******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ***********************\ SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI: NOCTURNE /************************ ************************\ Frequently Asked Questions /************************* *************************\ by /************************** ******************************\ entropic_soul /******************************** ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* entropic_soul@yahoo.com http://fire.prohosting.com/riotzero/ Version 1.0 January, 2005 Contents 0. Introduction 1. Question Index 2. The Questions and Answers 3. Contact Info 4. Credits & Copyright ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0. Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What you are reading now is a FAQ in the truest sense of the term: Frequently Asked Questions. This is not a guide. You will not find a walkthough here - there are other guides for that. If, however, you have a certain question about how or why something works the way it does, you may find the answer here. I tried to compile a list of questions I see being asked fairly frequently (along with some less frequently asked questions) and I hope that you can find your answer within. If you have any questions or you think there is something I should add, please let me know. Enjoy. Current number of questions: 81 I do plan to add more questions in the future. :) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Question Index ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My Little Pixie 1.What level does the pixie evolve to High Pixie? 2.What level does the high pixie evolve to Queen Mab? 3.What is the special reason to keep her that everyone is always talking about? 4.If I fuse her, can I still get that special event? Attributes, Status & Skills 1.Why do two demons with the same strength do different amounts of damage? 2.What does (St,Ma,Vi,Ag,Lu) do? 3.How do I become Cursed? 4.What is the difference between being Cursed and the Curse attribute? 5.What happens if I have eight skills and I learn another skill? 6.Why didn't I learn a skill last time I leveled up? 7.Why was I still insta-killed even though I had Void Death equipped? 8.My demon wants to change a skill. Should I let him do it? 9.Why did my title (the word next to your name on the status screen) change? 10.What is the maximum level I can get? 11.Can I still learn skills and gain stat points after level 99? 12.What is that "?" skill on my first Magatama? -MINOR SPOILER 13.How many attacks does Tetraja block? Fusions & Demons 1.How many skills are inhereted through fusion? 2.Why can't I fuse X skill onto my demon? 3.Can I still get pierce on my demons if I don't go for the maniacs ending? 4.Where is the Shady Broker that sells the demon with Pierce? -MINOR SPOILER 5.What is a sacrifice fusion? 6.How do I do a sacrifice fusion? 7.What is an elemental fusion? 8.What is a Rank Up / Rank Down fusion? 9.What is a mitama fusion? 10.How do I make an elemental? 11.How do I make a mitama? 12.Why aren't my demon's stats increasing when I fuse it with a mitama? 13.Why can't I fuse (special demon) even though I am using the correct formula? 14.If I don't fight Futomimi / Seraphs can I still fuse him/them? -SPOILER 15.How do I get the Seraphs? -SPOILER 16.How do I fuse (special demon)? -MINOR SPOILER 17.How do I fuse Futomimi / Sakahagi? -MINOR SPOILER 18.How do I fuse (Fiend)? -MINOR SPOILER 19.Can you Rank up / Rank Down fiends or special fusions? 20.How do I get Dante? Labyrinth of Amala 1.Why is nothing happening when I look through the peephole? 2.Why can't I advance to the next Kalpa even though I have the candlebrums? 3.Why can't I break the orange spheres in the Warp Zones? 4.What are the Burial Chambers? 5.What's the point of getting the high score in the Burial Chambers? -SPOILER 6.Is there any way to get past that cursed (damage) area in the 2nd Kalpa? 7.Why isn't the (Stat) door opening even though my demon has enough (stat)? 8.Who do I need to open the various special doors in the 5th Kalpa? Items 1.Where is the 1000 Yen Bill? 2.What does the Deathstone do? 3.Where is the Moon Key? 4.Where is the Star Key? 5.Where is the Afterlife Bell? 6.Where is the Spyglass? 7.Where is the Blessed Fan? 8.Where is the Chakra Elixer? 9.Where is the Soul Return? 10.How do I get the Lord's Sword? Advancing In the Game 1.How do I get past Matador? 2.Why can't I leave through the east gate in the Mantra HQ? 3.Why can't I get into Asakusa? 4.In Asakusa, Hijiri keeps telling me to leave him alone. What do I do? 5.How do I defeat the Moirae Sisters in the Obelisk? They keep coming back! General Gameplay Questsions 1.What is the difference between Normal and Hard? 2.Is there a New Game+ feature? 3.How do I start my New Game+? -SPOILER 4.What happens if I get every magatama? 