Disgaea: HoD hints needed

[Xx{Hunter}xX]

Dood, I need help on HoD! I need the best ways to level up in Chapter 4! And, if anyone has Disgaea DS, can you help me beat Hoggmeiser in Etna Mode, dood?

[Mysentia]

What are you trying to level up for? Just to pass the maps?

The very first map has a 2x2 EXP boosting panel for the pumpkins and a section for the armored knights if I remember correctly (going off memory of about 3 years ago here XD), and if that's Blazing Core then everything is weak to Ice (just make a Blue Skull/Mage under Laharl, stand it next to him and have him cast Ice until it's level 1, and it's his for keeps). Or you can always go to someplace like Flashy Passage, stand still, and counter the Brawlers all day.

There's not really a *trick* at this point in the game, just whatever place yields the highest EXP (which is usually the later levels). Or you can level something up in the item world, it'll get you some levels, some nifty items, and a better piece of equipment which is just like leveling up in a way.

[Xx{Hunter}xX]

Originally Posted by Mysentia

What are you trying to level up for? Just to pass the maps?

The very first map has a 2x2 EXP boosting panel for the pumpkins and a section for the armored knights if I remember correctly (going off memory of about 3 years ago here XD), and if that's Blazing Core then everything is weak to Ice (just make a Blue Skull/Mage under Laharl, stand it next to him and have him cast Ice until it's level 1, and it's his for keeps). Or you can always go to someplace like Flashy Passage, stand still, and counter the Brawlers all day.

There's not really a *trick* at this point in the game, just whatever place yields the highest EXP (which is usually the later levels). Or you can level something up in the item world, it'll get you some levels, some nifty items, and a better piece of equipment which is just like leveling up in a way.

Thanks, dood!

[Mysentia]

Sure :) and I recommend leveling the Imperial Seal Laharl starts with to 10.

[Xx{Hunter}xX]

Originally Posted by Mysentia

Sure and I recommend leveling the Imperial Seal Laharl starts with to 10.

Dood, for that, I just give him stronger emblems.

[Mysentia]

I don't remember getting the Dark Rosary until the Lunar Snowfield, which is Chapter 8 (at least this is when it becomes easily available in the bonus gauge). Even if you can get one in Chapter 4 though, I think Dark Rosary is 20 to all stats (more to HP, can't remember the exact amount). Leveling an Imperial Seal to 10 is easy to do and gives 25 to all stats.

Just another way to level :)

[Xx{Hunter}xX]

Originally Posted by Mysentia

I don't remember getting the Dark Rosary until the Lunar Snowfield, which is Chapter 8 (at least this is when it becomes easily available in the bonus gauge). Even if you can get one in Chapter 4 though, I think Dark Rosary is 20 to all stats (more to HP, can't remember the exact amount). Leveling an Imperial Seal to 10 is easy to do and gives 25 to all stats.

Just another way to level

Dood, I got it from the hospital. XD

[Mysentia]

Oh, that's right! I forgot about that XD I never heal deaths so I never end up with those. Well then you can probably get something even better than the Rosary if you haven't already.

This makes me want to play Disgaea again XD

[Xx{Hunter}xX]

Originally Posted by Mysentia

Oh, that's right! I forgot about that XD I never heal deaths so I never end up with those. Well then you can probably get something even better than the Rosary if you haven't already.

This makes me want to play Disgaea again XD

Dood, on DS, I got a Testament from it. XDDD

[TheRapingDragon]

Unlock Ronin [Female Warrior and Female Fighter each at level 10]
Train Ronin + Male Warrior, Brawler, Ninja, Rogue and Scout + whoever else you want in item worlds up to level 200 at least to unlock Majin. Start training him.
Unlock cave of ordeals [Get rank 6 or so with someone to pass the bill]
Whore CoO3 while passing stronger enemy bills when leveling.
Beat CoO and unlock Demonhall mirror. Beat Adell and Rozalin.
Whore Demonhall mirror (now an improved version of CoO3) while passing SEBs again.

Throughout all that keep using the item world with your best rank weapons and work towards getting rank 40 weapons.

Personally I have 110 hours on Disgaea DS.
-All optional bosses beaten (including baal and prinny baal)
-Have some rank 40 weapons.
- Got Hyperdrive (do a legendary rank 40 weapon from level 1-100 and beat item god without leaving the item, took me 90 minutes).

