Who do you not like the most?

[Fragments.beta]

Silabus and Gaspard suck. They're pretty much just walking Macguffins. Silabus is more tolerable than Gaspard at least.

Also Sakaki. He might as well rename himself El Giganto Douchebag.

[Krizzle]

Personally, mine goes like this from most tolerable to least tolerable (#1 being most hated):

1. Negimaru
2. Aina (Yes. Aina.)
3.Bordeuax
4. Atoli
5. Sakaki

-Sakaki: Power hungry douchebag. 'nuff said.
-Atoli: Dies constantly. Is appearantly retarded and doesn't know when it's unnecessary to heal.
-Bordeuax:....Do I really need to explain this? Most useless character ever. We don't need another blade brandier. Edge punisher please? Gabi perhaps? That'd be sweet.
-Aina: "MY BROTHER'S DEAD! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Cry me a river.
-Negimaru:......I don't even need to explain this.

[Master ZED]

I think I answered the last thread on this, but whatever. I'll start from the most hated and go down, maybe my tastes have changed.

Balmung and Orca - Blade Brandiers with killshot Favorites and unchangeable equipment? Pass. Balmung comes first because of his HP Drain sword. Yeech. I should get that 50 Revive Storm back from that worthless cretin, but it's not like I have anyone in mind for them. :\

Bordeaux - A Brandier with a killshot Favorite... at least I can change her equipment. The trouble with Blades is that they're as weak as Twin Blades but with none of the speed that helps the latter make up for that shortcoming. Hell, I only chose it for myself as part of my Adept Rogue character for something different, knowing I could fall back on my spells. Anyway, something about Bordeaux annoys the hell out of me... I think it's her annoyance at being healed in addition to the killshot Favorite, along with her post-battle quote if things go badly.

Kite - He only gets points for his juggle immunity. Even when I play as him (after hacking his equipment of course), the lack of a guard break is irritating.

Matsu - He was good in Reminisce, then he got bitchy about his Adept Rogue class's faults catching up to him and took it out on everyone else.

Endrance and Atoli - I don't understand why these two lose their critical healing Favorite at certain points in the story, but it's extremely annoying (in Redemption, however, Atoli doesn't seem to lose it often if at all), and if it weren't for Seductive Rose, Endrance wouldn't have any use to me. Hell, he still doesn't even with his lost weapon; Silabus/Antares/Kaede with a Jet Speed Attack weapon whips his gender-ambiguous ass any day of the week. Atoli's only use is Ap Do prior to Yata's debut, after which she gets dumped for good.

Pi used to be on this list, but I don't notice her faults with Tabby around.

Now Yata... Yata is worthless by himself, granted (as a follower... if he could lead, Yata would be an entirely different story), but his main role is support. It's better to see Yata in action than read about it though. While I do use Demon Awakening here, keep track of how frequent the Awakenings are and how fast the gauge builds after the second such attack:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRaI4a4ihYE

YouTube, unfortunately, has imposed a 1000 character limit on descriptions, and if you've seen some of the descriptions I've written up, you know that's a real problem for me. I had already typed this up, so here's the original video description with only one edit to remove the link to this thread:

Done at phase 19 of the Forest of Pain (the Null Magic phase).

The problem with Yata is that the Macabre Dancer class is an odd man out. At first glance, it appears Lapu Do and the Twin Blade-esque fans are the only redeeming traits it has, its specialty of raising and lowering stats by 3 being effectively useless. Ap Do is really all you need though, and Clerics have that at weapon level 21. The fans give the Dancer a melee edge Clerics and Warlocks don't have (namely in speed), but that's about it. It has all of three ailments in Duk Lei (Poison), Mumyn Lei (Sleep), and Dek Do (Slow), only one of which is generally useful. It has the usual Repth/Ul Repth/Ol Repth arsenal and the three Attack Spells the Harvest Cleric class doesn't earn via weapon levels (Vak Don, Gan Bolg, Ani Zot).

So Harvest Clerics are good for healing and Shadow Warlocks are good at attacking. A Macabre Dancer is supposed to be good at support, but just how is that accomplished? This video is the answer.

