Reading this thread is the best. You guys could be making all this stuff up and I'd have no idea. I cannot wait to play this crazy-ass game.

I'm feeling afraid to play this crazy-ass game. Very afraid.

I second the idea of you folks compiling an FAQ. Especially because I'd trust you to be as spoiler-free as possible.

I just became a BLADE member - officially. Now I'm alone in the Barracks deciding on what members to pick for whatever mission I want to do..

In otherwords, I'm lost and I love it.

I just wanted to concentrate on the solo experience for now so I haven't really read into the other stuff (tickets etc) yet.. Can you un accept a collection mission? Probably not.. I chose a few but they were all within the first main area so I'll concentrate on selecting missions that aren't collect a thons in the near future.

This Ticket thing seems interesting - I had no idea what those 5 icons at the bottom right were for..I just removed them from the screen and decided to look at them later. Let the other fools - ahem - I mean team members do that collecting for me.

@Smerd

Yeah you can cancel missions at any time via the message board where you accepted it from or just leave them in your mission menu and switch to another. There's no penalty for doing so and even though a mission is currently not your active one, it may auto complete if you do the required objectives.

This isn't a silent protagonist, people. This is a multiple personality protagonist.

During a fight, my guy is all "WHIZZBAM! AWWW YEAH!!!!" and then in the story he just nods his head and sits quietly in the corner. It's kind of off-putting.

Anyhoo, I have finally begun my journey. Hoorah.

I've also just officially become a Blade member. I thought I heard on RFN or something that time doesn't change like it did in the first Xenoblade, but I was happy to find out that was wrong. The first time it turned to night and I saw that huge moon was awesome.

@gojira

RFN must have meant to reference the fact you can't just change the clock any time. Only when at certain areas.

@DrFinkelstein
Yeah, I don't get that. How come I can only change the time of day when I'm pushed up against a truck? How does that even make sense?
I liked the flexibility of the original Xenoblade Chronicles. It might not have been realistic, but it was convenient.

About to start out on this Affinity Mission which DOESN'T involve Elma or Lin. Its weird! Taking Irina, Gwin, and Murderess, whaaaat?

@Smerd

But by participating in those (Hold R, and then Press L to see which enemies are the ones they're talking about; if you see them out in the wild, they'll have an S over them; take 'em out!), you get Reward tickets, the very same Reward Tickets that Gui is telling Zero about in order to make his life a lot easier.

@DrFinkelstein
@ploot

I think its simulating "just hang out here until X." The red benches in the city have the same function, like you're sitting down for a spell!

@Mr_Mustache
Ah, yes. That makes sense.
Still, being able to do it from the menu would be more convenient!

@DrFinkelstein

That's probably the case. I tend to be doing other things when listening to podcasts so I must've heard wrong.

Man..not sure if I got a lot done last night or not, but I played for a while. And on back-to-back missions, other BLADE members turned on me. Whaaat?

I was doing another mission (1 star, cake, right?) where I had to infiltrate some base in Oblivia (sitting at 45-50 while I'm only 33). I kept getting killed, but executed some wicked stealth and got to a guy who was being held prisoner. Turns out the door was locked, and I had to go look for some key elsewhere..where a "sentinel droid" type thing kept detecting me, and destroying me. I then looked in the distance and thought "can I get over that ridge?" So I spent the next 2 hours? trying to dig around. I FINALLY got on to the upper tier into uncharted territory, same level guys up there. While I was up there, I saw a Miranium Site which LOOKED like I could reach it, but I didn't want to risk it after I got up there.

You can guess what happened, and I've been sad since. HOWEVER, I think I'm just gonna get my Skell License on my next session and be DONE with it. Should make getting back there much easier. And sadly, I went to do one of my Affinity Quests which I thought would be fine...and Hope and I are not buddy enough. BUMMER. I gotta get her up to 2 Hearts, and she was barely 1 full. CRIPES.

There is an Affinity Mission with Doug where he's got like 4-5 Hearts full (missing 1, whatever that is), and I've got 1/5 of a heart full. WHY.

