Random Shenmue Thoughts

[Amir]

Playing Shenmue II, game is late Jan but I'm waiting for Fangmei sidequest, mostly sparring with Jianmin. Any tips on what moves to train? Mostly been doing Iron Palm and Stab Armour. Do moves change in Shenmue II like they do in Shenmue I? Been so long since I played I can't remember. Any other time-wasting tips?

[johnvivant]

Playing Shenmue II, game is late Jan but I'm waiting for Fangmei sidequest, mostly sparring with Jianmin. Any tips on what moves to train? Mostly been doing Iron Palm and Stab Armour. Do moves change in Shenmue II like they do in Shenmue I? Been so long since I played I can't remember. Any other time-wasting tips?

stab armour is my favorite move in the whole series, its so strong and useful (to think that it can easily be missed!) so thats the one i always train up without fail.

moves don't evolve in shenmue 2, and on the transition to 2 some even devolve back into their previous forms (like swallow dive).

[Amir]

Playing Shenmue II, game is late Jan but I'm waiting for Fangmei sidequest, mostly sparring with Jianmin. Any tips on what moves to train? Mostly been doing Iron Palm and Stab Armour. Do moves change in Shenmue II like they do in Shenmue I? Been so long since I played I can't remember. Any other time-wasting tips?

stab armour is my favorite move in the whole series, its so strong and useful (to think that it can easily be missed!) so thats the one i always train up without fail.

moves don't evolve in shenmue 2, and on the transition to 2 some even devolve back into their previous forms (like swallow dive).

So what happens as you train up your moves? Increased power and/or speed?

[johnvivant]

So what happens as you train up your moves? Increased power and/or speed?

yes

in shenmue 1 training moves increases their damage, and when they reach 'moderate' level evolves the form ( some moves but not all) making them faster to perform.

in shenmue 2 training moves just increases their damage output.

[amiga1200]

yep, it's true.
i take the game to literally sometimes, to the point it fucks me up.
anyway, we all know how bollocks hard lad-di is. (and some sparring encounters with certain masters.)
had friend round a while back, and she was idly watching me play the game.
...
nahh, didn't make sense to her.
i muttered to myself, 'well this is gonna be fuckin fun, last run'.
and she says 'dunno what the piss is about?! i could do the game and deal with lan-di blind and with eyes shut.'
...
you don't just 'deal' with lan-di casually.
that's like saying 'jumpstart a planet' or 'hotwire an alien vessel' as if it was taking a shit, an everyday thing.
...
take my games/shenmue to literally, and to stress like a twat losing my shit, and to have a friend say 'cmon son, i could do it spesh' clearly separates who likes the game, to the point, they understand it's quirks and see it through.
(riiigght sweet- put the angry boyds down, and try a real game before you stab a pained tiger, doesn't get good kudos.)
one reason i prefer to play some games in absolute private, some games bring out a side in me, i'd rather not share, or allow to be seen. (you wouldn't have a wank and shoot your shit in public would you?! in that regard, certain games are like that as below.)
shenmue brings out that chaotic and angry side, and perhaps to a few, it's a reason shenmue has to be played alone. (some for it's journey, myself including, but more for the djin it raises in me.)
[edit]
yet to get to the man, it's the quest, and it's not easy. (3 should sort that)

[SMDzero]

How come in Shenmue the movie Ryo catches the black guy and questions him about the Long Zha but in the digest movie it's the white guy?

Does the game give you the choice in who to pursue as a subtle racism test?

How did Lan Di manage to back the car out of the narrow Yamanose road?

[strider16]

Playing Shenmue II, game is late Jan but I'm waiting for Fangmei sidequest, mostly sparring with Jianmin. Any tips on what moves to train? Mostly been doing Iron Palm and Stab Armour. Do moves change in Shenmue II like they do in Shenmue I? Been so long since I played I can't remember. Any other time-wasting tips?

Is there a way to spar with Jianmin more than once a day? I was waiting for this quest too, and to pass the days fast I use 2 things:
- drop the books in the morning as fast as I can. Since I already got the scroll move, there is nothing more to gain;
- do the chawan sign in the same point (anyone which doesn't triggers a cutscene) again and again.

The days usually pass in 10 minutes this way, but I would not bother if I could spar a little more. It's a pity that Eileen and Izumi don't fight more after they're defeated...

[Amir]

22nd January.

Have almost maxed out Iron Palm and Stab Armour. Won QTE Title and Excite QTE 2 toys. Still can't get to 2nd checkpoint in Outrun.

What to train up next? Tornado Kick? Twin Swallow Leap?

[Amir]

Is there a way to spar with Jianmin more than once a day?.

Yeah, just go into Yan Tin Apartments or leave South Carmain and come back.

[Hyo Razuki]

Walked across the farmer's market in my city this morning. Thought about the epic Lucky Charm Quarter QTE Battle. Whenever I passed someone, the QTE beep-beep-beep-beep-beep came into my thoughts and i immagined puching or kicking that person into the nearest stand.

I know I need professional help.

[Axm]

Shenmue 3 up on the GameFaqs poll of the day fyi.
Currently winning.

http://www.gamefaqs.com/
http://www.gamefaqs.com/poll/5956-whick ... to-playing

[amiga1200]

^^ much appreciated for that nugget of very 'useful' info, should help some to sleep better.
thanks.

[rome]

Shenmue 3 up on the GameFaqs poll of the day fyi.
Currently winning.

http://www.gamefaqs.com/
http://www.gamefaqs.com/poll/5956-whick ... to-playing

Voted. Shenmue 3.

[Giorgio]

By watching this, these thoughts came to my mind:
Gamers call Shenmue boring, because it's not what they expect to play, that is a game. People who play Shenmue, don't do it for the excitement/fun, but for the immersion, emotions and to soak in its spiritual side. It's Interactive Storytelling, with an amateur detective/investigation experience, that's why you have to talk to people; to collect clues/information/leads and track down your father's killer.

The Shenmue series uses different kinds of game-play to enhance this experience. However, it is doing it in such a way to build anticipation. And when that moment of action comes (especially in the form of battles), it pays off more than having fights with thugs every two minutes.

Realism (and atmosphere) is a central part to feel more as an experience / a journey, than a game (eg. learning patterns and beating it through its rules). You virtually live another life, different than yours (and in a different time, and in a different culture if you live in the West).

And it needs patience, and to long more for its empathy/rapport/spiritual elements, rather for the 'winning'/getting your hands dirty (which happens, too, but at the proper time).

[Dragon St.]

Here's a nice video review of someone who just finished Shenmue for the first time.

phpBB [video]