Where should I start in the franchise?
I don't mind old games but I prefer if it's not too long
Also, what do you think about Builders 1 and 2?

theyre all good but hard not to recommend 11, if you want older and shorter go with 3, builders are also good for what they are

>>3790991 (OP)
V is amazing.

Dragon Quest VIII and XI are the best easily. I played everything out there, just have to finish off VI. I was playing every game back to back and got burnt but it's still good.

My least favorite was VII, I had to use a guide to play it and I never do that with games ever unless it's super hidden stuff or once I beat it and want to see what I missed. VII is so convoluted with some stuff (knowing to use an item from your inventory on top of a tower in town to progress, things like that, that they don't always tell you) and even though the gameplay was solid I think the game overall is the weakest.

VIII was my first ever Dragon Quest but even without the nostalgia I think it's the best. XI improves on a lot of stuff and has more QoL but I loved the characters in VIII. Jessica is wife material, so sexy. Also the hero is cool in VIII, and Yangus is best bro. I hated most of the cast in XI, especially the faggot. Jade is hot though.

III Remake is really good, I am looking forward to the I & II HD remakes coming later this year.

V is good, but overrated. I own it on 3DS along with the other DS titles. IV was nice, the remake makes Alena a fucking tank, she's awesome. V seems tied with VI for me.

Oh honorable mention to IX, probably 3rd best. I really liked the end-game where you can farm for maps and items but sadly the DLC store being closed means you can't access all of it anymore unless you do some funky stuff with an emulator or connect to a special fan server that lets you access it, but my 3DS never could make the connection work.

TL;DR: VIII, XI, IX, III Remake, IV, V/VI, VII

>>3790991 (OP)
>I prefer if it's not too long
All the games are long

If you are interested in the series start from the first one, the first 3 are a trilogy.

>>3790991 (OP)
11 or 8

>>3791132
>All the games are long
I mean like, modern game long, like 60-100hs long

>If you are interested in the series start from the first one, the first 3 are a trilogy.
Yeah, I thought about doing that, but I'm not really sure if I care enough to get full into the franchise, or if I just wanna play a really good RPG. I don't usually play games of the same genre back to back if they are very long, so I don't see me going through the first games one after the other. You think they are good for picking up, finishing one, and after some time picking the next one?

>>3790991 (OP)
Play dragon warrior 1+2 on gameboy color. Download the instruction manual somewhere as it comes with a map for dw1 which will make it easier to get through. Dw1 is pretty short and you can beat it playing casually in a couple days.
Dw2 is a much more intense experience. You don't have to complete it, but you should play as far as you can and if you get stuck looking for things don't be afraid to use a guide.
Then play dw3 on gbc.

>>3790991 (OP)
I started with XI and hated it, went back to 1 on NES and loved it. I'm now on 3 and still loving it. I suggest playing the NES versions of the originals and working your way through. Chronological is always the best way, but if you just want to play one of them, I'm sure someone will post whichever game is the most accessible and easy to get into.

>>3791051
>III Remake is really good, I am looking forward to the I & II HD remakes coming later this year.
I don't love the 2D/3D style, the sprites look really nice though. I also usually don't play remakes first, I like experiencing the og at first, and if I love it, playing the remake. I may do it for some cases where everyone says the remake is what the game was originally meant to be, but couldn't due to hardware limitations (Metroid, for example)

>VIII was my first ever Dragon Quest but even without the nostalgia I think it's the best. XI improves on a lot of stuff and has more QoL but I loved the characters in VIII. Jessica is wife material, so sexy. Also the hero is cool in VIII, and Yangus is best bro. I hated most of the cast in XI, especially the faggot. Jade is hot though.
>>3791135
VIII sounds cool, I may go with this one, XI looks beautiful but I don't think I could get through a game that long if the characters are bad. Mostly if they are plain or boring. What about the gameplay in these 2?

>III Remake is really good, I am looking forward to the I & II HD remakes coming later this year.
>>3791036
I like the theme for this one, looks kinda different to the others.

>>3791145
>>3791151
Yeah, I was thinking about getting the first one as its much shorter and maybe its a good introduction. Do you think it's a good representative for the franchise though? FF1, for example, isn't.
>Chronological is always the best way, but if you just want to play one of them, I'm sure someone will post whichever game is the most accessible and easy to get into.
I agree, but I'm still not sure, so both ways go.