5.What happens if I master all the magatama? 6.What happens if I complete my Demon Compendium 100%? 7.How long is this game? 8.How many saves slots does this game have? 9.How many levels does the Asakusa Puzzle Boy game have? 10.How many endings does this game have? 11.Does the main character's appearance ever change? -MINOR SPOILER 12.Can you adjust the difficulty mid-game? 13.Is there any way to change magatama in the middle of a battle? 14.I got a critical/weakness attack and I still lost a turn. What gives? Other Questions of Interest 1.Is there any place to get cool Shin Megami Tensei stuff like posters & such? 2.Why does my CD say Disc 1? Am I missing a disc? 3.What is the "Maniacs" version of the game? 4.What is the Jakyo Manor? 5.Do I need to play the previous games to understand this one? 6.Is the game Persona related to this game? 7.Are there going to be any more Shin Megami Tensei games released in the USA? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Questions and Answers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *************** My Little Pixie *************** -What level does the pixie evolve to High Pixie? -The pixie will evolve into High Pixie when she reaches level 6 so long as you are also level 6. -What level does the high pixie evolve to Queen Mab? -High pixie will evolve into Queen Mab upon reaching 16th level. However, since Queen Mab is a level 56 demon, you must be at least level 52 before that will happen. -What is the special reason to keep her that everyone is always talking about? -When you get to the 5th Kalpa, way near the end of the game, there is a special door that can only be opened by the "one who has been with you the longest." Upon entering this room, your Pixie will gain enough experience to become level 80 and will get five very powerful skills. Along with that, all of her stats will become 30, meaning she can now be used to open most doors in the 5th kalpa. The skills she learns are: Maziodyne, Megidolaon, Mediarahan, Samarecarm & Endure. -If I fuse her, can I still get that special event? -Yes. As long as you still have the product of that fusion. If she is no longer a pixie, she will revert to pixie form, so be sure to record your demon in the compendium if you still want it. *************************** Attributes, Status & Skills *************************** -Why do two demons with the same strength do different amounts of damage? -Although damage is determined by Strength, the demon's level is factored into it as well. A little formula I whipped up, though not exact, can determine the rough amount of damage your demon (or you) can do with a single melee attack. Level*2.2 + Strength*2 = Damage Output -What does (St,Ma,Vi,Ag,Lu) do? -This is a common question. I'll list the five stats below and their known properties: Strength = This affects damage. See previous question above. In the Amala Warp zones, you need at least a 15 base strength to punch through the orange spheres. Magic = This affects damage for magic attacks. Also, you get 3 additional MP for each point of Magic. Vitality = This affects HP. You get 6 additional HP for each point in Vitality. High scores in this ability do not reduce the amount of damage you take when you are hit. Agility = This one's a little iffy. People tend to think it affects your hit and dodge rate. Some people think it affects your critical rate. Personally, I don't. It also affects your personal turn on your player turn. Demons with the highest agility will go first. Luck = This one is way up in the air. No one really knows and it's up for debate. According to the manual, it affects the chance that your side will go first. Some say it affects your critical rate. According to the Doublejump guidebook, it affects your chance to escape combat, critical rates, hit rates for yourself as well as enemies and conversation success rates. -How do I become Cursed? -To become cursed, you must have equipped a Magatama that can curse you when you level up. Remember how you sometimes are healed or gain a bonus stat point from your magatama when you level up? Well, being cursed works exactly the same way. Here is a list of the magatama that can curse you and the chance that they will when you level up: ---------------- Anathama: 50.0% Murakumo: 37.5% Djed: 25.0% Muspell: 37.5% Satan: 25.0% Kailish: 75.0% -What is the difference between being Cursed and the Curse attribute? -Becoming Cursed is a status ailment that can only affect the protagonist. The Curse attribute is a spell type. While cursed, the fusion results in the Cathedral of Shadows will be different than they normally are and all elemental fusions will give opposite results. Also, being cursed affects you in battle. If you are cursed while in battle, you (only the protagonist) might lose a press turn. The curse attribute is a bit different. There