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This is a general tips and tricks guide for people just starting out in a game.  More detailed information can be found places that aren't here.  Make sure to use buffs, retard.
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Last updated 03/15/2014:
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This is a general tips and tricks guide for people just starting out in a game. This guide is mostly free of spoilers. More detailed information can be found places that aren't here.
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SMT 1
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- There are some gamebreaking sequence bugs that can be avoided by following a guide.
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If you'd like to add something, post in the generals and I might see it. If not, try posting on my talk page on the SMT Wikia. My username is also Zahlzeit there.
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- Nerve bullets are the best ammunition in the game, so buy them as soon as you can.
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- Hero should be balanced with a focus on STM (tanking is a priority), for Law Hero focus on MAG/SPD, for Chaos Hero focus on STR/STM, and for Heroine focus on SPD/STM/MAG.
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> Shin Megami Tensei 1
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SMT 2
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* Use Orden's patch. The AGTP patch is buggy.
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- By fusing a Messian/Gaian with a demon, you can fuse above your level limit. You may not have enough magnetite to summon it though, so be warned.
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* Nerve bullets are the best ammunition in the game, so buy them as soon as you can.
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Nocturne
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* Hero should be balanced with a focus on VIT (tanking is a priority), for Law Hero focus on MAG/SPD,
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- A physical build is highly recommended, especially for the True Demon Ending; St is most important, with secondary stats Ag for hitrate and Vi for survivability (do not ignore Ma entirely as it is used for magic defence, but do ignore Lu as it is largely terrible).
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  for Chaos Hero focus on STR/VIT, and for Heroine focus on SPD/VIT/MAG.
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- Do not dismiss or sacrifice the first Pixie you get.  You can fuse her or let her evolve, but you cannot dismiss or sacrifice her fusion result either.
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> Shin Megami Tensei 2
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- Buffs and debuffs are very important for boss fights.
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* By fusing a Messian/Gaian with a demon, you can fuse above your level limit. You may not have enough
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- To make demon fusion planning much easier, download Heretic Mansion from: http://phpsimplicity.com/heretic
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  magnetite to summon it though, so be warned.
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Strange Journey
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> Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
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- The questionnaire you answer at the start of the game determines your stat distribution, as you cannot set your stats manually.  Visit gamefaqs to see the different possiblilites.
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* If you are running into problems with the game crashing, set it to NTSC 60hz mode regardless of the
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- Do not waste sources on throwaway demons.
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  region.
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Persona 2: Innocent Sin
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* If you are playing on hard mode, the first few battles are completely luck based so just keep trying
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- Allow your party members to handle issues on their own when confronted with an opportunity to help them.
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  if you die. It will eventually smooth out the further you get into the game.
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- Spread the most expensive shop rumors.
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* A physical build is highly recommended, especially for the True Demon Ending; St is most important,
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- Use the velvet room sparingly, since the personae you get from Philemon for very little work ("handouts") are pretty useful.
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  with secondary stats Ag for hitrate and Vi for survivability. Do not ignore Ma entirely as it is used for magic
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- Use fusion spells at every opportunity; they rank up your personae faster and do tons of damage.
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  defense, but do ignore Lu as it is largely terrible.
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- To get the ultimate personae, you must collect all the masks hidden in Mt. Iwato.
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* Keep track of what demon your Pixie fuses/evolves/sacrifices into and make sure you keep her, or
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Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
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  that demon into end game. There is a certain part in the game where you will need her again.
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- Use the Velvet Room on a regular basis, as your handouts are not strong enough to carry you the whole game (like in IS).
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* Buffs and debuffs are very important for boss fights.
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- Get accustomed to demon contacts; try to get blank cards whenever possible.
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* To make demon fusion planning much easier, download Heretic Mansion from: http://phpsimplicity.com/heretic
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Persona 3
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* Fusing demons of the same family will create an Element which can be used to rank down or rank up a demon within
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- Prioritize less accessible social links (ones available on fewer days of the week, or not available during the summer) over more accessible ones.