>>3791158
Dragon Quest 1 introduces you to a lot of spells and status effects that will become mainstays for the series, as well as the game's overall structure. It's actually a very charming and fun game: there's a reason why it basically sparked the entire genre to explode in Japan. It's also actually fairly unique as far as JRPGs go: all battles are just 1v1 between you and the monster. And again, even if you're not in love with it, it's pretty short.
I mostly recommend it because DQ3 is such a fantastic game, but you'll only get the full experience and joy out of it if you play through 1 and as much of 2 as you can stomach, first. Once you've finished those 3, you can check out whatever you're interested in next.

>>3791159
That sound like a very good introduction actually, I will most probably do that.
Is there a "best way" to play the first 3? I don't have access to a NES, just a 3ds and PC for emulation.

>>3791162
I personally got into the series with the GB/C versions (1+2, and 3). They reduce the amount of battles you need to fight from the NES version. Lots of people swear by the SNES ports, but I've never checked em out so I dunno for sure, all I've heard is that they can be buggy due to being fan-translated.
Here's a link to the manual for 1+2: https://www.woodus.com/den/games/dw1gbc/dw1_2gbc_manual.pdf
Hope you enjoy.

>>3791159
I agree with this anon

>>3791165
Yeah, I also considered that, they do look much better than OG, which for a game like this I think is very imporant.
>They reduce the amount of battles you need to fight from the NES version.
Are they easier or just less grindy? If its the latter, that sounds pretty nice actually

>>3791170
The latter, yeah.

>>3791051
>V is good, but overrated.
V gets a lot of love (from me included) for how well it accomplishes it's story with how primitive the technology is. I agree that the game is overrated due to its more basic gameplay but the generational family narrative is such a cool concept for a SNES game. I suggest people the DS port for party chat because it helps characterize your family better, which is the main reason to bother with V at all. A lot of other DQ games have superior gameplay (and stories).

>>3791156
The gameplay is top-tier in VIII and XI. IX is basically the same as those two, but on 3DS so maybe not as good. I did prefer VIII on 3DS though because they added more stuff and you can speed up the battles.

I forgot to mention that I have Builders 1 and heard it's great. I didn't try it yet but apparently it and 2 are the same and really good. I know 1 is supposed to be easier because you apparently get attacked a lot more in 2 but can't confirm.

Oh and Dragon Quest Monsters Joker is amazing if you like creature collectors. It's Pokemon only you fight with a party of 3 and it's way more fun.

I loved Dragon Quest Monsters The Dark Prince, one of my favorite creature collectors, better than Joker since it's more modern.

>>3791178
Phantasy Star III did the generational thing way better even if the game isn't too well received.

DQV was neat in theory but didn't execute well. I didn't like changing the hero over and over. Deborah best wife though.

>>3791180
Good to know, thanks
Also, DQM looks really cool, I'll give it a shot once I'm more into the franchise

>>3791202
Oh hell yeah dude if you're into monster collecting games the DQM ones are awesome. I personally only like the original GB games but the remakes are pretty well-liked.

>>3791182
>I didn't like changing the hero over and over.
what did he mean by this?

>>3790991 (OP)
>Also, what do you think about Builders 1 and 2?
1 is a fun little spin-off with a cute story that calls back to the original Dragon Quest.
2 expands and polishes the gameplay a bit more, and the story is a legitimately awesome and thorough look at the relationship between creation and destruction, and even explores concepts of self-destruction, nihilism, and accelerationism, and how interpersonal bonds transcend all of it. Legitimately one of the best video game bromances of all time.

If you're into sandbox/creative building games and want to design comfy little JRPG towns and castles to your heart's content, you'll find plenty of love. And you can probably just skip the first game.

>>3791178
>I suggest people the DS port for party chat because it helps characterize your family better, which is the main reason to bother with V at all.
Can confirm. The DS version is excellent for exactly that reason.

>>3791182
>DQV was neat in theory but didn't execute well. I didn't like changing the hero over and over.
DQV was neat in theory and had wonderful execution. I liked changing the hero over and over.

>>3791471
wtf how is a Dragon Quest game, fucking childish looking Builders of all, that deep in its messages? You have to be joking.