is no "Curse" ailment for the demons. This name identifies a type of spell, namely ones that can MUTE or POISON you. If you have VOID CURSE, then you void out spells that can MUTE or POISON you, not the Curse ailment. FLY is also a very rare curse-based ailment. -What happens if I have eight skills and I learn another skill? -If you gain another skill when you have no more empty skill slots, you will be prompted to drop either a skill you have or the skill that you just learned. You can have no more than eight skills at a time. -Why didn't I learn a skill last time I leveled up? -All skills have a level requirement. If you do not meet this requirement after you level up, you will not learn the next skill on your selected magatama. Another reason might be because you have a magatama equipped that doesn't have any more skills to give. -Why was I still insta-killed even though I had Void Death equipped? -Insta-kill spells fall under two catagories, one is Death and the other is Expel. Death magic is something that kills while Expel magic is something that banishes or exorcises. You can think of Death magic as unholy or demonic magic while Expel magic is holy and divine. In the game, the end result is the same: you die. So you can still be insta-kill if you don't have protection from both of these types of magic. Unless otherwise noted in the description, magatama give you a base 50% resistance to all Death and Expel effects. Here's a list of insta-kill attacks and the type of attack they are. Remember, there are other Death and Expel based skills. These are just the insta-kill ones. ======================= DEATH EXPEL ======================= Mudo Hama Mudoon Hamaon Mamudo Mahama Mamudoon Mahamaon Stone Gaze God's Bow Hell Gaze Death Flies -My demon wants to change a skill. Should I let him do it? -The general consensus is "no." Generally, you demons will either replace an existing skill with a better version of it or replace an existing skill with another randomly chosen skill. If you have crap skills anyway, then go ahead. But if you like the skills you have, I would advise against it unless you have saved recently and are willing to reload if the change is no good. -Why did my title (the word next to your name on the status screen) change? -The title next to your name reflects how many magatama you have mastered and which ones they are. When you master more and more magatama, your title will change. The title you get depends on whether you have mastered more Light, Neutral or Dark magatama. If you have mastered more Light magatama than anything else, you will have a Light title. The same goes for Neutral and Dark. If you have mastered the same amount of Light or Dark as Neutral, then you will be given a Light or Dark title instead of Neutral. If you have mastered the same amount of Light and Dark magatama, then you will gain a Neutral title instead. The title itself has no effect on the gameplay except a very minor part where you must have a Light, Neutral or Dark "Reason" to open a certain door in the Labyrinth of Amala. -What is the maximum level I can get? -The maximum level you or anyone else in the game can reach is 255. 11.Can I still learn skills and gain stat points after level 99? -Yes. After level 99, you will continue to gain XP and level normally just like you have before. The only difference (and I stress *ONLY* difference) is that the number on your status screen will still say "99." To determine your level after 99, just take your HP, divide by 6 and subtract your Vitality. -What is that "?" skill on my first Magatama? (MINOR SPOILERS) -That is the skill called Pierce that allows you to penetrate the physical defenses of any enemy. This skill is unlocked only after clearing the 5th Kalpa, thus locking you into the True Demon ending. Pierce does not work against demons that REPEL physical attacks, however. -How many attacks does Tetraja block? -Tetraja will create a shield that blocks Expel and Death based attacks. It will block one attack of each type per character it is cast on. Usually you run into enemies that can cast either Expel magic or Death magic so it effectively only blocks one attack per character. In the rare cases that you run into enemies that use both Expel and Death, it will block each type once. **************** Fusions & Demons **************** -How many skills are inhereted through fusion? -According to the Doublejump Guidebook, the number of skills you gain is dependant on the number of skills your fusion demons have. You can use the formula below to determine how many skills will be transfered. Please remember that this is in addition to the number of starting skill the demon already has (which is usually 2 or 3.) (Number of skills from all demons +2.7) divded by 3.7 = skills transfered -Why can't I fuse X skill onto my