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  it's family.
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- Aim to reach the top of the current Tartarus block before the next full moon (i.e. go as high as you are allowed).
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  Fusing two Elements will result in a Mitama which will boost the stats and add skills to the skill
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Persona 4
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  pool of a demon it fuses into without changing it's EXP at all.
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- Buy TaP sodas from one of the vending machines; you can buy five per week (replenishes on Monday).
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> Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
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- At level 17, you can fuse a Sarasvati with Invigorate 2 to regain mana.
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* The questionnaire you answer at the start of the game determines your stat distribution, as you cannot
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- On rainy days, you can visit Aiya to get a large social stat increase.
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  set your stats manually.  Visit gamefaqs to see the different possibilities. This however, does not make
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- Complete the fox's quests as soon as you can; increasing the hermit social link will reduce the fox's prices.
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  a huge impact on the game.
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- Prioritize the Social Links of party members you intend to use in combat, since they get various combat bonuses (like taking a blow meant to kill you, or performing a follow-up attack).
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* Your alignment is determined through the choices you make in the game. Because there is a repeatable
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Raidou
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  question in the Fairy Village of Sector Antlia, right before the Sector H scenario, you can be any
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- A physical build for Raidou is recommended.
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  alignment you want throughout the game and then switch to get the ending you want.
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- You can let Raidou do the damage and use a healer as your demon for the majority of the game.
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* Don't be cheap with sources but don't waste them on throwaway demons like fusion fodder.
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- You can bring up the R1 menu (this pauses the game) to dismiss your demon to protect it from danger; this is much more reliable than calling it to your side.
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* Don't be afraid to use demons that aren't the same alignment as you. In fact, the neutral final boss is
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Digital Devil Saga
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  easier with varied alignments. However, it is recommended that you use a same-alignment team for the
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- A magic-based Serph is usually recommended, with a party of Gale/Argilla for DDS1 and Gale/Cielo for DDS2.
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  Ouroboros battle for reliable damage.
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- Cover a party member's weakness by learning mantras of the element he or she is weak to.
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* You can crabwalk and back pedal by holding down the B button and moving in a direction.
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- Gun attacks are generally useless, so don't bother spending money on ammo.
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> Shin Megami Tensei IV
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- Combo skills don't find much use in DDS1, but are better in DDS2.
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  Giant FAQ: http://pastebin.com/Q60wjYMA
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- If you plan to grind for noise (stat-boosting items) in DDS1, note that Magic/Luck Noise is relatively easy to obtain, while Strength/Agility Noise is much harder to come by.
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  Neutral Guide: http://i.imgur.com/cjVFxlQ.png
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Devil Survivor
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> Persona 1
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- A magic build is preferable to a physical one.
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* Max out DEX and get Megido.
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Devil Survivor 2
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* Unless the enemy will absorb or reflect it, always use your personas. When they level up, ALL of their
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- A demon's base level plays heavily into their usefulness.  Thus, it is important to fuse often to maintain survivability and damage.
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  stats go up.
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- Do all required events (especially those related to death clips) immediately before optional/Fate events.
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* If you want to go on the much harder Snow Queen Quest, and completely alternate quest, make sure you
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- Ensure all party members that you wish to retain are at Fate Rank 4 by the end of Day 6.
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  talk to everybody at school every single time you're there. Visit every room and talk to everyone.
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- To fuse demons cheaply, check out the following guide: http://pastebin.com/B76YWLS0
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  Twice.
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IMAGINE
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* The best 5th party member is Reiji, but you have to talk to everybody, including his mother at the
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- There are multiple guilds that SMTG resides in, but one in particular is Oberst.