I have the first, got it on sale recently. I will get the 2nd once I beat the first, and the second goes on sale for 50% or more.

>>3791514
>You have to be joking.
I'm really not. The shame of the message is that hyping it up kind of destroys some of the impact since you really don't expect it in a spin-off minecraft clone, but the story still has tons of great moments and definitely explores concepts that are deep for a "kid's game".

Dragon Quest games are usually full of deep shit like this, though. The problem is that the presentation is cartoony and loaded with puns, so a lot of players just shut their brains off, and then get shocked when something extremely tragic or emotional happens "out of nowhere".

3 has garbage dungeons. It's not worth checking out for that alone.

>>3791528
Bullshit

>>3791532
The "segmented" nature of them kills it for me.

>>3791514
>deep
those are kid level messages

>>3791520
>and loaded with puns
this is really only due to the nature of the cancerous dogshit modern """""""translations"""""""""

Honestly just don't start with 2, 6, or 7 and you'll be fine.

>>3791532
This is not acceptable.

>>3791626
Is it though? I assumed the Japanese originals had word play as well.

>>3791626
Nah, DQ's sense of humor is based and chuckle-pilled. Sorry to hear you're dead inside.

>>3791716
it didn't
t. literally learned japanese because i hate modern dq translations so much

>>3792018
the puns aren't the end of the world but the accents are awful

>>3792350
The accents are funny. You get a different feel for certain towns, that's a good thing, it makes it not all feel the same.

I'm impressed that all it took for you to learn a language was the passionate distaste for the translated version. Are you fluent in reading, writing, speaking? Genuinely curious, I love learning languages.

>>3792385
>The accents are funny
I will kill you.

>>3792385
>I'm impressed that all it took for you to learn a language was the passionate distaste for the translated version
NTA but I learned japanese to escape translations in general. The way people (like you) talk about the english versions of games and the shit they get tricked into tolerating is nauseating. Being a slave to some random white guys whims to play a japanese game is a tragically cucked existence.

>>3792467
OP here, do you think DQ games are good for beginners learning jap? I've started kinda recently, and I've not yet tried inmersion/reading/listening. Ofc I'll wait some more time until I learn some more Kanji and I can understand the simplest stuff (like shin chan, yotsuba), but are these games very hard in their use of the language?

>>3792473
I wouldn't say they're particularly difficult, but honestly it's been so many years since I was a green JP learner that I am a bad judge of what is easy or hard anymore. The SNES games have nice, slightly larger fonts that are easier to read than, say, a Final Fantasy game of similar vintage, which is a huge plus for early learners.

>>3792476
good to know, I'll have them in mind when I'm at a better level.
For now I guess I'll just play the translations I think there's no point in waiting, I'll just play them again when I can

>>3792385
i really just hate them. there are times when the accents are okay, but there are times when they over-write the accents so hard that they're borderline unintelligible. i can only read at a decent level, i'll never have a need to write so i didn't bother with learning that. communicating is something i've got very little practice in as well, so saying i've "learned" japanese probably isn't entirely accurate, but i'm able to understand the language well enough for my purposes.

>>3792473
have you started playing dq1 yet? hope you'll give your thoughts on the games

>>3792473
The famicom games dont have kanji but I found as a learner that games with kanji, especially with furigana, were much easier to read compared to games without. I would suggest a newer game with lower stakes (as in a game where the progression doesnt hinge on you being able to fully understand what people are saying) when learning but the most important thing is reading something you are actually engaged in.

>>3792535
Kana soup is definitely something to avoid as a new learner since Kanji will help you to identify what is "word" or "grammar" or "everything else", but isn't as bad as people whine about it being. Common JSL cope pipeline looks like
>man kanji sucks who needs it just gonna do kana and romaji (new learner cope)
>man ok jeez i'll do kanji (new learner acceptance)
>man what the fuck this game doesn't have kanji in it!? i can't read kana only (intermediate learner cope)
>man i hate kana-only games but only because the fonts are so bad! (font cope)

>>3792558
One Kana Soup trend that I genuinely do feel sorry for newer learners however is games where the font legitimately gets smashed because of screen space restrictions/ports of 8-bit games with larger resolutions to smaller screens. Having the dakuten and handakuten occupying the same tile as the kana instead of getting a tile above for breathing room is genuinely going to be the bane of a newbie's existence.