demon? -There are a number of skills that can only be transfered if the demon looks a certain way. For example, weapon based skills like Stasis Blade can only be transfered to a demon that is holding a weapon. Demons without wings will not be able to use Wing Buffet. -Can I still get pierce on my demons if I don't go for the maniacs ending? -Yes, however you must defeat Metatron in the 5th Kalpa and fuse him so that he is in your party. (See next question.) -Where is the Shady Broker that sells the demon with Pierce? (MINOR SPOILERS) -After aquiring Metatron head to the 5th Kalpa. Find the door that can only be opened by "one brimming with light." Go through this door and drop down into the pit. You will get a prompt that says you can only open three doors. Go straight ahead three times and then turn left. You will see the Shady Broker who will sell you a Gimimehkala (make sure you don't already have one in your party or drop him.) The Gimimahkala will cost you 200,000 Macca. -What is a sacrifice fusion? -A sacrifice fusion is just like a normal fusion, except you add a 3rd demon to the mix to be sacrificed. The 3rd demon has no impact on the race of the demon you will get except in very limited circumstances (namely, special fusions.) There are two distinct benefits to using a sacrifice fusion: a) The skills on the sacrificed demon may be transfered to the new demon. b) If the sacrificed demon has gained any XP, 150% of this total will be added to the new demon enabling you to create a demon which is higher level than it normally starts out at. -How do I do a sacrifice fusion? -Sacrifice fusions become available once you get to Ginza. You will know you can do sacrifice fusions because the Minister will tell you about them. To do a sacrifice fusion, the Kagatsuchi must be FULL. When fusing a demon during FULL Kagatsuchi, go about the process normally. After selecting your demons, the Minister will ask you if you would like to sacrifice another demon to the fusion. Just select YES. If you do not like the outcome, you can always cancel the fusion as you would normally. -What is an elemental fusion? -An elemental fusion is a fusion in which you fuse a normal demon and an element together. The result is not a new demon race, but instead your demon will move up or down to the next demon type of that race. This is refered to as Ranking Up or Ranking Down. For example, Momunofu would become Oni with a rank up fusion. Whether the demon ranks up or down depends on the elemental used and it varies by race. For example, some demons, when fused with a Flaemis will rank up while other demons will rank down. Please note that when you are cursed, the results of elemental fusions are opposite. So demons who normally rank down will instead rank up. This is the only way to rank up certain races. -What is a Rank Up / Rank Down fusion? -It is another name for an elemental fusion. See previous question. -What is a mitama fusion? -A mitama fusion is a fusion in which you fuse a normal demon and a mitama together. This type of fusion does not change the demon you are fusing the mitama with, but instead increases it's stats and may give it new abilities. The demon will only gain new abilities if it has open slots to learn new abilities. Once the demon has eight abilities, you can no longer transfer abilities from mitama. -How do I make an elemental? -You can create your own custom elemental by fusing two demons of the same race together. Not all demon races can do this, but many can. The type of elemental you get depends on the race of the demons you fused. -How do I make a mitama? -You can create your own custom mitama by fusing two different elementals together. The type of mitama you get depends on the elementals fused. -Why aren't my demon's stats increasing when I fuse it with a mitama? -A demon's stats have a limit to the amount that they can be augmented by mitama. By using mitama fusions, you can increase the demon's stats to a maximum of twice its base statistic. Once the demon gains more levels and its base stats go up, you will be able to augment the stats again. -Why can't I fuse (special demon) even though I am using the correct formula? -Some special demons are also bosses. You must defeat the boss in battle. Fiends fall into this catagory. -If I don't fight Futomimi / Seraphs can I still fuse him/them? -SPOILERS -You will still be able to fuse Futomimi. The way this works is that you only need to pass the point in the game at which you would have fought him. This works for the Seraphs too, if you choose to fight Futomimi. Of course, Futomimi has other requirements as well... (see below.) -How do I get the Seraphs? -SPOILERS -First, make sure you are past the event where the Seraphs appear. Next, level up a Throne until he becomes Uriel. (You, yourself, will need to be level 69 before Throne transforms into Uriel.) Then you can follow the fusion formulae below in the next question. -How do I fuse (special demon)? -MINOR SPOILERS -Most special demons are gained through sacrifice fusion, however some are not. Here's a list of special fusions: Result = Demon 1 + Demon 2 + Sacrifice --------------------------------------------------------------------- Gabriel* Throne Uriel - Rapheal* Dominion Gabriel - Michael* Uriel Gabriel Raphael Metatron* Micheal Divine!