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  mall before the real game starts, and you have to encounter him in front of SEBEC and at the
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- There is a SMTG Mumble server for IMAGINE - Server: smtg.mumble.com / Port: 4370 / Password: mothman
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  abandoned factory at specific times. If you don't have him by the end of the school dungeon, you
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- Make sure to stick to a plan for you character, as it is expensive to undo changes.
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  messed up.
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- Melee characters focus intently on STR with occasional VIT/LUCK; Enhancers focus utterly on INT; Mages focus on MAG.
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* Mediarama and regular Medicine will last you well past half way through the game
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* If you get into the lost forest dungeon, save your game on an alternate slot. Trust me on this.
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* Fill out every space on your map and fight everything you encounter to make sure you're leveled up.
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Last updated 2012/04/17.
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> Persona 2: Innocent Sin
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* Max out DEX.
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* You can play the game using only the Persona you get from Philemon directly ("handouts").
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* Allow your party members to handle issues on their own when given the choice, however don't leave
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  Yukino behind (you will understand the meaning of this eventually).
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* Spread the most expensive shop rumors.
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* Use fusion spells at every opportunity; they rank up your Persona faster and do tons of damage.
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* To get the ultimate handout persona, you must collect all the masks hidden in Mt. Iwato.
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> Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
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* Use the Velvet Room on a regular basis, as your handouts are not strong enough to carry you the whole
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  game like in IS.
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* Stock up on Lucky Bags and Antidoes before going to the Sanitarium.
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* When warned to stock up on the next area, take the chance to do so.
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* Talk to everyone everywhere because there are missable unlockable contacts and sidequests.
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* Only go to the Bomb Shelter if you are prepared for a challenge.
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* Give Baofu personae with Tec or Agi bonuses.
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* Get accustomed to demon contacts; try to get blank cards whenever possible.
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* Vivian and Susanoo (make sure to get its mutation to Nodens) are some Persona with Estoma.
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* Don't give Katsuya a TEC Persona.
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> Persona 3 (& Portable)
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* It is possible to max out all social links in your first run without a guide. Prioritize less accessible social
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  links (ones available on fewer days of the week, or not available during the summer) over more accessible ones.
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  Here are some SLs to take note of.
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   > High Priority
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	a. [Lovers, Empress, Priestess] The SEES girls (male protagonist), only a small time frame to do them
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	b. [Sun] Akinari Kamiki
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	c. [Moon] Shinjiro (P3P), very little time to rank him up. Must focus on him intensely when available.
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   > Low Priority
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	a. [Hierophant] Bunkichi and Mitsuko, avaliable on many days
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* Aim to reach the top of the current Tartarus block before the next full moon. Go as high as you are allowed.
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* Do Elizabeth's requests, even if they are difficult. They will pace the game well and they should level you up
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  sufficiently for any upcoming important battles.
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* Don't bother trying to level up characters outside of your active team. Use your own persona to cover for
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  shortcomings in the team composition as well as fusing often without staying too attached to one Persona.
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> Persona 4 (& Golden)
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* You can max social links in your first run without a guide. Prioritize less avaliable social links over more
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  accessible ones. Also, don't bother spending free time with characters who already get a lot of social link
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  points through events, but still advance their social links when possible. Here are some SLs to take note of.
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   > High Priority or Hard
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	a. [Temperance] Eri, daytime SL and yet no special events to add SL points as well as easy to forget about
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	b. [Death] Old Lady, activated on Devil 4, only avaliable on Sundays and holidays but will always rank up
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	c. [Jester] Adachi (P4G), avaliable at inconsistent times, sometimes on rainy days. Max doable rank is 6.
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   > Low Priority or Easy
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	a. [Magician] Yosuke, many special events, avaliable during breaks
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	b. [Priestess] Yukiko, many special events, avaliable during breaks
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	c. [Chariot] Chie, too much special events, avaliable during breaks, absolute lowest daytime priority
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        d. [Hermit] Fox, actual social link event can be done in the rain. Try to finish before Janurary for ease.
