It's hard to find information on the current RO, because we're basically playing a black sheep episode compared to other officials. Other official server is playing 14.3 or later(Morroc reconstruction and 3rd class skill add on, job level expansion to 60), and we're playing 14.2. So a lot of guides are replaced since it's outdated for their servers. Your best bet is to find 150s on ROPD, befriend and talk to the 150s, and find your own opinion of it. I had to consult many mechs before me until I settled on a solid plan that suits my style.
Giant Axe and Hurricane Fury have high natural ASPD and can be enchanted for, so that's an option you can consider as opposed to defaulting to Pile Bunker. Bellum Guillotine has best raw damage on AxeBoomerang,
Sea Captain Hat[1] is a great hat exclusively for Axe mech with axe tornado and axe mastery aide. Ghost Ship Anchor Earrings are accessories that reduct the main 4 elements 5% exclusively for Mechs. Downside is that they are cash shop items, not cheap.
further research material:
http://www.inven.co.kr/board/powerbbs.php?name=subject&keyword=%B9%CC%C4%C9%B4%D0&x=22&y=8&come_idx=1957&iskin=&mskin=&p=1&query=list&my=&category=&sort=PID&orderby=&sterm=
Friday, April 25, 2014
Monday, January 23, 2012
The Novice Guide
-Why the Guide, and why here?
-The guides at major guide sites such as GameFAQs are horrendously outdated and generally more for private servers based on pre-renewal than say, the official server, so I went through some crushingly wrong steps. I want to prevent others from as much pain as possible, because Novice is a long road to take.
As for why writing it here, the very nice Perma Novices of our forefathers have published their guides on the official site and major guide sites, unfortunately and unintentionally causing immoral merchants to overcharge such noted gears. Think about it.. should Smokie Card really be more expensive than a say, Muscipular Card? The Merchants will skew price at any chance. By posting the guide here, I can relay the informations to people who matter--my guildsmen--while hopefully keeping the merchants ignorant of things they can overcharge with. Finally, it also serves myself as a memo of info.
-Why should I care, if I'm not a Novice?
Everyone has to go through a Novice phase at trans; called High Novices. Although they have 25% more HP and SP than a normal Novice, their strategy are the same as normal Novice counter parts. You can save time when you get there, and perhaps you can impress your other trans friends while at it. Also, for those wanting to be a Super Novice, one has to stay as a normal Novice until level 45. Finally, most strategies employed by a Novice that does not involve the Play Dead skill can also be done by someone else of other classes.
-What's good about rolling a Perma Novice, anyway?
Novices have no exp death penalties, and respawn at 1/2 max health. This means, for those novices and super novices who are not planning to get the death-free buff of +10:
free travel back to last save point; and spawnpoint-exploit grind at Beacon Island, and other world towns; and relatively stress-free playstyle wherein it's completely ok to fuck around.
Another thing about Novices is that, since there hasn't been any class changes yet, it's possible to exploit the class change quests to move around for free. Notably, free travel to Einbroch and Amatsu. Novices are allowed to carry weight-free equipments. For High Novices, this means neat things like the ability to park 3 Fabre cards in his/her Novice Cutters for 300 extra HP. With Adventurer's Suit(+700), that number becomes +1000 extra HP and those cards are inexpensive.
Finally, while doing a story based quests and talking to NPCs in general, Novices are treated differently than another class character would be.
-Strategy
-Novice-only skills
Play Dead! Play Dead, to my knowledge, will bypass every PvE attacks, to include MVP skills. To use it offensively, the Novice should cancel hit animation of self during attacks with a Play Dead. If timed correctly, the mob will carry on as if it never noticed it was hit. As long as the Novice has enough SP, s/he can hunt every creature that is not aggressive. Lag is a factor on this strategy, as is base AGI.
On PvP, a Novice can use PD to trigger a Hunter's trap, and take no damage from it. However, most people at this point, are aware of the direct counter skills to Play Dead: Provoke; and Dispell, so it is unwise to Play Dead in WoE settings.
-Skills in General
Novices too can use normal skills. There are three kinds of skills:
(1)skills that activate while you attack something;
(2)skills that activate while you get hit; and
(3)skills that have to be manually cast.
The (1) and (2) skills have to make contact to activate, meaning "miss" does not trigger the skill.
Generally, the first two kinds of skills are free of SP for the Novice, thus, are much more practical on the Novice than the last one. SP doesn't come easy, and not only that, they tend to be more well-known so are more expensive on the market.
-List of notable Skill-granting gears that Novices can wear:
Banana Hat(Provoke)(1) 50kz - 200kz
Fish Head Hat(Endow Tsunami: Water Enchant)(1) 5mz-10mz
Kettle Hat(Deluge or Water Ball)(1) 1mz-5mz
Lesser Elemental Ring(sense, find stone, item appraisal or greed)(1) +
(1st Aid, back slide, leap, sprint)(2) 5mz-10mz
Carmen Miranda's Hat(Charming Wink)(2)
Asprika(teleport)(3)
(Adjective) Wig series(hiding)(3) cash item
Bell Ribbon(Angelus)(3) cash item
Ice Cream Hat(Frost Diver)(3) cash item
Observer(sense)(3) cash item
All in One Ring(teleport and Heal)(3) cash item
-Set combos that grant skills:
Angel set(Assumptio)(2) 800kz-2mz for the set
Lude and Quve card set(Endure or Increase Agility)(2) 3mz-5mz for the set
Owl Duke and Owl Baron card set(Lightning Bolt)(1) 15mz+ for the set
Monk card set(Rideword, Cookie, Fur Seal, Wast Stove Cards)(Signum Crusis)(1)
Merchant set(weapon perfection)-insignificant rate and duration, not worth it
-List of notable skill-granting cards:
Bloody Knight Card on Weapon(Meteor Storm)(1) 30mz-40mz
Bongun Card on Accessory(Bash + knockback)(1) 50kz - 500kz
Chepet Card on Weapon(Heal not on self)(1) 5mz-10mz
Gazeti Card on Accessory(Cold Bolt)(1) 3mz-5mz
Hatii Bebe Card on Weapon(Frost Diver)(1) 60mz-70mz
Greatest General Card on Accessory(Summon Spirit Spere[atk+3])(1) 300kz - 1mz
Hydrolancer Card on Accessory(Spell Breaker)(1) 50mz-70mz
Kasa Card on Garment(Fireball or Fire Bolt)(1) 40mz-60mz
Maero of Thanatos Card on Weapon(Decrease Agility)(1) 3mz-8mz
Metaling Card on Weapon(Divest Weapon)(1)100kz-500kz
Mutant Dragonoid Card on Weapon(Fire Ball)(1)15mz-25mz
Owl Baron Card on Accessory(Lex Aeterna)(1)10mz-15mz
Owl Dude Card on Accessory(Impositio Manus)(1)1.5mz-4mz
Poison Toad Card on Accessory(Envenom)(1) under 50kz
Stormy Knight Card on Weapon(Storm Gust)(1)
Turtle General Card on Weapon(Magnum Break)(1)
Wander Card on Garment(Snatch)(1)4mz-5mz
Wickebine Tres Card on Accessory(Divest Armor)(1)3mz-7mz
Wind Ghost Card on Accessory(Jupitel Thunder)(1)3mz