/Seraph! Tyrant! Shiva Ragnda Barong - Amaterasu Yatagarasu Mikazuchi Uzume Ongyo-ki* Kin-ki Sui-ki Fuu-ki Girimehkala* (Demons that Fuse Purski) Vile! Gurr (Demons that Fuse Sparna) Tyrant! Samael* (Demons that Fuse Throne) Vile! *You must defeat these demons in battle before you can fuse them. !Demons with this mark are races, not specific demons. -How do I fuse Futomimi / Sakahagi? -Both Sakahagi and Futomimi can be gained through normal fusions, but you must first go through a little process before they become fusable. To get access to them, you must find your way to Hell's Maze in the 4th Kalpa and speak to a soul who tells you of the *Afterlife Bell.* Head to the Zoshigaya Cemetery (details in the Item section under Afterlife Bell) and get the afterlife Bell. Then come back to Hell's Maze and speak to the both the Old Soul and the Young Soul (they are in the top-left and bottom-right corners of Hell's Maze) and agree to help them. Then head to any Peephole and watch the event related to the Manakins. After all of this, Futumimi and Sakahagi will be fusable. *Futomimi is a level 63 Kishin. You should be able to fuse Kishins normally, but the easiest way to get him is to rank up a kishin you already have until he becomes Futomimi. Erthys ranks up Kishin under normal circumstances. *Sakahagi is a level 45 Foul. You can only fuse Fouls when you are cursed, but most likely you already have a Foul in your compendium. The easiest way to get Sakahagi is to just rank up a Foul until he becomes Sakahagi. Aquans ranks up Foul under normal circumstances. -How do I fuse (Fiend)? -MINOR SPOILERS -To fuse a fiend, you must: have a deathstone, enter during the correct Kagastuchi phase and fuse two demons that would otherwise create a specific demon race. Remember, you must first defeat the Fiend in battle before you can fuse it. Here are the formulae: Fiend (Level) Kagatsuchi Fusion Race ----------------------------------------------------- Matador (30) 1/8-Half Yoma Daisoujou (37) 6/8-Full Night Hell Biker (42) Half-7/8 Fairy White Rider (52) New Yoma Red Rider (55) New Fairy Black Rider (61) New Night Pale Rider (63) New Tyrant Harlot (69) Half Tyrant Trumpter (77) Full Tyrant -Can you Rank up or Rank Down fiends or special fusions? -No. Aside from Futomimi and Sakahagi, all other special demons and fiends must be fused using the exact formula. -How do I get Dante? -There is nothing special you have to do to specifically get Dante. All you have to do is make it to the 5th Kalpa and he will offer to join your party (make sure you have a free slot.) This is near the end of the game, so you should expect not to get him for quite some time. Once you have Dante in your party you *cannot* get rid of him. Neither can you fuse him to anything. ****************** Labyrinth of Amala ****************** -Why is nothing happening when I look through the peephole? -You have entered the Tower of Kagatsuchi. Once you enter the Tower of Kagatsuchi all peephole events will stop. Your ending is now set in stone. -Why can't I advance to the next Kalpa even though I have the candlebrums? -You have entered the Tower of Kagatsuchi. Once you enter the Tower of Kagatsuchi no new Kalpas will open. Your ending is now set in stone. -Why can't I break the orange spheres in the Warp Zones? -Your base Strength must be at least 15 to break these orange blocks. Augmentation through magatama will not help. -What are the Burial Chambers? -The burial chambers are places where you can fight bosses that you have already beaten. The point is to beat the boss in a certain number of press turns. After the battle, you will be told how many press turns it took you to defeat the boss. If the number is red, then you have gained the high score for that battle. This is mainly just for fun, but if you manage to get all of the high scores in all of the Burial Chambers you are rewarded with a special prize. (See Below: SPOILERS) -What's the point of getting the high score in the Burial Chambers? -SPOILERS -If you get all of the high scores in all of the burial chambers and you beat the game, then you start a new 2nd cycle game...... (REWARD SPOILERS).... you can see an event next time you enter a burial chamber and you will be rewarded with an additional press turn icon. You will now be like those bosses that have two press turns all the time. -Is