>>3792561
one thing i always think about is an interview with itoi where he talks about reading the dragon quest games out loud because they were hard to understand otherwise

>>3792580
Source?

What's the best way to play DQ III? People were complaining about censorship in the remake but it's hard to know if it's exaggerated. Are the old versions too buggy and unforgiving?

>>3791145
Dq3 SNES is the best version tho

>>3792504
>have you started playing dq1 yet? hope you'll give your thoughts on the games
Not yet, I'll download it today if I have time

>>3792535
What are some games that'd be good for that purpose? I'm already learning kanji but still pretty much a complete begginer, I'm only like 20 days into the kaishi 1.5k, 10 cards per day, if that helps
Still, if it's something that still isn't for my level but it'd be good in a while, please do tell too

>>3792558
Yeah man, once I started learning kanji the language became much more fun to learn for me.
Also I'm just now finding out that some games don't have kanji. It makes a lot of sense tho, I've for some time though how tf would they get all those kanji in the memory of those games (and in the screen resolution, too)

>>3792681
No, but it is better than the GBC release.

>>3792753
>What are some games that'd be good for that purpose?
I only play old games so I cant help there. When I was learning I would often play games I had already played before or read stories I already knew but this time in Japanese so I wouldn't be in danger of not knowing what was going on but I could still read something fresh.
>>3792652
>Are the old versions too buggy and unforgiving?
no

>>3792561
The worst I have experienced was Phantasy Star 1 being entirely in Katakana. You kinda have to just sit there reading to yourself out-loud to get through it.

>>3792789
Just glad they had the sense to make it so that every subsequent release allowed the choice to use hiragana as well. Shame the original game never saw any rom hack to add this feature in though. And how the GBA version of the collection never got a JP release either (probably because they didn't need it since they had the saturn/PS2 versions which included full-featured versions as well as IV). Might have suffered a similar fate as Mother 1 with the squished kana.

>>3792652
https://gamebanana.com/mods/555706
pirate it though

>>3792944
>english version randomly gave shirtless male characters shirts
?
>english version randomly gave sleeveless female outfit sleeves
????????????????????
im not even the type to bitch about this kind of thing but jesus christ is this victorian england? am i going to faint if i see an ankle? lol

>>3793007
>English version
Ha.

>>3792350
>but the accents are awful
9 times out of 10 the accents are pretty well done and they suit the character. If you're triggered by them, it sounds like a "you" problem.

>>3793785
Shut up retard.

>>3793927
This is well done and suits the character.

>>3793927
DS version looks so ass, fucking dumb ass handheld with 2 screens gimmick Nintendo babby shit. Translation is the least of its issues.

>>3794029
It doesn't even look like it's in English at first glance.

>>3794039
that's using a lot of literal spanish words

Is this going to turn into one of "those" threads?

>>3794039
People who claim to be English native speakers really complain about this shit yet notice how they never bring up the writings of Mark Twain, a somehow even more egregious example of this.
That is because English native speakers aren't the ones complaining that they can't read the text in the renewed versions of Dragon Quest or FF Tactics, or the script of FFXII/Vagrant Story.

>>3794067
These guys aren't making prose as entertaining as Twain, my brother. I'm native born, have no trouble following it, it's just badly written.

>>3794067
Are you really comparing some halfassed translation of a Japanese baby game with Mark fucking Twain?

>>3794067
>People who claim to like music really complain about their neighbor's son banging on his pawn shop out-of-tune guitar missing a string yet notice how they never bring up Eddie Van Halen

>>3794067
This is such a bizarre cope.

>>3794065
What game?

>>3794038
That's why the mobile versions are the best.
>Superior translation
>Tall screen without daulshit
>Wide screen for other games when u want
Bow down to phones!

How's Dark Prince game? Never played a monster game but I don't know, readig HxH Greed Island again gave me the itch

>>3794067
Honestly I agree with you a little bit. There's cases where you see people who are just extremely hostile to the use of any English language idiom in translation. Those people seem like malding ESLs who don't realize Japan uses things like that too. But plenty of translations are egregious and DQ IV is over the top.

>>3790991 (OP)
Does the 1 and 2 remake come with 3rd person view?

>>3794404
Awful UI and screen space.