As I've said before elsewhere, Yata is a godsend for the Forest of Pain, but I've never shown just why that is before. A thread on dothackersnet convinced me that I needed to do this:

(you're already here)

Honestly, most people don't give Yata the time of day after the last fight with Azure Kite, so a demonstration is pretty much in order.

What this video shows is Yata's greatest strengths, Lapu Do and combo Favorites, combining to give Haseo a nasty slew of Demon Awakenings that no enemy can stop because of a subsequent slew of Rengeki status.

Combo Favorites are powerful enough on their own, but Favorite quotes also give you a Morale-building advantage. There are two levels of Morale-building quote: normal and Favorite. Normal overrides normal, Favorite overrides Favorite. In the case of an override, no Morale is awarded for the lost quote. A Favorite quote cannot be overridden by a following normal quote, but the game is kind in that scenario, giving you the Morale from the normal quote instantly. It also does this if the same quote is triggered, say you get two 16 hit combos (and register them by moving Haseo's targeting cursor to the other enemy(s)) or if you heal the same person twice in rapid succession. This is what I've termed Morale stacking.

Yata is exceptional at this over his Cleric counterparts because combo Favorites appear often without the need for a special setup, whereas critical healing Favorites for Clerics have to be brought out with critical status and maintained through constant damage. See, both Favorites were fixed in Redemption; combos can now be triggered on every 16-hit combo (16 exactly, not on every multiple of 16) without having to "reset" an enemy by scoring the Favorite again on one of his allies first, but critical healing Favorites are no longer triggered by SP and status healing. The loss of this advantage, combined with the fact that Favorites in general give less Morale than in the first two volumes, gives the advantage to the humble combo Favorite which until this volume was nearly useless. Now you have less motivation to stare death in the face for more power, especially when combos are so easy to come by with a little something called dual guns at Haseo's disposal.

The stacking part of the Yata strategy comes from the fact that he's not just the only character with Ap Do, Lapu Do, and combo Favorites combined, but the only combo Favorite character with full party beneficial spells such as, you guessed it, Lapu Do. Full party status and healing spells don't need to seek out a target, obviously making them faster than even things like Repth (as Bo demonstrates). Under time's pressure, Yata can guarantee you more stacked Morale than any other combo Favorite user. I chose to spam Lapu Do because of the easy access factor (it's at the tail end of his spell list), but La Corv and the like would also work if you're cheap. The Morale comes from the fact that the third member will say something when boosted and Yata will say something upon casting the spell, both quotes stacked onto the Morale gauge instantly and then about half a second later as a result with no lag generated by a need for the targeting cursor.

So Yata's usefulness works as such, in no particular order because its the combination of these factors that make him so powerful:

1. Ap Do and Lapu Do
2. Combo Favorites
3. Beneficial full party spells

To put it bluntly, Yata is useful for the combination of speed and Morale gluttony. It's not his attacking power or defense that makes him powerful, but the fact that his presence and occasional spell gives Haseo as many uses of the Square button as he desires. All you have to do to keep Yata going at full speed is maintain his SP, but just having him sit in the background using Ap Do on occasion can be useful if you don't wish to optimize to the point I did here. The only downside is that you can only get the full benefit of his presence if your third member also uses combo Favorites, limiting your other selection to Pi, Silabus, Bo, Antares, Kaede, and Tabby. He still works by himself of course, but it won't be as effective.

For the rest of the video's components, I chose phase 19 and Bo to demonstrate that Yata's power knows no bounds when used properly. Bo is nearly useless at this phase because of Null Magic (which is why both act like they're on Tenacity when both are on the Rage strategy), but all he really needs to do is stack on a shred of Morale from preparing to cast Repth. Enough Morale is gathered from Favorites, Rengeki, and Lapu Do to maintain the Demon string anyway; Bo just helps ensure I get past the halfway mark. Yes, SP maintenance for Yata is done by the combination of the Icon of Purity and an Usurp Jasper+5 weapon (Spirit Grasp x2), but that's actually pretty unimportant. Not only does Dark Crow have SP Drain +10% already, but you could combine SP Regen with Rig Geam (another Dancer advantage) to regenerate at least enough SP for Repth. This is unfortunately why I say he's perfect for the Forest of Pain; Speed Charms and cheap full party items can take his place anywhere else, but an extended stay in the latter half of the Forest will wipe out said supplies, guaranteeing that you'll use Shino, Atoli, or Yata at some point. If you want combo Favorites as well, you have no choice but to use Yata. That doesn't mean he's bad in areas, but money can still give you other options at any other point in the game.