there any way to get past that cursed (damage) area in the 2nd Kalpa? -The only way is to walk through it and eat the damage. Float Balls or Liftoma will not help you here. There are some very strong enemies in this area, but if you manage to make it all the way through, you will be rewarded with 250,000 Macca. Also, this place becomes uncursed after you defeat Beezelbub in the 4th Kalpa, but you will no longer be able to gain the reward money. -Why isn't the (Stat) door opening even though my demon has enough (stat)? -It seems that your demon has been modified by mitama. It looks like the doors won't open unless the demon you put forth has a *base* stat of 25 or 20 or whatever it happens to need at the time. So this doesn't include the bonus from mitama. Sorry. -Who do I need to open the various special doors in the 5th Kalpa? -Here are the names of the demons you need to open the doors: ------------------- Door 1: Black Frost Door 2: Pixie Door 3: Beelzebub Door 4: Metatron (*Note: I need to look up the names of the doors, but these are the demons.) ***** Items ***** -Where is the 1000 Yen Bill? -You can find the 1000 Yen Bill in Ginza. Walk outside and look for the third entrance to Ginza on the map. It is the one on the top-right. Go in here and down the hall. You will find a Cashe Cube with the 1000 Yen Bill in it. -What does the Deathstone do? -A deathstone allows you to fuse a Fiend (Matador, White Rider, etc.) The fusion formulae for the different fiends vary as well as what Kagatsuchi phase they must be fused. Fusing a Fiend will consume 1 deathstone and generally, there are a limited number of deathstones in the game (all found in the Kalpas.) There is one place in the 3rd Kalpa where someone will sell you deathstones, but your "Reason" must be neutral to get to him and each deathstone is 200,000 Macca. That said, you will be able to find enough deathstones to fuse at least one of each fiend. -Where is the Moon Key? -In the 2nd Kalpa. First go into the 2nd Kalpa and head straight down the long hall. Drop down into the pit (it should be the only way you can go.) Head through the halls and upward until you find a pit to drop down into. (There are several pits on this floor. It doesn't matter which one you go into.) After you fall down this pit, you should be in a room with one regular door. Go through the door (it is a one-way door) and you should find yourself in a large room with Dr. Dark and a Suspicious Bar. This room has pits on either side. Drop into the pit near the Suspicious Bar. This puts you on B3F with walls that are difficult to see. Try to get to the door on the right side of the map by heading a little to the left and somewhat upward, then around. It may be tricky at first. Remember - it's the door on the right side of the map! Go through the door and down the ladder to get the Moon Key. -Where is the Star Key? -Defeat Beelzebub. Then go to the 2nd Kalpa cursed area and talk to Efreet. He will tell you to talk to Loki in Ginza (in the bar.) Loki will tell you he sold it to a manakin. Go to the Collector Manakin's shop in Asakusa and he will give you the Star Key. -Where is the Afterlife Bell? -First you have to get into Hell's Vault in the 4th Kalpa (see the above section if you are having trouble with this.) When you are there, find the soul who mentions the Afterlife Bell to you. He is in front of the warp that leads you back to the main part of the 4th Kalpa so he should be easy to find. He will tell you to go to Zoshigaya Cemetary. You can find Zoshigaya Cemetary directly south of Ikebukuro. The Afterlife Bell is on a corpse there. -Where is the Spyglass? -In the Obelisk. (I'll add directions later.) -Where is the Blessed Fan? -In the White Amala Temple. (I'll add directions later.) -Where is the Chakra Elixer? -In the Obelisk, but you can't get it until the Tower of Kagatsuchi appears. When it does, go around to the backside of the Tower (from the main map) and enter through the hidden rear entrance. You will find the Chakra Elixer in here. Use it well! -Where is the Soul Return? -In the Tower of Kagutsuchi 3. (I'll add directions later.) -How do I get the Lord's Sword? -Get all 24 magatama and visit the Cathedral of Shadows. The minister will give you the Lord's Sword. You need to take it to Masakado's Grave. ********************* Advancing in the Game ********************* -How do I get past Matador? -This is the first really tough spot in the game and causes a lot of problems since there is no way around this "optional" boss. Remember that Matador enjoys using force-based attacks, so having at least one demon in your party that can Void Force is a must. In fact, the more the better. Matador also uses Red Capote (which is equivilant to 4 Sukukaja spells) so bring demons with Fog Breath to counter that. War Cry is also helpful. -Why