What's your typical approach?

[Kite the TwinBlade]

I send Blackrose to attack it directly using strong Physical and Magical attacks and I put Wiseman to do his great o'mighty healing as I go around behind the monster and make it either face me and use Blackrose's skills or I'll use skills or jus plainly attack if me and my characters SP gets too low.

[kite_blackrose]

it depends on my party if i have a wavemaster i'll make him/her heal while me and blackrose attack but any other we all attck

[TsukasaElkKite]

I Data Drain whenever I want to, and then just lower the infection rate by whaling on regular monsters.

[seraph]

Whenever I come across a monster I haven't seen before, I always data drain it, so I can build up my collection of rare items and ryu books. Other than that, I usually fight the monsters normally, except when the monsters can use Rip Maen, those I usually data drain to save time.

[robinton19]

I've tried both methods you set out, and quite frankly, I would rather have a character, then a Game Over

[DragonoftheEarth]

what i do is find virus cores that i need. find the monsters that have them. get all the cores i need and then lvl up. You might be in the red by then but who cares once you kill a few monsters you'll be fine

[Phase 9]

I data-drain almost all my enemies because I have a pretty good feel for when a server crash is iminent, and I know how to handle the bugs when they occurr. Usually, my weapons, upgrades, and experience from the previous games make up for the lack of experience earned. Once I have completed the main game, I complete every side-quest and find the best items in that game for all of my party members (except Piros, I still hate you ). Afterwards, I go on a 5-hour killing-spree in the game's toughest dungeons. Once I start getting about 5 exp for each monster, I switch to the lower-level dungeons and burn them to the ground with my new strength for quick exp. Right now I am saving up for Quarantine, which I still cannot find at a store . (I do not like e-bay)

[Username_Balmung_]

Gain alot of exp mostly training go to an area 5lvl better than me and see how i match up im sort of like moonstone

[Bakuryukun]

How I play the game:

I'm a Trade-oholic (I NEVER buy weapons or Armor) and I usually spend an hour or so searching for the BEST equipment avalible at the time

I always sell Spell-casting Items for my Income (except for Speed Charms until I get the Time Sandels [I beleive that's what they're called])

I always store my Weapons I use lower level ones for Trades to get better Equipment and Higher level ones I give to other Party Members (although Kite obviously gets first dibs)

I also use the Rare Items (like the Rainbow Card and the like) for trading but not as much as I do common low level equipment

I usually Data Drain 1 or 2 monsters for every 4 or 5 Monster Portals I go through or if I'm in a sticky situation I'll Data Drain as well

I always clear both the Field and the Dungeons of all enemies and won't leave until I do

I use Speed Charms and Ap Do, any time I can

I always have all the stuff from the Ryu Books all the e-mails from everyone and everyone's affection rating maxed before moving on to the next disk

I almost always have a Wavemaster in my team and if I don't I give everyone in the team La Repth and Rig Seam

I try to use all characters equally

I pretty much only use Healing Items when fighting something REALLY difficult for the sake of convienince

so....yeah that's basically how I play

[Bakuryukun]

I data-drain almost all my enemies because I have a pretty good feel for when a server crash is iminent, and I know how to handle the bugs when the occurr. Usually, my weapons, upgrades, and experience from the previous games make up for the lack of experience earned. Once I have completed the main game, I complete every side-quest and find the best items in that game for all of my party members (except Piros, I still hate you ). Afterwards, I go on a 5-hour killing-spree in the game's toughest dungeons. Once I start getting about 5 exp for each monster, I switch to the lower-level dungeons and burn them to the ground with my new strength for quick exp. Right now I am saving up for Quarantine, which I still cannot find at a store . (I do not like e-bay)

if can I would suggest using http://www.Amazon.com it's SO easy to use

[Twilight Wave]

I only data drain when i needed a virus core, but now since i'm lvl 99..I jsut data drain for rare items to sell or to give to my party.

[xeno]

it is stupid and ridiculus but I fight head on, but that was before
I beat Quarantine now I do nearly the same thing but I dont data-drain as much, only when can and in trouble.but I am still trying to complete the
item competiton.

[Dot-Hack-Rocks]

Me too, that Item Completion thing is getting on my nerves..Has anyone finished it or completed it?

[TsukasaElkKite]

Me too, that Item Completion thing is getting on my nerves..Has anyone finished it or completed it?

I have about 80 items left to find.

[drizzt]

i got through the game with basically sanjuro, blackrose for attack and gardenia as attack and heal. you would be better off with sanjuro and black rose though they heal alot as long as you have the right lvl and weapons.