XS Re-Play of Sorts

Okay, soo....I didn't play through the entire series, myself. Most of my time with the Xenosaga series was spent watching a friend play, rather than playing personally, as I didn't have a console at the time. (Yay for brothers that break things that aren't theirs...)

Anyway. Now I have a console and the games, so I'm about to start a playthrough for the first time all the way through. I barely remember any of it. My memory is just...ugh. So I have seriously no idea what I'm doing.

Do you have any tips for me for the series overall or for the playthrough of the first game, at least?

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Oh, what a splendid idea! When I hear about people starting up Episode I, I always think that they will give up because it is too hard or too slow etc but usually there don't seem to be a problem.
My number one tip for Episode I is to upgrade the stat speed for all skills that you use, that helps immensly since you can use the skills much more often.

Just ask if there is any trouble and keep us updated!

Thank you! Is there a recommendation for starting out in the battle system? Should there be a certain way to do things, or what?

I recommend making sure you get a hang of the slots and how they affect each turn. This makes the battle system kinda tricky until you learn to use it in your favor and preventing enemies from getting to attack on specific effects.

Bonus point slot is crucial to finishing battles, as it can give you up to x10 skill/tech/ether points.

Boost slot can be a lifesaver, as it allows your characters to have multiple turns.

Indeed, getting x10 points from a boss REALLY helps so it's always a good idea to aim for that.

I usually like to upgrade the attacks that hit multiple enemies and defeating a whole group on
the extra skill slot is of course the best way to get points. Upgrading attacks etc is much more important than the levels.

I recommend grabbing a walkthrough from GameFAQS as well unless you have a Player's Guide. Grabbing every little last treasure increases the enjoyment of the game immensely for me. Once you get to the Cathedral Ship, don't initiate the boss fight with the Gargoyle until after you've found MOMO's secondary outfit, which allows her to steal from enemies. From that point on, use that to steal from every boss you can, especially Gargoyle. He drops the Commander's Crest, which starts your character out with one battle chicklet instead of 0. It's mega-useful and only drops from the Gargoyle. Once you get the chance to clone accessories, clone the crap out of that one.

Should play through it man, best games series ever besides zelda, ff and kh