So how do you prepare Yata for combat? In this movie, I believe he's at his absolute best for this particular phase (the Usurp Jasper I mentioned before, Holy Comet+5 (Magic -50%), Passion Super Belt (Morale Boost)), but all that really matters is that someone has Morale Boost, Yata has a decent armor, and there's a reliable method for regenerating Yata's SP. If you've fulfilled those requirements, Yata can just sit back and throw Ap Do and Lapu Do around as needed. Observation and support were his fortes as G.U.'s leader, and the latter makes him an awesome character when he finally joins you in the battlefield. Most people just don't see the genius in his selection... but then, given how easy the game is already, can anyone really be faulted for that?

It's a rough draft only because it's so long already that I don't feel like editing it. :\

[ferdk]

well i must admit after the battle with the azure knights i was another hater of Yata , but with this explanation i think he has some use, i think i'll check the video....

OMG!! 140 hit combo?? nice!!! and you're awakening so fast, you didn't have any trouble with awakening bonus objectives at FoP , that's for sure
I think i'll try some things with Yata...

Sorry , about the topic , the characters i don't like at all are Gaspard , and i mean his personality , not about the gameplay , Endrance was so cool and yet so ... well , he was better without letting us know his sexual tendencies, And Death Grunty with his new voice is... not cool at all , and i miss the line "Oh , it's only Haseo , what do you want?" , besides that i think the other characters are just fine, oh , Melo Grunty is on my list too

[Haseo{Terror of Death}]

Saku, with that attitude she can KISS MY ASS!
Yata, I don't like the fans sorry Master ZED, but I can win any battle so, I do themes
Balmung and Orca, I don't like them cause they're so stupid, I'd prefer Boreduex and Kaede. Although Silibus is fun to use as well.
Sirius, cause you don't get to use him TT.
Gaspard, I only used him on the One Sin/Godeater/Whatever with Bo and of course those damn side missions...
Haseo before Xth Form...I'd have prefered for Kuhn to be the main character *My username is my biggest contradiction...I only like Haseo for the reasons I hate him...*
Aina, She was an annoying little USELESS BRAT.
Piros the 3rd Was as useless as Gaspard if not worse...
Atoli, Shino is better than her for the most part...She fails when it comes to healing time/rage time...
Ovan, for being a Douchebag boss...
IYOTEN and Asta, They were pretty cool, well IYOTEN was...I would have liked him in my party but he wasn't so f*ck him.
Bikman the NPC....stupid useless quests ><

In no particular order BTW although I hate Bikman the most

[Tokimatsu]

My dislike List:
1.Tabby:Just why dont you change your STUPID cat glove??!! It just giving stupid damages!!!!

2.Yata(even i use it to clear the game): you are a Dancer right so stand aside use your magic ,and stay where were you are!!!don't hit monsters and get paralyze,curse,sleep,etc so i have to heal you??? Get dream!!!

3.Bordeaux: Do i have to explain ???LOL

4.Matsu: Use your broad sword !!!! get a job extension!!!! Ask your guild master get X'th Form !!!! LOL

[EtherealDeath]

-

[shadow of skeith]

You know, I think I'll make a "Who is the best overall character in the series" topic or "What's the ultimate party" type topic.

But yeah, The characters that I dislike the most is.........

YATA- Masculent man with a not so masculent class. HE'S IN THE SAME CLASS AS HIRAGI FOR GOD'S SAKE.

HIRAGI- If only gay pride would bulid up the morale bar even faster.

SAKAKI- Power-hungry ten year-old with no experience as a leader. Play's WAAAAAY TO MUCH COMMAND AND CONQUER.

ATOLI- With an I.Q. lower than her self-esteem, she's a reasonable pick. HEAL, DON'T RUN.

CUBIA G.U.- What....a......Joke.....

MATSU- Too much of a Kuhn-wannabe.

