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Peter Dalldorf's Digimon World 2 (PS)
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| [January 16, 2008 08:00:23 PM]
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Gameplay
Continuing to play Digimon World 2 has yielded several more gameplay elements. After capturing a new Digimon and raising its level to a certain point (11, 21, and 31) you can "Digivolve" it. This involves the Digimon becoming stronger (and usually visually more impressive) as it moves from "Rookie" to "Champion" (at 11), then to "Ultimate" (at 21), and "Mega" (at 31). This cannot be done so simply however, since each Digimon you catch has a maximum level it can reach. usually most wild Digimon are anywhere from 1-10 levels away from their maximum. Once at the maximum, it must be "DNA Digivolved" with another Digimon. This process involves combining two Digimon to create one. This can only be done with "Champion" level or higher Digimon and yields a Digimon one level lower than lowest Digimon used in the combination. (Champion X2 = Rookie, Champion and Ultimate = Rookie, Mega and Mega = Ultimate). This process will yield one digimon with all the moves (eventually) of the parent Digimon. Each DNA Digivolution allows the produced Digimon to level up further than the parents. In addition, each DNA Digivolution adds "DP" or Digivolve Points. Digimon with higher DP will sometimes Digivolve into rarer forms than the same Digimon with lower DP.
Design
The first and most obvious design element of this game is the way in which movement is implemented. It becomes obvious very quickly that there is a grid of squares on the floor (on foot or in a Dungeon in your Digi-Beetle) and you can move from one square to the next (only up and down on foot, but diagonally as well in the Digi-Beetle). This relatively simple method of movement can often prove frustrating and time consuming when you can't simply walk or drive where you want to, you must follow the square grid, however it does make it easier to predict the movement of wild Digimon.
Another interesting design element is the way in which Digimon are combined to create new ones. After some research on the internet, I found that there is a very specific mathematic formula for seeing what level a new Digimon can get to when compared to the parents. The formula I found in most strategy guides was: digimon1(highest level)+digimon 2's level divided by 5(round down)
Sounds are another interesting Design point. For anybody who ever watched the show Digimon (of which I was an avid fan), you know that when a Digimon attacked it said, aloud, the attack that they were to use. (i.e. Agumon would exclaim "Pepper Breath!" before shooting a small ball of fire out of his mouth). In the game, this is still true. The only spoken words in the game are attacks by Digimon. However, they seem to be a strange combination of English and the language that the Sims speak. Sometimes the words are audible and understandable, and sometimes they seem completely unintelligible. Why the designers decided to have these be audible and not take the time to make them all understandable (or in the same language) is beyond me, but it definitely adds an almost humorous air to the battles in the game.
And that is all I can come up with to say about Digimon World 2.
PS. I enrolled in the class late, Professor Whitehead said I had until tonight (wednesday) @ midnight to complete the gamelog assignment.
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| [January 15, 2008 11:11:50 AM]
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Digimon World 2 is the second in a series of several unrelated (i.e. the games themselves have nothing to do with each other) games about the fictional TV show Digimon. Digimon being an earlier version of Pokemon which was not released in the US until long after Pokemon. The game is sort of a blend of the Pokemon style of game where you capture creatures (in this case Digimon, and use them to fight your battles), and traditional RPG where in battle up to three of your current Digimon are lined up fighting up to three opponent Digimon.
The story is simple enough, the player takes the place of a young "Trainer" in Digital City and it is your job to protect the city and explore the world with your Digimon. The first order of business being to join one of the three Guard Groups which correspond to the three main types of digimon. This being a thinly veiled choice between Good (Vaccine Digimon), Bad (Virus Digimon), and Neutral (Data Digimon). The choice doesn't matter in the slightest for the story, however it is obvious which Guard Group is intended to be for "bad kids" which one is for "good kids" and which one is for kids more interested in learning everything about everything.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay, as I mentioned before, is a mix of Pokemon style play and traditional RPG style play. After choosing your Guard Group, you are given your first Digimon and your first mission. You must now embark on your long (sometimes tedious) journey.
The bulk of the game includes traversing Dungeons in your "Digi-Beetle", a sort of all terrain vehicle designed for Trainers to use to go about protecting and serving and whatever else being a Trainer entails. Throughout the game, one can upgrade the Digi-Beetle with parts to make it run longer, survive more damage from traps, and even be able to shoot items (healing or otherwise) during battle.
Coming across Digimon in a Dungeon is an interesting experience. You enter a room in one of the Dungeons (most are laid out like large mazes) and in that room is a wild Digimon. In most cases, for every move you take inside that room, that wild Digimon will take one move towards you. Occasionally, they will get two moves for each of yours or one for every two of yours, and sometimes they will move in the opposite direction. If at any time you end up adjacent to the Wild Digimon, you will enter a fight.
Fighting in Digimon World 2 is simple and straightforward. At the beginning of each turn, you give your Digimon commands such as attack or guard, and then within the cattegory of attack, Digimon will have different Attacks, Assists, or Interrupts. Once you have given your orders, the round begins and Digimon start attacking (a Speed stat indicates who moves first and so forth). Guarding takes priority and any Digimon guarding do so before any attacks commence, a feature I wish all RPGs had.
Capturing a new Digimon can sometimes be a challenge. It is not simply a matter of wearing down an enemy Digimon and throwing some sort of capture-item at it. Before the battle even begins you must find a wild Digimon (you can use a button to see what digimon are together with the one Digimon that is presented in the Dungeon) and if you have the right item (it varies for the three types of digimon)you can shoot the item at the Digimon. These items tend to be things that different kind of Digimon want. CD players, Skateboards, Toy Planes, etc... If you shoot enough items, a heart will appear over the Wild Digimon's head. When you are ready, or when the Digimon reaches you, get into a fight and at the end, the last Digimon which you kill will pop back up and ask to join your party (if you have the space)
Such is what I have so far discovered in 50ish minutes of play-time.
PS - I added the Class Late, Professor Whitehead gave me until Wednesday @ Midnight to complete the Gamelog.
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Peter Dalldorf's Digimon World 2 (PS)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Tuesday 15 January, 2008
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