Alarm Card on Footgear(sight)(2) 500kz-1mz
Aliza Card on Armor(charming wink)(2) 1mz-4mz
Amon Ra Card on Footgear(Kyrie Eleison/guard)(2)
Anolian Card on Armor(Improve Concentration)(2) 1mz-2mz
Antonio Card on Armor(Teleport)(2) 20mz-40mz
Clock Card on Armor(Guard)(2) 100kz-500kz
Dark Lord Card on Footgear(Meteor Storm)(2)
Detadeurus Card on Armor(Magnetic Earth)(2)
Errende Ebecee Card on Accessory(Pneuma)(2) 7mz-10mz
Geographer Card on Armor(Blessing)(2) 500kz - 1mz
Grand Peco Card on Headgear(Gloria)(2) 50kz - 300kz
High Priestess Card on Armor(Assumptio)(2)
Ifrit Card on Accessory(Earthquake)(2)
Ktullanux Card on Armor(Frost Nova)(2)
Loli Ruri Card on Armor(Heal on self)(2) 10mz-12mz
Margaretha Sorin Card on Headgear(Lex Divina)(2) 5mz
Muscipular Card on Shield(Heal or Increase Agi on self)(2)
Shinobi Card on Accessory(Cloaking)(2) 5mz-10mz
Poison Spore Card on Accessory(Envenom)(3) 20kz - 100kz
Obeaune Card on Accessory(Cure)(3) 100kz-300kz
Horong Card on Accessory(Sight)(3)
Joker Card on Accessory(Steal)(3) 1mz-2mz
Smokie Card on Accessory(hiding)(3) 1mz - 2mz
Marine Sphere Card on Accessory(magnum break)(3) 1mz-3mz
Pirate Skeleton Card on Accessory(discount) 5mz - 10mz
Stapo Card on Accessory(stone fling)(3) 20kz - 500kz
Vitata Card on Accessory(heal)(3) 5mz-10mz
Creamy Card on Accessory(teleport)(3) 1mz-5mz
Seeker Card on Shield(stone curse)(3) 1mz - 2mz
Sidewinder Card on weapon(double attack)(3) 5mz-10mz
Assassin Cross Card on Garment(Cloaking)(3)
Frilldora Card on Garment(Cloaking)(3) 5mz-10mz
Lord Knight Card on Headgear(Frenzy)(3) impossible for use until 200 SP is available.
As you can see, price does not reflect practicalities.
-PVE survival
Most mobs are aggressive. However, there will be many mobs that will change its mood from aggressive to passive, after chasing a Novice for a long distance. Most of the time, this can be seen after the monster displays /swt emote. For that very short moment, a Novice can use PD exploit or a long range skill to damage the monster, and go back to running away until it is "tired" again. The moment you see a "target ring" cast on your toon, Play Dead. You will be able to avoid most every PvE attacks. Use Play Dead to get back up from laying, and an aggressive monster will move towards you. This is useful in a party when you need to pull a mob away from your friends,
and when luring a mob into natural corners of a map you're on.
Build Strategy
-Dodge Novice
focus on agi and luk. This build type has the best survivability. Pet: Lunatic or Poring
-Critical Novice
focus on str, dex, and luk. The most well rounded buid. Pet: Chonchon Set: Grand Peco + Peco Peco Combo
-Wanna be Super Novice
focus on int and dex. Heavily relies on defensive skills. Slowest to level, most rewarding. Pet: Drops, Munak or Baby Desert Wolf
-Looter and High Novice build
focus on Agi and Str, use HP adding equips and cards. Fastest to level. Pet: Peco Peco
-PVP
Novice will not beat anyone on 2nd Job and above. That is just the way it is.
A Novice generally has easier time on Mages and harder time on Acolyte and Swordman.
Current iRO support all item use to include fly wing, if a Novice is on a match with melee type, the Novice should expoit this, and use magic scrolls.
-Novice, or Super Novice?
As you can see above, in theory, most skills that Super Novices naturally have can also be done by a Novice, although it takes an insufferable amount of play time to reach such feat. Also, the way a Novice casts a skill tend to be unreliable. A Novice has Play Dead, and Super Novice does not. If all else fails, and someone gets sick of playing a Novice, he can change class to another class that most complements his build. Super Novices cannot, however, they do get to use more skills at once, which is their strength. A Super Novice generally will beat a normal Novice on PvP. Generally speaking, Super Novices are regarded as the worst of the final classes, one only recommended for those who like Novices. However, it begs the question, if someone likes Novices, why would he stop playing as one?
Please comment on the guide and let any mistakes known.
-The guides at major guide sites such as GameFAQs are horrendously outdated and generally more for private servers based on pre-renewal than say, the official server, so I went through some crushingly wrong steps. I want to prevent others from as much pain as possible, because Novice is a long road to take.
As for why writing it here, the very nice Perma Novices of our forefathers have published their guides on the official site and major guide sites, unfortunately and unintentionally causing immoral merchants to overcharge such noted gears. Think about it.. should Smokie Card really be more expensive than a say, Muscipular Card? The Merchants will skew price at any chance. By posting the guide here, I can relay the informations to people who matter--my guildsmen--while hopefully keeping the merchants ignorant of things they can overcharge with. Finally, it also serves myself as a memo of info.
-Why should I care, if I'm not a Novice?
Everyone has to go through a Novice phase at trans; called High Novices. Although they have 25% more HP and SP than a normal Novice, their strategy are the same as normal Novice counter parts. You can save time when you get there, and perhaps you can impress your other trans friends while at it. Also, for those wanting to be a Super Novice, one has to stay as a normal Novice until level 45. Finally, most strategies employed by a Novice that does not involve the Play Dead skill can also be done by someone else of other classes.
-What's good about rolling a Perma Novice, anyway?
Novices have no exp death penalties, and respawn at 1/2 max health. This means, for those novices and super novices who are not planning to get the death-free buff of +10:
free travel back to last save point; and spawnpoint-exploit grind at Beacon Island, and other world towns; and relatively stress-free playstyle wherein it's completely ok to fuck around.
Another thing about Novices is that, since there hasn't been any class changes yet, it's possible to exploit the class change quests to move around for free. Notably, free travel to Einbroch and Amatsu. Novices are allowed to carry weight-free equipments. For High Novices, this means neat things like the ability to park 3 Fabre cards in his/her Novice Cutters for 300 extra HP. With Adventurer's Suit(+700), that number becomes +1000 extra HP and those cards are inexpensive.
Finally, while doing a story based quests and talking to NPCs in general, Novices are treated differently than another class character would be.
-Strategy
-Novice-only skills
Play Dead! Play Dead, to my knowledge, will bypass every PvE attacks, to include MVP skills. To use it offensively, the Novice should cancel hit animation of self during attacks with a Play Dead. If timed correctly, the mob will carry on as if it never noticed it was hit. As long as the Novice has enough SP, s/he can hunt every creature that is not aggressive. Lag is a factor on this strategy, as is base AGI.