I think Mustache said awhile back that the affinity missions in this game seem more substantial than the last one? Well, whoever said it, I think I have to agree. Every one I have done so far has multiple parts, often involving going to areas I haven't fully explored yet and sometimes doing some pretty tough enemy fights, and they have more "story" in them than the main game does.

One thing that confuses me though like... I already have enough members (and then some) to form a full party using the main story characters. Why would I ever want or need any of the random scrubs in my party? I'll keep doing their affinity missions because they are fun, but I don't see why I'd ever actually put them in my party instead of one of the main characters.

@Zero

I think its because this game has more PLAYABLE CHARACTERS? No, I didn't beat Xenoblade for Wii, but I don't remember shifting guys in and out like crazy. Here, you can (if you really want to) have like 4 completely different units without much work, and fairly early on. I met a NEW playable guy yesterday that I didn't even know existed. How many guys ARE there?? (Don't tell me!)

Yes, there are some pretty awesome story moments out there in them. Did you do any with Lin yet? (I don't THINK these are Chapters..but they could be) where she asks you what you want to eat? And then you tell her? The 2nd time you tell her, your 1st option isn't available anymore. I thought that was a pretty neat touch. Mmm!

And as I mentioned above, you CAN'T do some of those affinity missions without using those guys. How the heck am I going to squeeze Doug in so much?? I have no idea. I usually use Elma, Lin, and then either "the other person," or I'll Scout one of you guys. As far as "using the other scrubs" in addition for solely Affinity Quests, I think they have different attributes and abilities. Liiiike, one of the guys I had was really resilient to Electricity (for whatever reason, might've just been gear, some Arts, etc.), and with him there (while underleveled), it was the closest I came to beating Hephaestus the somethingorother. I should know because I've been trying to beat this guy for the last 20 in-game hours. He hangs out in one of the lacks. A Duogill. I'm 7-8 levels over him now though, I should be able to drop him!

I usually have Yelv as my fourth member. He's definitely serving me well there.

@pokepal148

Wow, I don't even know who that is! WOW!

@pokepal148

I've been carrying him around with me also. He's a smug little bastard. Doesn't do that great for me but it's because he's a solid 10 levels lower than me. I'm in the mid-20s right now and he's like 15. Wish I knew how to get these characters raised up quicker. Still, a fourth person helps.

@Mr_Mustache

I've been enjoying the affinity missions with this game but I'm pretty frustrated with the whole "Do these tasks!" then you return, "Oh, and do these tasks!" and then I return, "Oh, and one more task!". Can't these missions be a little more straight forward?

@DrFinkelstein

Low levels will go up in level fast enough. I'm in my 40s and brought Yelv up with me and he wasn't even in his 20s I think. He goes up a level practically every battle when I fight level 40s. Also I don't know for certain but I imagine that once you get Skells, they're not limited based on their character level but actual level of the Skell model you're using. And they can still get experience for their base level too without dying in one shot.

I just found out that you can level up Arts and Skills. Holy crap this changes so much.

Didn't get TOO much done last night. I came SO CLOSE to beating Hephaestus the Absconder. DANGEROUSLY close. Soon enough, you asshole... Once I get Lv35, NEW CLOTHES FOR EVERYONE. That'll be funnnnnnn.

Didn't start Chapter 6 yet. I really wanted to get that Hope Affinity Mission out of the way. I originally planned to just TAKE her with me for 6..but I can't! Only 3 allowed in the pool!

DrFinkelstein said:

Wish I knew how to get these characters raised up quicker.

Tack on an XP Boost thing..!

As for the "do this stuff!" type of thing, I dunno. It doesn't bother me that much. Some missions are HELLA SHORT. Other ones that are long, eh, just tap around your map and you're GONE. ....You're not physically traveling places..are you?? You can just ZOOM everywhere.

@gojira

Yeah, dude! I think you could in the first game, too, right? Have you messed around with your Soul Voices yet? That changed a lot of stuff for me, and helped me understand it quicker. Probably why I jive so well with Elma and Lin, too.