[Tokimatsu]

Matsu only have 2 weapon mastery(Broad Sword and Bayonet),Haseo can wield 3 weapons(Dual Guns excluded),or he Don't HAVE any Friends to do Job Extendsion with? like Haseo,Silabus,Gaspard in volume 2 ????
At Least ask Zelkova to make him tobe Xth Form or new (A-Z)th Form and he can use dual Scythe(?) LOL

anyway,What's Douchebag means? i'm Asian =='

[EtherealDeath]

-

[Rattlingjoint]

Azura Knights: ZED put it best, They arent terrible but I cant make them connect well with Haseo.

Atoli: She's basically Shino except I want to jam scissors into my ears when she talks

Matsu: Steam Gunner FTL

Kuhn: see above

Taihaku: and again

Pi: Skimpy outfit and the personality of a shoe FTL

Kaede: I dont dislike her, shes just a Blade Brandier

Antares: again ^

Silabus: see a pattern forming?

Bordeaux: yep.

Asta: For not turning over a new leaf and joining Haseo

Iyoten: Not you; stay away at all costs

Alkaid: Shocking? not really. I rarely go 3 Twin Blades (on the rare occasion I form a party) Alkaid got the bump when Natsume joins up

Gaspard: I can handle his personality and hes pretty good in his own right; Except Sakubo cant be beaten.

Thats it. That pretty much leaves Shino,Zelkova,Tabby,Piros,Natsume,Sakubo,Yata and Endrance. Endrance because out of all the Brandiers hes the best overall. I actually use Yata alot from Azure Knights to Cubia(Havent done a Cubia battle where I hadnt brought him) Not too much after that unless I feel like tearing up FoP. Zelkova is good for power. Natsume when I dont want to kill things; I want to embarrass them. Sakubo goes nicely with that as well. Shino just cause. I chose Tabby over Pi because I prefer her attack pattern rather then Pis. That leaves Piros the 3rd, I've stated it before and will again: Piros can tear ass. A Lord Partizan can shred through anything and everything, Aerial;Shelled you name it. There is little out there that can resist a pierce attack.

[shadow of skeith]

Matsu only have 2 weapon mastery(Broad Sword and Bayonet),Haseo can wield 3 weapons(Dual Guns excluded),or he Don't HAVE any Friends to do Job Extendsion with? like Haseo,Silabus,Gaspard in volume 2 ????
At Least ask Zelkova to make him tobe Xth Form or new (A-Z)th Form and he can use dual Scythe(?) LOL

anyway,What's Douchebag means? i'm Asian =='

Okay, one, ask a female about that. It's a type of item, I'll stop there. and Two, just a note, but in Haseo's B-ST form, he could Dual wield Broadswords. I guess you can count that, even though Trilogy was non-canon.

[Rattlingjoint]

nothing from Trilogy can be taken seriously since its ice cream with crap on it.

Matsu has reached his limit as an Adept Rogue (1 point into Edge Punisher 3 into Steam Gunner)

[Tokimatsu]

I see...

(I don't have anything to say ,ethereal always countered my questions with Gurah Fist LOL )

[KiteFTW^_^]

Endrance,Endrance,Endrance.
....
I swear, this guy just SCARES me >_>
hes a good fighter, but his dialouge is kinda.....>_>
i liked him before you get him out of the crystal, he isnt emo then (or at least not AS emo XD)

[bl@ckr0se]

gaspard is the worst!!! grrr.... i hate him with a blind passion XP

[Jet]

In order of most tolerated to least.

Matsu
Piros the 3rd
Saku
Gaspard
Kuhn

Matsu, cocky, but tolerable. Piros just plain annoying, but strong. Saku, hahaha.... enough said. Gaspard, he's extremely weak for the missions they 'force' you to go on with him. Refuses to heal in Vol 2, just the WORST. Kuhn... surprising huh? He didn't level with the rest of my team like they typically do while you are training with two other party members. He was almost 10 levels behind Haseo easily and then I was forced to take him places in Vol 3 where he would die almost instantly. =(

[MechaGrunty]

I named My guy Cuddles in the original series and converted data. Soooo...

Azure Cuddles: Haseo gets creeped out by Cuddles, Then Cuddles unplugs the microphone from his computer and laughs.
Atoli: She thinks she's soooooo nice, but she wouldn't even give Mecha Grunty a hug.
Pi: Are old people even allowed to wear revealing clothes?

*Oink*

[maggosh]

Piros the 3rd. An utter waste of time, money and disk space.