can't I leave through the east gate in the Mantra HQ? -You need to make sure that you talk to both Gozu-Tennoh at the top of the Mantra HQ *and* Izamu in the prison basement before the east gate will open. -Why can't I get into Asakusa? -Most likely you haven't gone back to the Ginza terminal to talk to Hijiri. -In Asakusa, Hijiri keeps telling me to leave him alone. What do I do? -Make sure you talk to Futomimi in Mifunashiro (the center of Asakusa) and Sakahagi. You can find Sakahagi by going through the west (left) exit from Nakamise-Douri (the main part of Asakusa.) -How do I defeat the Moirae Sisters in the Obelisk? They keep coming back! You need to make sure you fight all 3 of them in the same Kagatsuchi cycle. Here's a little tip: Fight them from right to left. **************** General Gameplay **************** -What is the difference between Normal and Hard? -There are several differences that are notable. I will list them here: a) Enemies do more damage. b) Insta-kill skills are more effective. c) All junk shop prices are three times as much. d) You can almost never escape from battle unless you use an item or spell. e) Damage areas, moving while poisoned and trapped boxes do x3 damage. -Is there a New Game+ feature? -SPOILERS -Yes. When you complete the game, you will be prompted to save your completed progress. You can load this progress from the main menu to start your new game+. Unfortunately, you do not keep your level, magatama or items from your previous game. What you do get is: a) You can choose your outfit at the beginning of the game: 1. Hooded Jacket = St +2, Vi +1 2. Leather Jacket = Ma +2, Ag +1 b) You can switch between 3rd person and 1st person view. (Hit select.) c) You keep all Demon Compendium data from your previous game. d) The level restriction for fusing/summoning/recruiting is removed. e) The Burial Chamber bonus event. (See above: Labyrinth of Amala section) -I don't see a New Game+ option. How do I start my New Game+? -To start your New Game+, go to the Load Game menu and select the slot that you saved your "New Cycle." You can not start a New Game+ by just selecting New Game from the menu. -What happens if I get every magatama? -MINOR SPOILERS -Once you have gained all 24 of the magatama to fill your magatama slots, you can go to the Cathedral of Shadows whereupon you will be given the Lord's Sword. By taking the Lord's Sword to Masakado's Grave, you can battle the four Devas and gain the 25th, super-powerful magatama. The 25th magatama is a reward in and of itself, so there is no other effect of getting all 25 magatama. -What happens if I master all the magatama? -MINOR SPOILERS -Nothing special, unfortunately. You gain a new title: King. -What happens if I complete my Demon Compendium 100%? -If you fully complete your demon compendium, the Minister will offer you a discount in summoning demons. All demons will be half price. -How long is this game? -The back of the box says "over 50 hours of gameplay." Most people tend to play about 70 hours on their first time thorugh. If you want to get 100% in your demon compendium, then of course it will be even more. And if you want to get all the high scores in the burial chambers it will be even more still. Personally, I have played this game well over 300 hours. -How many saves slots does this game have? -This game has only five save slots, unfortunately. -How many levels does the Asakusa Puzzle Boy game have? -There are twenty levels to the puzzle game and you must beat them all in one sitting to get the prize. -How many endings does this game have and what are they called? -MINOR SPOILER -There are six endings. I won't go into detail, but they are refered to as Musubi, Yosuga, Shijima, Chaos, Neutral and True Demon endings. The True Demon ending is also refered to as the Maniacs ending since it was an additional ending added to the Maniacs version of the game. -Does the main character's appearance ever change? -MINOR SPOILER -Short answer: No. -Long answer: When you complete the game and start a 2nd cycle, you are given a choice of either a leather jacket or hooded jacket as starting clothing. The hooded jacket is what you wore the first time so choosing the leather jacket would get you a different look than before. Unfortunately, this only lasts up until the conception so you end up looking the same anyway. Other than that, the blue glowing lines on your body will change colors when you are highly damaged. So, no - Sorry, he doesn't change. -Can you adjust the difficulty mid-game? -No. Once you choose a difficulty setting you are stuck with it. -Is there any way to change magatama in the middle of a battle? -No. Magatama can only be switched outside of battle. -I got a critical/weakness attack and I still lost a turn. What gives? -You must have used a multiple attack skill and had