Character wise I have:
- Divine Majin (physical) (In the 4000s, about 20k stored levels) [Reincarnation wise: Tier 1 Ronin -> Tier 6 Ronin -> Majin]
- Divine Majin (Magic) (In 1000s, about 10k stored levels) [Reincarnation wise: Tier 1 Female Cleric -> Tier 6 Female Cleric -> Tier 1 Angel -> Tier 6 Angel -> Majin]
- Laharl (in the 2000s, about 10k stored levels)

For Cleric I got her 6 pupils for each mage (3 female + 3 male) for all spells from normal - tera level.

That's all I really use high level wise. I've also caught tons of monsters and have a couple of level 9999s for stealing.

[Zybanthia]

That's all great info, but he's asking for help on leveling... in Chapter 4. You don't really hit level 200 efficiently in Chapter 4. In fact, it would take all day, if not days.

I have over 500 hours on Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, and while getting classes and stuff is great, you can easily clear the standard story in under 15 hours using JUST Laharl. Trust me, I've soloed the game with him in under 15 hours. I never so much as attacked with another character.

With the way the game's stats work, it's more useful training a single person that it is multiple people as far as fighting is concerned (unlocking is different). While TRD's advice is great and you should do those things, I wouldn't really attempt it at Chapter 4 because you will do so much inefficient grinding that you will get sick of this game.

EDIT: If you're talking about the DS version, I wouldn't know because you didn't exactly specify, but I'd imagine that leveling is just as tedious in the beginning. Usually there is a certain level you hit that just tips the scales. Stat growth isn't so gradual in this game, and the difference between one level and another can (at the beginning of the game) mean victory, even if it's a single level.

[Kage_No_Shi]

Yes, in the case of the main story (particularly the first handful of chapters) a level or two difference can be significant.

I'd also recommend, on top of leveling people, that you also save up as much money as you can, and purchase the best item. You'd want to keep raising customer and product rank as high as you can reasonably get it, before splurging on a single powerful weapon.

Leveling a decent item in the item world is also good, you get a stronger item, usually some levels gained, and money as a result.

Oh, in the case of that area with EXP panel, try my 2 in 1 bonus trick (gaining levels, and money. Have characters weaken the enemies on the EXP panels (I recommend a mage, their damage is pretty consistent), then combine them. Finish them off (preferably from behind) with your strongest character's attack. If you can't 1 hit kill them, then do a combo with various other characters, finishing with the strongest attack the character you want to level, can make.

You gain levels exclusively for that character, AND you gain more money (money doesn't scale to enemy levels, a single level 20 enemy gives more money than 4 level 5 enemies).

[Zybanthia]

Originally Posted by Kage_No_Shi

(money doesn't scale to enemy levels, a single level 20 enemy gives more money than 4 level 5 enemies).

This is true for EXP too, by the way. The amount of EXP an enemy gives is mostly based on how much EXP that enemy needs to level up (essentially, what level it is, but the actual value that makes a higher level enemy worth more is its "next level" value). Since the amount of EXP needed increases exponentially in this game (that is, it doesn't just take a fixed number more every time), at some point you will exceed the value of a group of enemies whose levels equal that of one enemy.

Good advice by the way, Kage.

[TheRapingDragon]

Firstly: I'm playing DS version (apart from that I have about 150 hours with Disgaea 2 for ps2)

Second:

With the way the game's stats work, it's more useful training a single person that it is multiple people as far as fighting is concerned (unlocking is different). While TRD's advice is great and you should do those things, I wouldn't really attempt it at Chapter 4 because you will do so much inefficient grinding that you will get sick of this game.

I have yet to beat the main story. After Disgaea 2 I realised that Item world is where it's at. By chapter 4 I had went through item world a bunch of times and unlocked Ronin. With Ronin / Cleric / Laharl I got CoO3 (within 20 hours or less, can't remember) and from there it's even more fun.

I mean what's Disgaea without grinding. The whole point of Disgaea is obsessiveness. Play more to get improved weapons and characters, then reincarnate and do it all again while getting better weapons.

So really even at chapter 4 he should be item worlding and trying to unlock CoO3. Going through the story is more inefficient than item-worlding when grinding for levels. Once you get CoO3 you can power-level and start flying towards the side-stuff like optional bosses and rank 40 weapons.

[Zybanthia]

Originally Posted by TheRapingDragon

I mean what's Disgaea without grinding. The whole point of Disgaea is obsessiveness. Play more to get improved weapons and characters, then reincarnate and do it all again while getting better weapons.

This I agree with.

Originally Posted by TheRapingDragon

Going through the story is more inefficient than item-worlding when grinding for levels.

This I don't, in a way. I mean obviously when actually grinding for high levels, yes, but he's asking about Chapter 4.

Again, I've gone through the story in about 15 hours with just Laharl. I pretty much never needed to actually sit and grind, at any point. Occasionally I needed to stop and level a weapon up, or repeat a time-efficient map in order to get some HL or something, but I never actually spammed item worlds and stuff.