On PvP, a Novice can use PD to trigger a Hunter's trap, and take no damage from it. However, most people at this point, are aware of the direct counter skills to Play Dead: Provoke; and Dispell, so it is unwise to Play Dead in WoE settings.
-Skills in General
Novices too can use normal skills. There are three kinds of skills:
(1)skills that activate while you attack something;
(2)skills that activate while you get hit; and
(3)skills that have to be manually cast.
The (1) and (2) skills have to make contact to activate, meaning "miss" does not trigger the skill.
Generally, the first two kinds of skills are free of SP for the Novice, thus, are much more practical on the Novice than the last one. SP doesn't come easy, and not only that, they tend to be more well-known so are more expensive on the market.
-List of notable Skill-granting gears that Novices can wear:
Banana Hat(Provoke)(1) 50kz - 200kz
Fish Head Hat(Endow Tsunami: Water Enchant)(1) 5mz-10mz
Kettle Hat(Deluge or Water Ball)(1) 1mz-5mz
Lesser Elemental Ring(sense, find stone, item appraisal or greed)(1) +
(1st Aid, back slide, leap, sprint)(2) 5mz-10mz
Carmen Miranda's Hat(Charming Wink)(2)
Asprika(teleport)(3)
(Adjective) Wig series(hiding)(3) cash item
Bell Ribbon(Angelus)(3) cash item
Ice Cream Hat(Frost Diver)(3) cash item
Observer(sense)(3) cash item
All in One Ring(teleport and Heal)(3) cash item
-Set combos that grant skills:
Angel set(Assumptio)(2) 800kz-2mz for the set
Lude and Quve card set(Endure or Increase Agility)(2) 3mz-5mz for the set
Owl Duke and Owl Baron card set(Lightning Bolt)(1) 15mz+ for the set
Monk card set(Rideword, Cookie, Fur Seal, Wast Stove Cards)(Signum Crusis)(1)
Merchant set(weapon perfection)-insignificant rate and duration, not worth it
-List of notable skill-granting cards:
Bloody Knight Card on Weapon(Meteor Storm)(1) 30mz-40mz
Bongun Card on Accessory(Bash + knockback)(1) 50kz - 500kz
Chepet Card on Weapon(Heal not on self)(1) 5mz-10mz
Gazeti Card on Accessory(Cold Bolt)(1) 3mz-5mz
Hatii Bebe Card on Weapon(Frost Diver)(1) 60mz-70mz
Greatest General Card on Accessory(Summon Spirit Spere[atk+3])(1) 300kz - 1mz
Hydrolancer Card on Accessory(Spell Breaker)(1) 50mz-70mz
Kasa Card on Garment(Fireball or Fire Bolt)(1) 40mz-60mz
Maero of Thanatos Card on Weapon(Decrease Agility)(1) 3mz-8mz
Metaling Card on Weapon(Divest Weapon)(1)100kz-500kz
Mutant Dragonoid Card on Weapon(Fire Ball)(1)15mz-25mz
Owl Baron Card on Accessory(Lex Aeterna)(1)10mz-15mz
Owl Dude Card on Accessory(Impositio Manus)(1)1.5mz-4mz
Poison Toad Card on Accessory(Envenom)(1) under 50kz
Stormy Knight Card on Weapon(Storm Gust)(1)
Turtle General Card on Weapon(Magnum Break)(1)
Wander Card on Garment(Snatch)(1)4mz-5mz
Wickebine Tres Card on Accessory(Divest Armor)(1)3mz-7mz
Wind Ghost Card on Accessory(Jupitel Thunder)(1)3mz
Alarm Card on Footgear(sight)(2) 500kz-1mz
Aliza Card on Armor(charming wink)(2) 1mz-4mz
Amon Ra Card on Footgear(Kyrie Eleison/guard)(2)
Anolian Card on Armor(Improve Concentration)(2) 1mz-2mz
Antonio Card on Armor(Teleport)(2) 20mz-40mz
Clock Card on Armor(Guard)(2) 100kz-500kz
Dark Lord Card on Footgear(Meteor Storm)(2)
Detadeurus Card on Armor(Magnetic Earth)(2)
Errende Ebecee Card on Accessory(Pneuma)(2) 7mz-10mz
Geographer Card on Armor(Blessing)(2) 500kz - 1mz
Grand Peco Card on Headgear(Gloria)(2) 50kz - 300kz
High Priestess Card on Armor(Assumptio)(2)
Ifrit Card on Accessory(Earthquake)(2)
Ktullanux Card on Armor(Frost Nova)(2)
Loli Ruri Card on Armor(Heal on self)(2) 10mz-12mz
Margaretha Sorin Card on Headgear(Lex Divina)(2) 5mz
Muscipular Card on Shield(Heal or Increase Agi on self)(2)
Shinobi Card on Accessory(Cloaking)(2) 5mz-10mz
Poison Spore Card on Accessory(Envenom)(3) 20kz - 100kz
Obeaune Card on Accessory(Cure)(3) 100kz-300kz
Horong Card on Accessory(Sight)(3)
Joker Card on Accessory(Steal)(3) 1mz-2mz
Smokie Card on Accessory(hiding)(3) 1mz - 2mz
Marine Sphere Card on Accessory(magnum break)(3) 1mz-3mz
Pirate Skeleton Card on Accessory(discount) 5mz - 10mz
Stapo Card on Accessory(stone fling)(3) 20kz - 500kz
Vitata Card on Accessory(heal)(3) 5mz-10mz
Creamy Card on Accessory(teleport)(3) 1mz-5mz
Seeker Card on Shield(stone curse)(3) 1mz - 2mz
Sidewinder Card on weapon(double attack)(3) 5mz-10mz
Assassin Cross Card on Garment(Cloaking)(3)
Frilldora Card on Garment(Cloaking)(3) 5mz-10mz
Lord Knight Card on Headgear(Frenzy)(3) impossible for use until 200 SP is available.
As you can see, price does not reflect practicalities.
-PVE survival
Most mobs are aggressive. However, there will be many mobs that will change its mood from aggressive to passive, after chasing a Novice for a long distance. Most of the time, this can be seen after the monster displays /swt emote. For that very short moment, a Novice can use PD exploit or a long range skill to damage the monster, and go back to running away until it is "tired" again. The moment you see a "target ring" cast on your toon, Play Dead. You will be able to avoid most every PvE attacks. Use Play Dead to get back up from laying, and an aggressive monster will move towards you. This is useful in a party when you need to pull a mob away from your friends,
and when luring a mob into natural corners of a map you're on.
Build Strategy
-Dodge Novice
focus on agi and luk. This build type has the best survivability. Pet: Lunatic or Poring
-Critical Novice
focus on str, dex, and luk. The most well rounded buid. Pet: Chonchon Set: Grand Peco + Peco Peco Combo
-Wanna be Super Novice
focus on int and dex. Heavily relies on defensive skills. Slowest to level, most rewarding. Pet: Drops, Munak or Baby Desert Wolf
-Looter and High Novice build
focus on Agi and Str, use HP adding equips and cards. Fastest to level. Pet: Peco Peco
-PVP
Novice will not beat anyone on 2nd Job and above. That is just the way it is.