>>3794067
I'll never know why faggots immediately resort to the ESL cope regarding localization when we have precedent of DQ localization not always being exaggerated nonsense.
Dragon Warrior 3, 4, and 7 localizations were fairly conservative and remained mostly true to the original Japanese text. Even DQ8, which was the start of the new localization standard, was relatively dialed back compared to what we've been getting since the DS era, as accents in 8 were mostly voiced, not written.
It's hard to take a character seriously when their text is mostly jumbled to fit some arbitrary cultural representation the localizers decided on, like turning Sancho, a character implied to have a lot of grief and animosity over Pankraz's death, into Jar Jar Binks. Then there's also silly shit like making everyone in Japanese-inspired locations speak in haikus because "lol Japanese like haikus right?" when there's nothing like that in the original text.

>>3791132
the first one is barely a dozen hours if you want to grind up enough that the final boss isn't just a luck-based damage trade. that's nothing for a jrpg, even for a famicom jrpg.

when is XII coming out? any development news?

>>3790991 (OP)
I'm tempted to play 3 GBC again but there are 2 things that make refrain.
>Pachisi Glitch: lose 3-5 points in STR, gain levels non-stop.
>Monster Medal Dungeon: 155 bronze to just enter and 155 silver to proceed further, when I have to battle that monster last multiple times and pray for RNG to receive one.
Do I need to cheat? Or is there a secret?

>>3794067
not only am i an english speaker i have an english degree
the translations in modern dragon quest are shit

>>3790991 (OP)
>Where should I start in the franchise?
Honestly, I'd say 4 on DS. It's simple, the characters are strong and it gives you a great idea on what makes the series interesting. The original NES version is cool, but you can't control your party, just the main hero. The DS version, you can control the entire party.

V is my favorite though, only ever played the SNES original so I can't speak on the DS or PS2 remakes.

>>3795424
>The original NES version is cool, but you can't control your party, just the main hero.
I dont know why this is always listed as a negative. You know its not a glitch right? Its an intended mechanic and the game is designed thematically and balanced around it.

Currently playing Dragon Quest 7 for the first time. I just finished the little herb themed soap opera village.
What is about 25% and 50% done because I'd like to get that far before the month is done.

>>3790991 (OP)
I played XI on the switch 5 years ago now playing V PS2 fan translation been great

Finished DQ2 for GBC... I grinded really hard, though...
>Lorasia Prince Lv 44
>Cannock Prince Lv 40
>Moonbrook Princess Lv 32
Thanks a lot, Metabbles.

Playing DQXI for the first time, I'm having a great time
just got the boat
Playing with stronger monsters on, and the no experience from weaker ones

I: extremely primitive elder scrolls game. Can beat in under 10 hours.
II: one of the very first attempts at a massive open world. Fails at it, is considered the worst in the series and has a brutal end sequence. External guide almost required.
III: Japan's favorite and arguably the most definitive experience. JRPGs start here, most will know what to expect.
IV: 3, but your party are predefined characters and you get to play their back stories.
V: unique departure of the series, shouldn't be recommended for someone looking to get into Dragon Quest. Most notable for practically inventing the "pokemon" genre and waifus.
VI: even more experimental than V and features a reasonably deep job system.
VII: longest game in the series, and you will feel it. Job system is further fleshed out.
VIII: probably the original "return to form". A story rich adventure with your friends and your wife, Jessica Bigtits. Job system is replaced with.. something.
IX: weird portable entry that goes all in on the job system but is otherwise a blank canvas in terms of story and plot.
X: likely the best mmo you could have played if they ever brought it out of Nip Nop.
XI: it's VIII but the characters are worse. Though your wife Jade is a good contender.

>>3798168
>Fails at it, is considered the worst in the series
*by zoomers with no context for the game
back in the day we actually liked getting lost in gigantic rpg worlds and sharing hints with each other to find stuff, rather than going "well ok this is impossible" and watching a playthrough on youtube instead.

>>3798170
>I really liked getting hints from my friend that had a Nintendo Power subscription
Okay Xoomer.