You have to sit through all the story levels and dialogue one way or another. This means that while you're going through them, they might as well be worth your while in EXP. Soloing with a character means he / she is getting all the EXP and leveling much more quickly than if you used multiple characters. If you're already leveled while going through here, not only is the EXP gained here practically a waste because you need an exponential amount of EXP to level, but you've lost the tactical value of the game because you can just sit and bash everything's face in. You've already won, so there's little point in clearing the story anymore.

If you choose to level up in the item world at the beginning of the game, you can never level a piece of equipment that is actually worthwhile to you and kill the enemies at the same time because your stats don't climb as quickly as enemy levels do in the item world as you clear the floors. This means you have to make it a point to go to weaker items to be able to kill the enemies there, and by doing that, you're not really doing yourself any favors because you've essentially taken a detour in order to level. If you go through the story mode, you kill two birds with one stone; you clear the dialogue and whatnot, and you level at the same time. And in that way, you don't take any detours because the enemy levels are written to be the perfect challenge for someone going through the story mode. So then, by the time you're done with story mode, you're easily around level 100, and at that level, stats start going up much more quickly, allowing to make actual use of your item world time.

EDIT: Your way is not bad. You can sit around in the Item World at Chapter 4 if you want and you will come out of it with plenty of high levels, good stuff, etc. I just see no reason to take such a long way through the game. It's more valuable to have one high-level character than a bunch of characters whose levels equal his. It makes doing things like Item World so much easier.

[TheRapingDragon]

EDIT: Your way is not bad. You can sit around in the Item World at Chapter 4 if you want and you will come out of it with plenty of high levels, good stuff, etc. I just see no reason to take such a long way through the game.

How is it a "long way through the game"? You yourself agree that Disgaea is all about collecting / grinding / improving things. From that mantra "the game" would be to get the best items and beat the best bosses, not just beat the main story.

It's more valuable to have one high-level character

Yes, I only have 3, a physical and magical majin and Laharl.

than a bunch of characters whose levels equal his.

Which is only important for unlocking characters. I have never said to level up tons of people, just a few and then catch whatever else you want.

Also - One final thing.

You beat the story in 15 hours. In that 15 hours I had characters strong enough to start power-leveling in CoO3 and they got into the hundreds in a matter of minutes from that. In 15 hours I had around 5 200+ level characters vs. your level 100 Laharl.

Granted it's all about what you want from the game. Want to beat the story then yes, go ahead and do what you're saying. Want to have the best stuff and characters and obsess over getting everything then do my way. Both are fun in their own way.

[Zybanthia]

Okay, that's a good point. As his question was "the best ways to level up in Chapter 4" I was trying to think of the most time efficient way to get him out of Chapter 4, but if he (or whoever else) is going to have more fun going through the Item Worlds, unlockable areas and whatever else, then that is indeed the route they should take.

[Kage_No_Shi]

I have to point out that leveling like that, while it gives you a sense of accomplishment, it also breaks the main story.

When I was the start of the last chapter of Disgaea 3, I started item worlding a lot, to get decent equips (ended up with a leveled version of the best available equip in the normal world, which is a rank 34....Macho fist I think? And a Demolition sword, also rank 34. Legendaries, of course).

When I came back to the main story, it was a joke, not a challenge. Even the CoO areas were a joke in the normal world...

This is why I generally prefer to save powerleveling for the second cycle.

On the plus side, I ended up in the post game on the first cycle. I now have access to Land of Carnage (which I have since used to level up to level 9999 for multiple characters, including my thief. Well, 3 characters, but my main attacker, A hanakage, female ninja of highest tier, went to 9999 multiple times).

But still, the main story is for entertainment value, and that value goes down when you can absolutely crush all the enemies with one of your more 'meh' characters....

Plus, I don't really recommend Item Worlding (more than necessary) to newbies. Let them beat the main story first, before getting into the post game stuff.

[Zybanthia]

Yeah, basically:

Originally Posted by Zybanthia

If you're already leveled, you've lost the tactical value of the game because you can just sit and bash everything's face in. You've already won, so there's little point in clearing the story anymore.

in more depth. Totally agreed.

[Kage_No_Shi]

Ah, sorry, didn't notice that part >_>

I sometimes get sorely tempted to restart Disgaea 1 or something, so I can re-enjoy the beginning of the game, starting from scratch. But meh, aside from NIS games, I rarely devote so many hours to a game, it doesn't match my personality.

Essentially, Disgaea games, particularly their post-game, go against my personality, but I still <3 em, which shows how awesome they are ^_^