A Novice generally has easier time on Mages and harder time on Acolyte and Swordman.
Current iRO support all item use to include fly wing, if a Novice is on a match with melee type, the Novice should expoit this, and use magic scrolls.
-Novice, or Super Novice?
As you can see above, in theory, most skills that Super Novices naturally have can also be done by a Novice, although it takes an insufferable amount of play time to reach such feat. Also, the way a Novice casts a skill tend to be unreliable. A Novice has Play Dead, and Super Novice does not. If all else fails, and someone gets sick of playing a Novice, he can change class to another class that most complements his build. Super Novices cannot, however, they do get to use more skills at once, which is their strength. A Super Novice generally will beat a normal Novice on PvP. Generally speaking, Super Novices are regarded as the worst of the final classes, one only recommended for those who like Novices. However, it begs the question, if someone likes Novices, why would he stop playing as one?
Please comment on the guide and let any mistakes known.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
JRPG guide
I am pretty knowlegable on this genre. Here is a copypasta from another message board for good jRPG recommendations up to 2010 ish.
This generation kind of sucks for those, you need to get into handheld for good ones. If you don't mind classics:
Tales of Phantasia for 2D Tales, Tales of Symphonia for 3D Tales, then you decide for the rest of the series
Wild ARMs 1,2,3, and 5 and decide if you like the series enough to try xf and 4
Breath of Fire 1-4
Dragon Quest 3-8
Rhapsody of Zephyr(Dreamcast)
Koudelka and Shadow Hearts series
Grandia 1-3, then decide for youself whether to play Xtreme
SaGa aka Final Fantasy Legend series on GB
Romancing SaGa on SNES
SaGa Frontier series and "Romancing SaGa" on PS2(not the same as one on SNES)
Star Ocean 1 on SNES, 2 on PS1 if you are the type to learn how to exploit a game, and play for characters
Valkyrie Profile 1 on PSX and 2 on PS2
Suikoden 1-2 and then decide for 3-5
Secret of Mana(aka Seiken Densetsu 2), Seiken Densetsu 3 on SNES. You might also like Sword of Mana on GBA and Legend of Mana on PSX. DISCARD THE OTHER MANA GAMES
Luna: Silver Star Story on either PS1 or Saturn, Saturn one is original
Golden Sun series on GBA only
Skies of Arcadia(aka Eternal Arcadia) if you like FF10 style gameplay and happy stories
Nostalgia on DS if you liked Skies of Arcadia
The Legend of Heroes 1-3 and Trails of the Sky on PSP
Phantasy Star 1-3 for something classic, 4 is the modern style take on the series.
Panzer Dragoon series on Saturn
Shining Force 1 and 2 on GBA or Genesis, 3 is an incomplete game
Zwei! on PC if you can get the translation to work
Summon Knight on GBA
Riviera on GBA or Wonderswan, PSP one has worse voice acting for better BGM. This is a /tg/ take on jRPG.
Front Mission 1-4 on PSX and PS2
Fire Emblem and Advanced Wars on GBA and NDS
Orgre Battle Series/Tactics Ogre for a RTS + JRPG hybrid
and Kingdom under Fire if you liked Tactics Ogre
Havest Moon: strategy and farming jRPG where you marry a woman to end a game
Alcahest: Square's action jRPG on SNES before they decided they liked movies for games
Einhander: Squaresoft's shoot em up
Stigma Star Saga: a really barebone shoot em up jRPG on GBA
Alundra: Dungeon Crawler on PSX
Evolution Worlds: compilation of Evolution games, the dungeon crawler, on GC
Mega Man Battle Network and Mega Man Star Force:
pre-set strategy on NDS if you like to find about Mega Man series lore
Guardian Heroes: short Beat-em-up and JRPG hybrid on Saturn
Super Mario RPG on SNES: focuses heavily on mini games and timing
Parasite EVE 1 and 2 on PSX: sci-fi/steampunk jRPG
Vagrant Story on PSX: action jRPG that take on Final Fantasy world
XenoGears on PSX: religious mecha anime game
Chrono Trigger on SNES and DS and Chrono Cross on PSX: very famous take by Squaresoft on time and dimention crossing
Legend of Dragoon on PSX
Legend of Legaia 1 on PSX ONLY: a fighting game and jRPG cross. AVOID THE SECOND GAME.
Persona: if you don't minding a Fatlus
and Digital Devil SaGa on PC, the first game: unforgiving 1st person horror jRPG.
7th Saga: very old school jRPG where you choose your heroes and the rest of playable characters may turn on you or join you depending on your recruitment.
ActRaiser 1 on SNES: action/strategy game wherein you are GOD and you salvage people
Terranigma on SNES: Buddhism take on an action jRPG - if you liked it, try Illusion of Gaia next
Chrystalis on NES: mix of Zelda 1 and 2 much like Final Fantasy Adventure, with sci-fi theme
Dark Cloud 1 and 2 on PS2: jRPG with more customization
LUFIA 2 on SNES: a jRPG wherein dungeons are completely made of puzzles
Earthbound(aka Mother) on GBA and SNES: a jRPG with modern setting and psychic kids
Land Stalker and Lady Stalker both on SNES and Genesis: action-adventure jRPG, with terrible control but good otherwise
Magna Carta 2: action jRPG, only play the 2nd one on XBOX360 then you decide if you want the rest on PC
PoPoLocrois on PSP: a long PS1 era style jRPG
River City Ransom: short beat-em-up and jRPG mix where you rescue your girlfriend with your bro.
Super Robot Wars Gaiden Endless Frontier on DS: an ecchi mecha game with tons of jokes in it.
Ys 1 anc 2 on PC or PSP, fuck the other ports: action jRPG where there is no "attack" command, you simply ram into everything
If you can't find PS1 games, then get the PSN versions. I have not mentioned Korean classics such as War of Genesis that aren't easily accessible in the West.
