously open tank modification in in MM2R compared to MM3 locking it down into something that could theoretically be playtested and balanced.
>>4116930I did not realize how crusty this image was when I posted it, holy shit. I am sorry, here's a better one.
Does anyone have a link to the Discord server for the MM3 and MM2R translators?
>>4124621nta, kinda sad that their invite link expired. They also used to develop their own fangame, last wish, and it has no updates since then.
>>4124621I'm kind of stupid when it comes to Discord so despite being in there I have no idea how to get a link.
>>4043058I absolutely see the sentiment but I think it's more about stuff like subjobs and leaving vehicle customization so open in 2R. It's "less restricting" but it also throws a lot of design stuff out the window heedlessly. It's not "QoL" though really - just player-convenience focused changes - but the guy you replied to didn't use the term QoL in the first place.
>>4130007Subjobs are kinda whatever. I wouldn't mind if they were gone, but I also think being able to switch so freely is dumb. I'd at least limit it to changing at towns. You're going to have to clarify what you mean by vehicle customization because as far as I know it's the same in both games with the exception of chassis remodeling not being permanent in 2R, which I do view as a direct upgrade.
>>4130094NTA but 2R lets you change each individual weapon slot separately, alongside the standard chassis modification. Iirc there are some fixed SEs for each vehicle that con only be accesed this way, but I could be wrong.
>>4130413Couldn't you do the same thing in 3?
>>4130424No, 3 only lets you modify the entire chassis at once, going through each weapon slot in sequence. So y'know it goes like>the first slot is a cannon>when you upgrade the tank for the first time you have to choose the second slot type>the second upgrade will decide the third slotAnd so forth, I'm simplifying it though, there's some quirks here and there. I went and took some screenshots from my save files, maybe this can clear things up.
>>4130094Was subjobs exclusive to 2R? I liked the skills but also using class-specific gear seems real gamechanging.>>4130450Police car in 3 starts off as a pure AUX-gun machine, and if I got the pattern that allows for the purchase of a sunbeam (heavy af) need better engines fug.
>>4099288Those the best tanks in that game? Also a build based on defeated enemy vehicle parts are nice.