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	e. [Strength] Kou/Daisuke, many days to attend to the social link
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        f. [Sun] Yumi/Ayane, one of the few social links that can be done on rainy days
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        g. All nighttime SLs, plenty of time to do them. Don't rush.
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   > Other
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	a. [Moon] Ai, save before each event in case
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	b. [Aeon] Marie (P4G), need rank 10 to unlock an extra dungeon. December is the last month to do so.
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* In December, the schedules of SL members becomes inconsistent. The Investigation Team related SLs will become
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  less avaliable while Marie will be extremely more avaliable making it easy to do a lot of the Aeon rank up work
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  this month. Clearing the December dungeon will skip to the end of the month days-wise, so try to do it on the
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  22nd so you can clear it and still get the Christmas date event.
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* The aim of a perfect SL run is to have SL events running almost each day. You should be spending almost no free
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  time with anyone but the non-school Social Links. If you cannot advance a SL, go to another one or use small
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  talk at night time or fortunes to get SL points. Or, increase your social stats and await for special events to
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  give the sufficient SL points you need to continue Social Linking.
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* You won't need a matching Persona for the early ranks of a social link, as correct answers will level them
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  sufficiently or they are designed so you have to obtain non-in-SL event points anyway.
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* Don't bother trying to level up characters outside of your active team. Use your own persona to cover for
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  shortcomings in the team composition as well as fusing often without staying too attached to one Persona.
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--
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* Mana management tips:
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  > Buy TaP sodas from one of the vending machines; you can buy five per week (replenishes on Monday).
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  > At level 17, you can fuse a Sarasvati with Invigorate 2.
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  > If you are cheap and patient, you can grind on weak enemies for Cup cards. (P4G)
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* Only go into dungeons on days without a daytime or nighttime social link. Try to complete each in one day.
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* On rainy days, you can visit Aiya to get a large social stat increase.
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* Save scooter explorations for rainy days. (P4G)
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* When trying to catch the Guardians, cast and recast until you get a giant, splashing ripple. If you have to ask
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  whether you've got the correct ripple or not, it's not.
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> Persona 4 Arena
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* Play through Lesson Mode to learn the fundamentals of the game. Then, go into Challenge mode and do ~20 of the
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  first challenges for your intended main character to learn the basics of him/her.
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* Play with other people a lot to get experience, no one is good when they start fighting games. You just have to
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  keep on trying!
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> Raidou
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* A physical build for Raidou is recommended.
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* You can let Raidou do the damage and use a healer as your demon for the majority of the game.
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* You can bring up the R1 menu (this pauses the game) to dismiss your demon to protect it from danger;
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  this is much more reliable than calling it to your side.
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> Soul Hackers
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* MC should focus on St and Ag, with some En. A bit of In helps in negotiations. Nemissa should focus
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  on Ma, In and Ag.
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* Nemissa's skill path is determined by an early question about Hitomi. When Spooky asks what she's
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  like, you get to pick from upbeat (Fire and Expel skills), calm (Ice and Death skills), and sexy
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  (Electric and more Almighty skills).
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* Conserve MAG by not having a full party of demons out unless you need to. MC and Nemissa are often
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  enough to get through dungeons.
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* Demons have a chance of disobeying depending on their loyalty level. You can increase their loyalty
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  by ordering them to do things they like or giving them gifts from the Item menu. The digital manual
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  (home screen, touch 'Manual' on the bottom screen when selecting the icon) and the game give you good
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  descriptions of each personality type. You can also give demons booze to change their personality for
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  a small amount of time.
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* Zoma Zeed is a special demon you unlock at some point in the game. It takes no MAG to summon or
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  upkeep, is always at Maximum loyalty, and is also great at inheriting skills, but it has lower
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  stats than demons at the same level. When you initially fuse it, it'll gain the level of the other
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  demon. It's level will change to the average of its and the other demon's level on subsequent fusions,
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  but you can reset him by fusing him on New moon. Since it's weak, it's often put in support role, with
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  healing, buffs/debuffs, etc. Or used as a decoy in random encounters.