Amendments
4bit-8 bit era
Dragon Ball RPGs(NES)
Dragon Quest 3/4(NES)
Final Fantasy(NES)
Final Fantasy Legend 1,2,3(GB)
Lufia: Legend Returns(GBC)
Chrysalis(NES)
Pokémon Red/Blue(GBC)
Dragon Quest Monsters /2(GBC)
16 bit era
Harvest Moon(SNES)
Chrono Trigger(SNES)
Final Fantasy 4/5/6(SNES)
Dragon Quest 5/6(SNES)
Terranigma(SNES)
Romancing SaGa 3(SNES)
Secret of Evermore(SNES)
Lufia 2 (SNES)
Super Mario RPG(SNES)
Front Mission (SNES)
7th Saga(SNES)
Ogre Battle(SNES)
Shining Force(Genesis)
Phantasy Star 2/3/4(Genesis)
Princess Maker 1/2(PC)
War of Genesis 2(PC)
Astonishia Story R(PC)
Lunar: Silver Story(Sega CD)
Samurai Shodown RPG(Neo Geo CD)
Generation V
Grandia (Saturn)
Panzer Dragoon Saga(Saturn)
Magic Knight Rayearth(Saturn)
Sakura Wars(Saturn)
SaGa Frontier 1/2(Playstation)
Suikoden /2(Playstation)
Tales of Destiny /2(Playstation)
Tales of Eternia (Playstation)
Final Fantasy 7(Playstation)
Final Fantasy Tactics(Playstation)
Parasite Eve /2(Playstation)
Koudelka(Playstation)
Valkyrie Profile(Playstation)
Xenogears(Playstation)
Thousand Arms(Playstation)
Dragon Quest 7(Playstation)
Mega Man Legend /2(Playstation)
Breath of Fire 3/4(Playstation)
Wild ARMs 1/2(playstation)
Diablo 1/2(PC)
War of Genesis: Rhapsody of Zephyr(PC)
Forgotten Saga(PC)
Ogre Battle 64(N64)
Harvest Moon 64(N64)
Generation VI
Grandia 2(DC)
Skies of Arcadia (DC)
Shenmue /2(DC)
Valkyrie Profile 2(PS2)
Breath of Fire Dragon Quarters(PS2)
Dark Cloud /2(PS2)
Dragon Quest 8(PS2)
Front Mission 4(PS2)
Suikoden 3(PS2)
Shadow of Destiny(PS2)
Shadow Hearts(PS2)
Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland(PS2)
Kingdom Under Fire(Xbox/PC)
Wild ARMS 3/4/5/AF(PS2)
Atlier Iris /2/3(PS2)
War of Genesis 3/part2(PC)
Zwei(PC)
Game Boy Advance
Riviera
Golden Sun/Lost Age
Shining Soul/2
Summon Knight Swordcraft Saga /2
Zone of the Enders
Harvest Moon: (more)Friends of Mineral Town
Neo Geo Pocket Color
Feselei!
Dark Arms
Evolution
NDS
Super Robot Wars Endless Frontier
PSP
Crimson Gem Saga
Wild ARMS XF
Legend of Heroes /2/3
Jeanne D'Arc
Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
Not including the handheld ones because of space allowed for posting. I can blind pick any of these and have a great time for that weekend. It goes without saying, it's my personal taste so if you don't like it, fuck off.
This generation kind of sucks for those, you need to get into handheld for good ones. If you don't mind classics:
Tales of Phantasia for 2D Tales, Tales of Symphonia for 3D Tales, then you decide for the rest of the series
Wild ARMs 1,2,3, and 5 and decide if you like the series enough to try xf and 4
Breath of Fire 1-4
Dragon Quest 3-8
Rhapsody of Zephyr(Dreamcast)
Koudelka and Shadow Hearts series
Grandia 1-3, then decide for youself whether to play Xtreme
SaGa aka Final Fantasy Legend series on GB
Romancing SaGa on SNES
SaGa Frontier series and "Romancing SaGa" on PS2(not the same as one on SNES)
Star Ocean 1 on SNES, 2 on PS1 if you are the type to learn how to exploit a game, and play for characters
Valkyrie Profile 1 on PSX and 2 on PS2
Suikoden 1-2 and then decide for 3-5
Secret of Mana(aka Seiken Densetsu 2), Seiken Densetsu 3 on SNES. You might also like Sword of Mana on GBA and Legend of Mana on PSX. DISCARD THE OTHER MANA GAMES
Luna: Silver Star Story on either PS1 or Saturn, Saturn one is original
Golden Sun series on GBA only
Skies of Arcadia(aka Eternal Arcadia) if you like FF10 style gameplay and happy stories
Nostalgia on DS if you liked Skies of Arcadia
The Legend of Heroes 1-3 and Trails of the Sky on PSP
Phantasy Star 1-3 for something classic, 4 is the modern style take on the series.
Panzer Dragoon series on Saturn
Shining Force 1 and 2 on GBA or Genesis, 3 is an incomplete game
Zwei! on PC if you can get the translation to work
Summon Knight on GBA
Riviera on GBA or Wonderswan, PSP one has worse voice acting for better BGM. This is a /tg/ take on jRPG.
Front Mission 1-4 on PSX and PS2
Fire Emblem and Advanced Wars on GBA and NDS
Orgre Battle Series/Tactics Ogre for a RTS + JRPG hybrid
and Kingdom under Fire if you liked Tactics Ogre
Havest Moon: strategy and farming jRPG where you marry a woman to end a game
Alcahest: Square's action jRPG on SNES before they decided they liked movies for games
Einhander: Squaresoft's shoot em up
Stigma Star Saga: a really barebone shoot em up jRPG on GBA
Alundra: Dungeon Crawler on PSX
Evolution Worlds: compilation of Evolution games, the dungeon crawler, on GC
Mega Man Battle Network and Mega Man Star Force:
pre-set strategy on NDS if you like to find about Mega Man series lore
Guardian Heroes: short Beat-em-up and JRPG hybrid on Saturn
Super Mario RPG on SNES: focuses heavily on mini games and timing
Parasite EVE 1 and 2 on PSX: sci-fi/steampunk jRPG
Vagrant Story on PSX: action jRPG that take on Final Fantasy world
XenoGears on PSX: religious mecha anime game
Chrono Trigger on SNES and DS and Chrono Cross on PSX: very famous take by Squaresoft on time and dimention crossing
Legend of Dragoon on PSX
Legend of Legaia 1 on PSX ONLY: a fighting game and jRPG cross. AVOID THE SECOND GAME.
Persona: if you don't minding a Fatlus
and Digital Devil SaGa on PC, the first game: unforgiving 1st person horror jRPG.
7th Saga: very old school jRPG where you choose your heroes and the rest of playable characters may turn on you or join you depending on your recruitment.
ActRaiser 1 on SNES: action/strategy game wherein you are GOD and you salvage people
Terranigma on SNES: Buddhism take on an action jRPG - if you liked it, try Illusion of Gaia next
Chrystalis on NES: mix of Zelda 1 and 2 much like Final Fantasy Adventure, with sci-fi theme
Dark Cloud 1 and 2 on PS2: jRPG with more customization
LUFIA 2 on SNES: a jRPG wherein dungeons are completely made of puzzles
Earthbound(aka Mother) on GBA and SNES: a jRPG with modern setting and psychic kids
Land Stalker and Lady Stalker both on SNES and Genesis: action-adventure jRPG, with terrible control but good otherwise
Magna Carta 2: action jRPG, only play the 2nd one on XBOX360 then you decide if you want the rest on PC
PoPoLocrois on PSP: a long PS1 era style jRPG
River City Ransom: short beat-em-up and jRPG mix where you rescue your girlfriend with your bro.
Super Robot Wars Gaiden Endless Frontier on DS: an ecchi mecha game with tons of jokes in it.
Ys 1 anc 2 on PC or PSP, fuck the other ports: action jRPG where there is no "attack" command, you simply ram into everything
If you can't find PS1 games, then get the PSN versions. I have not mentioned Korean classics such as War of Genesis that aren't easily accessible in the West.