>>3798190
yeah nobody in history ever played dragon quest 2 and enjoyed it because they were all sitting at home with their NES going "dude this is bullshit put on final fantasy 7"

>>3798168
>III: Japan's favorite
>In a 2021 poll conducted by TV Asahi, polling over 50,000 Japanese users, Dragon Quest V was voted the second best console game of all time, just below The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

The Last Bastion really loses a lot of it's impact when you've seen the other towns in the interlude in DQXI

>>3798278
>just below The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Mild.
Japs have no credibility with me

>>3798168
>Fails at it
yeah japanese people really lined around the block for weeks and the news ran stories for a month about the upcoming DQ3 because DQ2 was a failure. retard.

>>3790991 (OP)
It's a meme of a series that people only pretend to like.
Better off playing SMT or FF.

>>3806183
Bot post.

>>3806246
Nah, I'm just honest.
The reality is that nobody gives a shit about this franchise for a reason. It's bland and boring samey dogshit that you could find in any number of free RPGMaker games, and probably of better quality as well considering narratives, characters, and gameplay are all tertiary concerns for this franchise at best.
There's also a reason why about 80% of this thread is talking about other games and complaining about translations. There is nothing of interest to be had here and one's time is better spent elsewhere.
I'm honestly convinced any fandom for this franchise is bred either out of contrarianism or pure trolling because there is simply nothing to care about with it.

>>3795059
To add onto this, I don't get why they see fit to change names all willy-nilly. Playing XI with the Japanese audio was an off-putting experience because most of the names didn't line up with what the voices were calling them. Why change Martina to Jade? Were they just retards who went "She's wearing green and uses martial arts, lets rename her Jade!" Same with Erik; "Oh he was raised by Vikings, lets rename him Erik! Because everything must be based around stereotypes!" It's like the series is treated as a blank slate for the localizers to imprint their failed comedy careers onto.

>>3790991 (OP)
Is remake of 1 and 2 in 1st or 3rd perspective?

>>3806302
lol retard

>>3791051
>just have to finish off VI
godspeed man, that last boss took me so fucking long and killed my already waning patience for that game

I've been doing a playthrough of the 3DS version of DQ8. Evading encounters really helps with modulating difficulty by level restriction. I've been having lots of fun with this.
I went for Spears, Axes, Staves, and Bows with any excess points put into their character skill trees. Levels listed in order of Hero, Yangus, Jessica, and Angelo.

>Geyzer, 5, 5
>Khalamari, 9, 9
>Tortured Soul, 10, 11, 10
>Trap Box, 12, 12, 13, 12
>Don Mole, 14, 14, 15, 13
>Great Argon Lizard, 16, 16, 16, 15
All of the bosses so far have been easy, not because they can't kill you, they can, but because I got lucky and took advantage of the alchemy pot.
Here I tried at 18, 18, 17, 16 but it didn't work out so I grinded a few levels on Gold Golems and made like 50k gold. The clincher for Dhoulmagus isn't multiheal, fullheal, or even insulate, it's Oomph. Without Oomph you just don't have the damage
>Dhoulmagus mage, 20, 20, 19, 19
>Dhoulmagus demon, 21, 21, 20, 19
Dhoul1 is much more challenging in a low level run and it's not even close. Having to deal with three enemies who deal 40-70 damage per hit up to 4 hits a round is just too much damage.
>Evil Jessica, 23, 23, 21
>Red and Blue Ogre Beasts, 23, 24, 21, 21
You might think how did Hero and Angelo not gain levels? They ate dirt and it was Yangus against the world and I got her beat down right as I used my last Lesser Panacea.
>Captain Crow, 24, 25, 22, 21
Captain Crow is a pushover if you just get Angelo sarcastic snigger skill, with it you can extend his psyche up + thin air spam by two or three turns between each and with the monster team you can just send them into to tank the hit.

Here's where I'm so far; 24, 25, 23, 22. I got Red and she always joins at level 33, good thing too because Empyrea is a pure level/gear check, unlike other bosses there's no way around it, she's just too sturdy. Gold Rush at 500/hit is the only way.

>>3809264
Sorry for doublepost. I meant Hero, Yangus, Angelo, Jessica.

>>3790991 (OP)
My favorite game was IX for its surprisingly mature story, lovely worldbuilding and amazing freedom in character creation and post-game content.
Honorable mention to Dragon Quest Monsters Jokers 2, but I suppose that wouldn't be an optimal point to start into the franchise.

and then after making a big long thread and discussing about it a lot op never played any of the fuckin games the end