04-28-2005, 02:35 AM
I don't post on here often (obviously), but just wanted to mention a few things as I played through the game as well.
For the martial arts, while still sharing the 'a' quick attack and 'b' power attack do have some noticeable differences. From playing around it seems to me that:
White Demon: Slow attacks but good damage without chi strike. Chi strike does not seem to help this that much since it hits slow and infrequently. The power attack is the quickest of all the martial styles. Good for low chi focused characters.
Legendary Strike: Seems kind of average all around, decent speed, decent range, the power attack sends you flying forward for the best range of all the power attacks. Good for everything as it's easy to use.
Leaping Tiger: My favorite, Wolverine baby! The quick attack has good range and does decent damage. The power attack is lacking in damage, but the fact you fly up in the air sometimes avoids enemies attacks, and looks the best to of all the power attacks to me. Good for characters that need a decent range.
Thousand Cuts: While the power attack is slow, and you the range on this style isn't the best (for quick or power attacks), if you hit focus mode to get it in on something with chi strike on you are going to hurt it. Chi strike does the best with this move as it hits more times than the others. Good for focus characters.
Twin Axes: Well not a martial style but I wanted to mention it because I was howling with glee the entire time I was using these. I was a mostly chi character and I still pretty much used these every chance I could from when I got them to the end of the game.
That's my two coppers anyways. I think you'll enjoy Grandmaster more than Master, it was more challenging although a lot of the same strategy applies. I switched over to it by the end of chapter 2 and actually died a few times, ymmv. The ravager fight on gm was quite the match.
What I didn't like about the combat is that martial styles are in general so much better than weapon styles because very few enemies in the game are immune to martial styles. My initial playthrough I used leaping tiger 90% of the time despite my love for the twin axes, and those same two attacks do get quite old. I tried to mix it up as best I could though. So I agree that a more in-depth combat system would be in order for Jade Empire 2, I would say so even if it meant fewer styles in the game.
Oh and some spoilers about the ending of the game (the three endings), since it was something I really didn't like:
END GAME SPOILERS ABOUT THE ENDiNGS OF JADE EMPIRE!!!
The three endings don't matter if you are closed or open fist. At the water dragon (where you actually see the water pouring out of it) if you choose to use the water dragon's power like Li is then you fight some of your party and you will get the 'closed fist ending.' Likewise the neutral ending is when speaking to Li right before you would fight him, let him defeat you and he will immortalize you as a hero. If you play through the whole game as Open Palm you can save at the water dragon and see all three endings, I thought that was kind of cheesy. You might still enjoy replaying through for the closed fist dialogues, you can do some downright diabolical stuff.
END END GAME SPOILERS
end-ramble
For the martial arts, while still sharing the 'a' quick attack and 'b' power attack do have some noticeable differences. From playing around it seems to me that:
White Demon: Slow attacks but good damage without chi strike. Chi strike does not seem to help this that much since it hits slow and infrequently. The power attack is the quickest of all the martial styles. Good for low chi focused characters.
Legendary Strike: Seems kind of average all around, decent speed, decent range, the power attack sends you flying forward for the best range of all the power attacks. Good for everything as it's easy to use.
Leaping Tiger: My favorite, Wolverine baby! The quick attack has good range and does decent damage. The power attack is lacking in damage, but the fact you fly up in the air sometimes avoids enemies attacks, and looks the best to of all the power attacks to me. Good for characters that need a decent range.
Thousand Cuts: While the power attack is slow, and you the range on this style isn't the best (for quick or power attacks), if you hit focus mode to get it in on something with chi strike on you are going to hurt it. Chi strike does the best with this move as it hits more times than the others. Good for focus characters.
Twin Axes: Well not a martial style but I wanted to mention it because I was howling with glee the entire time I was using these. I was a mostly chi character and I still pretty much used these every chance I could from when I got them to the end of the game.
That's my two coppers anyways. I think you'll enjoy Grandmaster more than Master, it was more challenging although a lot of the same strategy applies. I switched over to it by the end of chapter 2 and actually died a few times, ymmv. The ravager fight on gm was quite the match.
What I didn't like about the combat is that martial styles are in general so much better than weapon styles because very few enemies in the game are immune to martial styles. My initial playthrough I used leaping tiger 90% of the time despite my love for the twin axes, and those same two attacks do get quite old. I tried to mix it up as best I could though. So I agree that a more in-depth combat system would be in order for Jade Empire 2, I would say so even if it meant fewer styles in the game.
Oh and some spoilers about the ending of the game (the three endings), since it was something I really didn't like:
END GAME SPOILERS ABOUT THE ENDiNGS OF JADE EMPIRE!!!
The three endings don't matter if you are closed or open fist. At the water dragon (where you actually see the water pouring out of it) if you choose to use the water dragon's power like Li is then you fight some of your party and you will get the 'closed fist ending.' Likewise the neutral ending is when speaking to Li right before you would fight him, let him defeat you and he will immortalize you as a hero. If you play through the whole game as Open Palm you can save at the water dragon and see all three endings, I thought that was kind of cheesy. You might still enjoy replaying through for the closed fist dialogues, you can do some downright diabolical stuff.
END END GAME SPOILERS
end-ramble