Amendments
4bit-8 bit era
Dragon Ball RPGs(NES)
Dragon Quest 3/4(NES)
Final Fantasy(NES)
Final Fantasy Legend 1,2,3(GB)
Lufia: Legend Returns(GBC)
Chrysalis(NES)
Pokémon Red/Blue(GBC)
Dragon Quest Monsters /2(GBC)
16 bit era
Harvest Moon(SNES)
Chrono Trigger(SNES)
Final Fantasy 4/5/6(SNES)
Dragon Quest 5/6(SNES)
Terranigma(SNES)
Romancing SaGa 3(SNES)
Secret of Evermore(SNES)
Lufia 2 (SNES)
Super Mario RPG(SNES)
Front Mission (SNES)
7th Saga(SNES)
Ogre Battle(SNES)
Shining Force(Genesis)
Phantasy Star 2/3/4(Genesis)
Princess Maker 1/2(PC)
War of Genesis 2(PC)
Astonishia Story R(PC)
Lunar: Silver Story(Sega CD)
Samurai Shodown RPG(Neo Geo CD)
Generation V
Grandia (Saturn)
Panzer Dragoon Saga(Saturn)
Magic Knight Rayearth(Saturn)
Sakura Wars(Saturn)
SaGa Frontier 1/2(Playstation)
Suikoden /2(Playstation)
Tales of Destiny /2(Playstation)
Tales of Eternia (Playstation)
Final Fantasy 7(Playstation)
Final Fantasy Tactics(Playstation)
Parasite Eve /2(Playstation)
Koudelka(Playstation)
Valkyrie Profile(Playstation)
Xenogears(Playstation)
Thousand Arms(Playstation)
Dragon Quest 7(Playstation)
Mega Man Legend /2(Playstation)
Breath of Fire 3/4(Playstation)
Wild ARMs 1/2(playstation)
Diablo 1/2(PC)
War of Genesis: Rhapsody of Zephyr(PC)
Forgotten Saga(PC)
Ogre Battle 64(N64)
Harvest Moon 64(N64)
Generation VI
Grandia 2(DC)
Skies of Arcadia (DC)
Shenmue /2(DC)
Valkyrie Profile 2(PS2)
Breath of Fire Dragon Quarters(PS2)
Dark Cloud /2(PS2)
Dragon Quest 8(PS2)
Front Mission 4(PS2)
Suikoden 3(PS2)
Shadow of Destiny(PS2)
Shadow Hearts(PS2)
Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland(PS2)
Kingdom Under Fire(Xbox/PC)
Wild ARMS 3/4/5/AF(PS2)
Atlier Iris /2/3(PS2)
War of Genesis 3/part2(PC)
Zwei(PC)
Game Boy Advance
Riviera
Golden Sun/Lost Age
Shining Soul/2
Summon Knight Swordcraft Saga /2
Zone of the Enders
Harvest Moon: (more)Friends of Mineral Town
Neo Geo Pocket Color
Feselei!
Dark Arms
Evolution
NDS
Super Robot Wars Endless Frontier
PSP
Crimson Gem Saga
Wild ARMS XF
Legend of Heroes /2/3
Jeanne D'Arc
Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
Not including the handheld ones because of space allowed for posting. I can blind pick any of these and have a great time for that weekend. It goes without saying, it's my personal taste so if you don't like it, fuck off.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
RPG Backlog!
Crysalis(NES)
Tenchi o Kurau II - Shokatsu Koumei Den aka Destiny of an Emperor 2(NES)
Grand Master(NES)
FFLegend 1-3(GB)
FFAdventure(GB)
Dragon Quest 3(GBC)
Star Ocean Blue Sphere(GBC)
7Th Saga(SNES)
Alcahest(SNES)
Lufia 2(SNES)
Seiken Densetsu 3(SNES)
Secret of Evermore(SNES)
Terranigma(SNES)
Dragon Quest 5(SNES)
Shadowrun(Genesis & SNES, they're different)
Live A Live(SNES)
Star Ocean 1(SNES)
Super Mario RPG(SNES)
Tactics Ogre LUCT(SNES)
Tales of Phantasia(SNES)
Phantasy Star 2 and 4(Genesis)
Beyond Oasis(Genesis)
Langrisser 1-2(Genesis, L1 is also called Warsong)
Landstalker(Genesis)
Shining Force 1-2(Genesis)
Elder Scroll 1&2 available free on their official website
Ultima 4-6(PC)@ http://www.ultimaforever.com/
Tenchi o Kurau II - Shokatsu Koumei Den aka Destiny of an Emperor 2(NES)
Grand Master(NES)
FFLegend 1-3(GB)
FFAdventure(GB)
Dragon Quest 3(GBC)
Star Ocean Blue Sphere(GBC)
7Th Saga(SNES)
Alcahest(SNES)
Lufia 2(SNES)
Seiken Densetsu 3(SNES)
Secret of Evermore(SNES)
Terranigma(SNES)
Dragon Quest 5(SNES)
Shadowrun(Genesis & SNES, they're different)
Live A Live(SNES)
Star Ocean 1(SNES)
Super Mario RPG(SNES)
Tactics Ogre LUCT(SNES)
Tales of Phantasia(SNES)
Phantasy Star 2 and 4(Genesis)
Beyond Oasis(Genesis)
Langrisser 1-2(Genesis, L1 is also called Warsong)
Landstalker(Genesis)
Shining Force 1-2(Genesis)
Elder Scroll 1&2 available free on their official website
Ultima 4-6(PC)@ http://www.ultimaforever.com/
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Easy Food: Pizza Omelet
Sup. This morning, I tried out the pizza omelet, and I liked it very much too. I figured I should give a few heads-up here, I found a easy way to do this.
1 - pop the yolk when frying them
2 - put the cooked egg on a dish
3 - put frozen pizza on top of the egg so that the pizza topping touches the egg
3a - microwave the whole thing for 1 minute
4 - peel the pizza crust with a spoon
1 - pop the yolk when frying them
2 - put the cooked egg on a dish
3 - put frozen pizza on top of the egg so that the pizza topping touches the egg
3a - microwave the whole thing for 1 minute
4 - peel the pizza crust with a spoon
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Anamanoguchi hype
The dudes behind Scott Pilgram the game's OST just had a concert at DNA Lounge. These guys were pretty cool. Even though I couldn't be there physically, I was able to catch the live on DNA Lounge Stream. I really admire guys like this. They were so hardcore at liking what they do, they made it work.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
One voice about Puentes Hill Hyundai and buying a used car in America in general
This post is made to warn others(while reminding myself) of a vehicle purchase and what the dealers do to mess their customers up.
I recently bought an Accent 2010 model from Puentes Hill Hyundai in City of Industry. This is my fifth car. First one, 2001 Sonata, was more or less entirely paid off by my father. The Second one was a 1990 Jimmy, bought from my boss who was leaving the unit for a case of beer when I got to my duty station, Alpha Company 45STB 45SB, in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. After my then girlfriend crashed the car in an accident and totaled it, I got a 1995 Contour, which was absolutely the worst car I've driven. Fast forward past my discharge and my new work in civilian world, I got a 1995 Ford F350 modified into a moving center box truck, from UHaul which I got to put myself in case I needed to start a merchant work.