one of the attacks miss or voided. Unfortunately, the worst effects of an attack takes precedence over the best effects. Here's a short list in order of precedence: a) Repel/Drain b) Void/Miss c) Critical/Weakness *************************** Other Questions of Interest *************************** -Is there any place to get cool Shin Megami Tensei stuff like posters & such? -Yes! Atlus has opened up a shop at CafePress.com that has various Atlus and Shin Megami Tensei related goods for sale. At the time of this writing they were offering a couple of shirts, a wallclock, buttons and magnets with the Shin Megami Tensei star logo (the logo at the bottom center of the game box/manual/guidebook.) In addition to that, they are selling a large poster with artwork from Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga, the next installment in the Megami Tensei universe. You can find the shop at the following URL: http://www.cafepress.com/atlus -Why does my CD say Disc 1? Am I missing a disc? -SMT: Nocturne has only one playable disc. So if you have the CD that says "Disc 1" then you have the complete game. Nocturne was packaged with a soundtrack CD and that is probably what "Disc 1" refers to, even if the soundtrack CD itself does not say "Disc 2." If you either rented or purchased this game used, then you may not have the soundtrack CD at all. -What is the "Maniacs" version of the game? -If you are playing in English, you are playing the "Maniacs" version of the game. In Japan, Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne was released twice. Once under the title "Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne" (Yes, that's right: III) and then again under the title "Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne Maniacs." Simply put, the Maniacs version of the game was the "director's cut" of the game. In addition to tweaked gameplay mechanics, additional features were added including the entire Labyrinth of Amala and the Fiends (including Dante.) Just to reitterate, if you are playing the english version of this game, then you are playing the "Maniacs" edition. -What is the Jakyo Manor? -Jakyo Manor is just another name for the Cathedral of Shadows. They are one in the same. -Do I need to play the previous games to understand this one? -No. This game's story is self-contained. There are some references here and there and theories floating around regarding various things, but this game can still be fully enjoyed by people new to Shin Megami Tensei. -Is the game Persona related to this game? -Yes. The Persona series is a spin-off of the Shin Megami Tensei games. I don't plan to go into much depth here, but you can find lots of info on all of that right here: http://www.popanime.net/comp/ -Are there going to be any more Shin Megami Tensei games released in the USA? -Definitely! At the time of this writing (Jan. 2005) you can look forward to Digital Devil Saga, a game that combines the battle mechanics of Nocturne with character based gameplay. It runs off of practically the same engine as Nocturne and looks even better. Digital Devil Saga 2 (that's right - 2!) will hit U.S. shores sometime around summer 2005. You can find out more about these games by visting Atlus USA's official website at www.atlus.com. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. Contact Info ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at: entropic_soul@yahoo.com. This goes for anything interesting you have to say as well. Did I make a mistake somewhere? Is there something you want to know that is not covered in this guide? (Nothing complex please. I don't want to answer any opinion questions like what skill is better than so and so or what demons should I have at level 45 or whatever. Fact based questions only please.) Also, why not stop my own little website where you can find some Shin Megami Tensei related goodies and my Nocturne game log as well as some other interesting stuff. http://fire.prohosting.com/riotzero/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. Credits & Copyright ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The questions herein are questions that I gathered/heard/read around various places such as message boards and the like. Several questions I came up with on my own since I thought they would fit well with this FAQ. Most of the answers herein are those of my experiences as well as info gleaned by talking to others. There are some answers in which information was pulled from the DoubleJump guidebook (which you should buy.) That information typically includes such things as tables (the few I use.) Some of my research comes from the guidebook as well. Again, thanks to DoubleJump and all the guys at Atlus for the great work they do. I get to enjoy this game because they rock. This guide is Copyright 2005 Matthew Segura.