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* The best way to acquire yen is to sell MAG.
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* In the casino you can acquire amazing swords and armor which can easily last to the endgame, though
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  they're not the best in the game. Use back-upper to save outside the casino and try either Vs. Poker or
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  Dice Game, reload if you lose too much money. In the case of Dice Game, always bet 100 on your 3 picks
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  (2, 3, 11 and 12 tend to give the most money) and max out the Frost Bet. You can then keep doing bonus
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  rolls to quickly multiply your coins, but if you get a 7 you lose them.
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* After maxing a demon's loyalty, you can go to Victor and use Mystic Change to turn that demon into an
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  item. A lot of demons give great equipment.
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> Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 1+2
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* Any build is fine.
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* Cover a party member's weakness by learning mantras of the element he or she is weak to.
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* Don't ever buy ammo unless you are planning to hunt DDS1 Omoikanes.
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* Get Dekunda and Dekaja as soon as possible, obtained by doing the buff and Expel Mantra route respectively.
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* In DDS1,
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           Magic/Luck Noise is easier to obtain than Strength/Agility Noise.
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           Don't bother learning skills for party members you are not planning to use.
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           Sell Cells at Full Solar Noise to get the most profit.
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* In DDS2,
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	   Use whoever you want. The final dungeon is rich with EXP.
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           Learning the Zio-based mantras are imperative.
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	   If you want to fight the angel sidebosses, learning ailment resistant mantras is imperative.
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	   Poison and Charm attacks will allow you to bulldoze through the final dungeon.
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	   Null Element from the Almighty mantras will make most fights a breeze, especially the final boss.
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> Devil Survivor (& Overclocked)
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* A magic build is preferable to a physical one, although it is possible to do even the hardest routes with phys.
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* Strive for no leader deaths so you can get a title which will help in NG+. Guest deaths do not count. (OC only)
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* A demon's base level plays heavily into their usefulness, especially in terms of damage. Fuse often.
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* If you are playing Overclocked, get strength and vitality to 12 for Null Physical.
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* Up STR and VIT to 15 to get Repel Physical if you are doing the 8th day of Amane's route.
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* You can ignore all of Honda's events after experiencing his initial one.
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> Devil Survivor 2
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* Any build is fine. There are more skills than DeSu 1 to play around with and distribute among party members.
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* Strive for no leader deaths so you can get a title which will help in NG+. Guest deaths do not count.
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* Do all required/plot events immediately. No exceptions.
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* A demon's base level plays heavily into their usefulness, especially in terms of damage. Fuse often.
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* To fuse demons cheaply, check out the following guide: http://pastebin.com/B76YWLS0
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* Ensure that all the party members you are planning to keep are Fate 4 by the end of the 6th Day.
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  > High Priority
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      a. Yamato's events become sparse after the 5th Day.
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      b. Ronaldo has forced events at the beginning of the 6th Day but becomes mostly unavaliable afterwards.
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	 He should be Fate 4 OR a high Fate 3 by the end of the 5th Day as the forced events will bump him to 4.
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      c. Joe
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      d. Otome
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      e. Io needs to be Fate 3-4 ASAP and, when given the option (you'll know when) you need to console her
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         and answer her questions correctly.
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  > Low Priority
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      a. Makoto has a lot of forced events and even gets Fate points in some other people's events (Airi).
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      b. Keita
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* To get the Daichi+ ending, all characters need to be Fate 4 except for: Al Saiduq, Daichi, Jungo,
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  Hinako, and Io (but she is required to survive). Also, the player must choose to restore the world.
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> Shin Megami Tensei IMAGINE
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* Make sure to stick to a plan for your character, as it is expensive to undo changes.
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* Melee characters focus intently on STR with occasional VIT/LUCK; Enhancers focus utterly on INT; Mages
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  focus on MAG.