My first mistake was being a respectable person. My work schedule was hefty, and it was not easy to get a day off, hence I went there after work before the dealership shuts down. I did actually go there on my once-in-two weeks break on Sunday prior, but the dealer stood me up. Her name is Jenny Ahn of Puentes Hill Hyundai. So the second time I got there was a weekday night, and to my surprise she stood me up again. I called her twice on the way up there from Irvine to Industry, too. When I got there, the new 2010 Elantra that she promised me for 9500 did not exist. I had instead a 2010 Accent, an USED one. On top of that, the dealer herself was MIA. I would forgive being stood up the first time for anyone. The second time, though, hardly anyone in my shoes would. I was in the short end of stick since my apartment had been threatening me to tow away my box truck, and I thus needed to get rid of it. I reluctantly and against the better judgment, tolerated it and went ahead to deal.
I made many more mistakes stemming from that bad step. Since it was dark out when I got there at 7PM, even after inspection I failed to locate several paint scratches that I noticed a week later. Dealer's disgusting lie 1: "mint condition vehicle." This is less than a year old car. I count over 20 different scratches that cannot be patched. Speaking of a lie, here's another one: "recently serviced." Sounds ambiguous doesn't it? On a vehicle past 37,000 miles(how can that even happen with a car under a year old, anyway?), one under the excitement of buying a new car in a shiny place after traveling over forty miles to get that rare advertised price, could easily mistake that statement as what normal people mean, a 30,000 mile service. It's exactly what happened to me. The dealers only mean a Twenty Dollar oil change and nothing more when they say they serviced the vehicle. Two week later, I had a mysteriously noisy brakes and had to take the car to a local mechanic.
These mistakes net me so far over a grand, on a newly dogmad purchased vehicle. I'm not talking about a 10-year-old car from neiborhood gramps. "The Best Hyundai of Southern California" does this to their customers.
The car dealers operate on an entirely different thinking plane from the regular people. They like to make customers wait for a reason I could not comprehend. Here I was, ready to purchase a vehicle to them, they made me wait three hours doing absolutely nothing after I found the car. Seriously, after I gave the salesperson a clear message of what I want, how I can pay it, and what ever irrelevant personal information they got from me, they literally had me wait doing nothing. They were not processing documents, they were not handling another customer. They were surfing on the web and looking at me occasionally. Frankly I was a little offended and confused, since I had work to attend in less than 12 hours. What retail or service does this, besides a car dealership?
When they finally decided my 782-points credit was good enough, they sold me the car. Here's the catch, though. The customer must be ready to convince why he doesn't need options he knows won't need to the dealer. This was no easy battle. The dealership pushes four options: warranty on parts not covered by 'Hyundai's Best Warranty in the US'; a GPS; another confusing warranty that to me, sounded exactly the same as the first warranty, perhaps so customers not used to speak English fluently would buy both; and an option where they offered to restore any scratches for five years from purchase. It was an intense battle. My argument was that the warranty contradicts advertised advantages of "Certified Vehicles." When they're luring a customer to a car, they present Certificates, saying that the car is basically perfect and there won't be any worries buying a car used. However, when it's time to make payments, they remind the customer that after all, it is still a used car, so Certifications mean jack. The car that an hour ago, was perfect, now 'carries unknown risk, no one sees future.' Doesn't that seem like a contradiction to anyone else? I told him I got insurance, and the finance guy, Larry, was literally a bit flustered when I said that. He was trying hard to make sense of something that wasn't, because now he had to explain my own insurance that I hand-picked that I don't know what it covers. The car's price was 12000 USD, after trade-in it was 10000 plus tax. The warranty costs 2000 each, for 4000 extra total. I'm not a rich guy, I'm just a dude who works two MINIMUM PAYING jobs. These people who make living for selling three cars a month, try to argue that 4000 USD is not a big deal. Maybe to you, asshat, but not to everyone.
Then he explains the GPS. This one is funny. I am trained by U.S. Military in navigation skills. If you drop me off to an entirely unknown place, as long as I had the correct map and compass, I can get to where I need to. That skill, to the dealer, is now useless and I need to pay for 800-dollar GPS that doesn't even pay for my car when it gets stolen. It would provide a certain someone else besides me who I have no idea when they use the car an assurance. Right. I don't plan to share my car with anyone, especially someone neither you nor me knows. I showed him my four-dollar-compass and told him I'm straight. He glared at me to my surprise. He thought I wouldn't notice, but I myself worked in commission field. I know what the smiling "screw you" glare is, Larry the finance guy. Riiiight back atcha.
His remaining weapon was the "free" detailing. It costs one thousand dollars. One Thousand U.S. Dollars, to me, is saving up hard for three months, if not four. By saving up hard, I mean I do everything I fucking can, I am already pretty much at the lowest of the totem poll. That is not comprehended by these people who earn their entirety of their pay just by talking. It's not an easy money for me. It means working as hard physically and mentally draining if not harder as a fresh teenager at an age past 30 for me. For seventy hours a week, eating a lettuce and onion sandwich when my coworkers are feasting(and not even finishing on) their 12 Dollar Burger meals for four. months. straight.
When I was threatened to not get such a good deal on the car that I pretty much already secured, that the salesperson could give it to someone else, I had to give. The deal is that for twice a year, I can get the service. You know what though, I have to travel to the dealership, from Irvine where I live to City of Industry where the dealership is. That's four hours of my rare off day plus however much time it takes to work on the vehicle, on my gas, on my car. Only twice a year, so each time I go there, it's $200 per service. Has anyone seen an auto detail service that is $200 per visit? Not on a Hyundai Accent I have not. Let me know if anyone has. However, I was threatened to not make this deal, that someone else would have the car if I didn't get any options, that I had to sign it.
I hope the finance guy even knows what it is like to eat ramen for four months straight, passing off any cool new games/concerts/local amusement park reopenings during that time.
I left the dealership with a feeling not unlike that of muddy butt that day.
Fast forward three weeks, a bill came as agreed. Unlike as agreed though, I was not allowed to pay off my car. I tried online, cheque, and over-the phone. These greedy dealership wants the interest money, even if the customer has the money to do so! They charged me instead a "convenience fee" to make a payment more than the minimum.
Let that sink in for a second. The dealership punishes a customer to make on-time, earnest payments because they want to squeeze every interest money they can, and when insisted, adds a "convenience fee" since it's so inconvenient to bother the maintenance-free online computer to make the payment.
You really have to take extra grand out of me that badly, when you charged me a 14000 USD for a car that you promised me to sell at 9500 USD. I know I am not wrong in feeling rage in a such situation.
I outta notify this somehow other than my 5-visit-a-month weblog, honestly. The only reason to pull me back is they are Koreans. Then again, they are scamming their own people, so there you go. Please learn from my mistake, and avoid Puentes Hill Hyundai. They don't care about you.
I recently bought an Accent 2010 model from Puentes Hill Hyundai in City of Industry. This is my fifth car. First one, 2001 Sonata, was more or less entirely paid off by my father. The Second one was a 1990 Jimmy, bought from my boss who was leaving the unit for a case of beer when I got to my duty station, Alpha Company 45STB 45SB, in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. After my then girlfriend crashed the car in an accident and totaled it, I got a 1995 Contour, which was absolutely the worst car I've driven. Fast forward past my discharge and my new work in civilian world, I got a 1995 Ford F350 modified into a moving center box truck, from UHaul which I got to put myself in case I needed to start a merchant work.
My first mistake was being a respectable person. My work schedule was hefty, and it was not easy to get a day off, hence I went there after work before the dealership shuts down. I did actually go there on my once-in-two weeks break on Sunday prior, but the dealer stood me up. Her name is Jenny Ahn of Puentes Hill Hyundai. So the second time I got there was a weekday night, and to my surprise she stood me up again. I called her twice on the way up there from Irvine to Industry, too. When I got there, the new 2010 Elantra that she promised me for 9500 did not exist. I had instead a 2010 Accent, an USED one. On top of that, the dealer herself was MIA. I would forgive being stood up the first time for anyone. The second time, though, hardly anyone in my shoes would. I was in the short end of stick since my apartment had been threatening me to tow away my box truck, and I thus needed to get rid of it. I reluctantly and against the better judgment, tolerated it and went ahead to deal.
I made many more mistakes stemming from that bad step. Since it was dark out when I got there at 7PM, even after inspection I failed to locate several paint scratches that I noticed a week later. Dealer's disgusting lie 1: "mint condition vehicle." This is less than a year old car. I count over 20 different scratches that cannot be patched. Speaking of a lie, here's another one: "recently serviced." Sounds ambiguous doesn't it? On a vehicle past 37,000 miles(how can that even happen with a car under a year old, anyway?), one under the excitement of buying a new car in a shiny place after traveling over forty miles to get that rare advertised price, could easily mistake that statement as what normal people mean, a 30,000 mile service. It's exactly what happened to me. The dealers only mean a Twenty Dollar oil change and nothing more when they say they serviced the vehicle. Two week later, I had a mysteriously noisy brakes and had to take the car to a local mechanic.
These mistakes net me so far over a grand, on a newly dogmad purchased vehicle. I'm not talking about a 10-year-old car from neiborhood gramps. "The Best Hyundai of Southern California" does this to their customers.
The car dealers operate on an entirely different thinking plane from the regular people. They like to make customers wait for a reason I could not comprehend. Here I was, ready to purchase a vehicle to them, they made me wait three hours doing absolutely nothing after I found the car. Seriously, after I gave the salesperson a clear message of what I want, how I can pay it, and what ever irrelevant personal information they got from me, they literally had me wait doing nothing. They were not processing documents, they were not handling another customer. They were surfing on the web and looking at me occasionally. Frankly I was a little offended and confused, since I had work to attend in less than 12 hours. What retail or service does this, besides a car dealership?
When they finally decided my 782-points credit was good enough, they sold me the car. Here's the catch, though. The customer must be ready to convince why he doesn't need options he knows won't need to the dealer. This was no easy battle. The dealership pushes four options: warranty on parts not covered by 'Hyundai's Best Warranty in the US'; a GPS; another confusing warranty that to me, sounded exactly the same as the first warranty, perhaps so customers not used to speak English fluently would buy both; and an option where they offered to restore any scratches for five years from purchase. It was an intense battle. My argument was that the warranty contradicts advertised advantages of "Certified Vehicles." When they're luring a customer to a car, they present Certificates, saying that the car is basically perfect and there won't be any worries buying a car used. However, when it's time to make payments, they remind the customer that after all, it is still a used car, so Certifications mean jack. The car that an hour ago, was perfect, now 'carries unknown risk, no one sees future.' Doesn't that seem like a contradiction to anyone else? I told him I got insurance, and the finance guy, Larry, was literally a bit flustered when I said that. He was trying hard to make sense of something that wasn't, because now he had to explain my own insurance that I hand-picked that I don't know what it covers. The car's price was 12000 USD, after trade-in it was 10000 plus tax. The warranty costs 2000 each, for 4000 extra total. I'm not a rich guy, I'm just a dude who works two MINIMUM PAYING jobs. These people who make living for selling three cars a month, try to argue that 4000 USD is not a big deal. Maybe to you, asshat, but not to everyone.
Then he explains the GPS. This one is funny. I am trained by U.S. Military in navigation skills. If you drop me off to an entirely unknown place, as long as I had the correct map and compass, I can get to where I need to. That skill, to the dealer, is now useless and I need to pay for 800-dollar GPS that doesn't even pay for my car when it gets stolen. It would provide a certain someone else besides me who I have no idea when they use the car an assurance. Right. I don't plan to share my car with anyone, especially someone neither you nor me knows. I showed him my four-dollar-compass and told him I'm straight. He glared at me to my surprise. He thought I wouldn't notice, but I myself worked in commission field. I know what the smiling "screw you" glare is, Larry the finance guy. Riiiight back atcha.
His remaining weapon was the "free" detailing. It costs one thousand dollars. One Thousand U.S. Dollars, to me, is saving up hard for three months, if not four. By saving up hard, I mean I do everything I fucking can, I am already pretty much at the lowest of the totem poll. That is not comprehended by these people who earn their entirety of their pay just by talking. It's not an easy money for me. It means working as hard physically and mentally draining if not harder as a fresh teenager at an age past 30 for me. For seventy hours a week, eating a lettuce and onion sandwich when my coworkers are feasting(and not even finishing on) their 12 Dollar Burger meals for four. months. straight.
When I was threatened to not get such a good deal on the car that I pretty much already secured, that the salesperson could give it to someone else, I had to give. The deal is that for twice a year, I can get the service. You know what though, I have to travel to the dealership, from Irvine where I live to City of Industry where the dealership is. That's four hours of my rare off day plus however much time it takes to work on the vehicle, on my gas, on my car. Only twice a year, so each time I go there, it's $200 per service. Has anyone seen an auto detail service that is $200 per visit? Not on a Hyundai Accent I have not. Let me know if anyone has. However, I was threatened to not make this deal, that someone else would have the car if I didn't get any options, that I had to sign it.
I hope the finance guy even knows what it is like to eat ramen for four months straight, passing off any cool new games/concerts/local amusement park reopenings during that time.
I left the dealership with a feeling not unlike that of muddy butt that day.
Fast forward three weeks, a bill came as agreed. Unlike as agreed though, I was not allowed to pay off my car. I tried online, cheque, and over-the phone. These greedy dealership wants the interest money, even if the customer has the money to do so! They charged me instead a "convenience fee" to make a payment more than the minimum.
Let that sink in for a second. The dealership punishes a customer to make on-time, earnest payments because they want to squeeze every interest money they can, and when insisted, adds a "convenience fee" since it's so inconvenient to bother the maintenance-free online computer to make the payment.
You really have to take extra grand out of me that badly, when you charged me a 14000 USD for a car that you promised me to sell at 9500 USD. I know I am not wrong in feeling rage in a such situation.
I outta notify this somehow other than my 5-visit-a-month weblog, honestly. The only reason to pull me back is they are Koreans. Then again, they are scamming their own people, so there you go. Please learn from my mistake, and avoid Puentes Hill Hyundai. They don't care about you.
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