THE iDOLM@STER 2 Gameplay Thread

[BT2]

If it's your 1st playthrough or you don't have a good plan, don't bother.

If not then go with a dual appeal route, make sure you're primary's high and spam that.
The AI doesn't tend to burst away from the start so if you get enough danketsu you can get a head start with a good 6/2/2 burst.

Another option would be to go with Sugamo and go counter bursting, though this idea is flawed in that if you let the opponent get a burst in, you won't have a way to retaliate.
You can try getting Antaku or Yamahara beforehand to slightly make it easier.

A 3rd option would be leaving it to your unit..

[TheBluePhone]

If it's your 1st playthrough or you don't have a good plan, don't bother.

If not then go with a dual appeal route, make sure you're primary's high and spam that.
The AI doesn't tend to burst away from the start so if you get enough danketsu you can get a head start with a good 6/2/2 burst.

Another option would be to go with Sugamo and go counter bursting, though this idea is flawed in that if you let the opponent get a burst in, you won't have a way to retaliate.
You can try getting Antaku or Yamahara beforehand to slightly make it easier.

A 3rd option would be leaving it to your unit..

It's my 3rd playthrough but I'm still not sure how to manage time. 

Not sure what you mean by dual appeal though...

Also I don't think you can leave this FES to units but I should double check that.

[Setsuna]

I'm assuming you're not playing in hyper mode, because I'd then have to get really technical (To beat rank 11/12 events and how much cheating the AI does) but here's a few pointers.

- If you're finding that they can appeal twice during your appeal as a counter, your song is too slow. It's a REALLY bad idea to take along 'My song' as the song in question. I'd say you'd struggle with anything under 140-150bpm because you run the risk of the AI being able to appeal during your appeal (locking you out of anything) then appealing again (locking you again.)

Then again, an extreme example I had was a level 11, where Haruka appealed as an appeal counter to mine, appealed again, burst, appealed twice MORE, then burst, before I was allowed to make a move. I was using My Song. Let that be a warning to all of you. My song is a good scoring song, but don't EVER take it to a festival, at least on Hyper.

- If you're not using a multiplier gaining charm (ie, you make a net gain in multiplier, as opposed to a loss) your best appeals bet is as follows:

Appeal so that you'll hit burst when you finish the appeal - switch characters once.
Burst, then when the burst is over, appeal for the double (Bursts don't count for actions taken) then appeal with a trio.

If you have ANY appeal or voltage modifiers, you should be able to burst (or get close enough to it) twice in rapid succession, shutting the AI out for about 20 seconds of scoring (and the AI isn't permitted to appeal for a little while after you burst meaning the other 5 seconds they can't counter) so you can if you're fast enough shut them out for a while. (And if you got 4 hearts, you SHOULD be able to appeal a third time, basically either outscoring or even doing a complete shutout.)

If you ARE using something that gets you a net multiplier, you want to burst early (basically early enough to near zero out their bar), then multiply gain and burst before they realise what's going on for the first hit. (A single usually)

You then want to let them burst 3 times (They always seem to do 3 if you successfully burst first), then after their fourth, do a double or a triple and shut out their second burst attempt.

On Hyper mode, it is nearly impossible to pull of a perfect shutout (I've done it a total of once) although there's a bit of satisifaction in a full denial.

If you ever get caught in an appeal war, make sure you can win it - appeals are set on timer, so if in doubt, play through once, and look at their bar and when they'd appeal, then time it so that they go FIRST.

That way when you double or triple, they end up with a nearly full bar, and you end up with a full one, and then you burst, denying them.

[TheBluePhone]

I'm assuming you're not playing in hyper mode, because I'd then have to get really technical (To beat rank 11/12 events and how much cheating the AI does) but here's a few pointers.

- If you're finding that they can appeal twice during your appeal as a counter, your song is too slow. It's a REALLY bad idea to take along 'My song' as the song in question. I'd say you'd struggle with anything under 140-150bpm because you run the risk of the AI being able to appeal during your appeal (locking you out of anything) then appealing again (locking you again.)

Then again, an extreme example I had was a level 11, where Haruka appealed as an appeal counter to mine, appealed again, burst, appealed twice MORE, then burst, before I was allowed to make a move. I was using My Song. Let that be a warning to all of you. My song is a good scoring song, but don't EVER take it to a festival, at least on Hyper.

- If you're not using a multiplier gaining charm (ie, you make a net gain in multiplier, as opposed to a loss) your best appeals bet is as follows:

Appeal so that you'll hit burst when you finish the appeal - switch characters once.
Burst, then when the burst is over, appeal for the double (Bursts don't count for actions taken) then appeal with a trio.

If you have ANY appeal or voltage modifiers, you should be able to burst (or get close enough to it) twice in rapid succession, shutting the AI out for about 20 seconds of scoring (and the AI isn't permitted to appeal for a little while after you burst meaning the other 5 seconds they can't counter) so you can if you're fast enough shut them out for a while. (And if you got 4 hearts, you SHOULD be able to appeal a third time, basically either outscoring or even doing a complete shutout.)

If you ARE using something that gets you a net multiplier, you want to burst early (basically early enough to near zero out their bar), then multiply gain and burst before they realise what's going on for the first hit. (A single usually)

You then want to let them burst 3 times (They always seem to do 3 if you successfully burst first), then after their fourth, do a double or a triple and shut out their second burst attempt.

On Hyper mode, it is nearly impossible to pull of a perfect shutout (I've done it a total of once) although there's a bit of satisifaction in a full denial.

If you ever get caught in an appeal war, make sure you can win it - appeals are set on timer, so if in doubt, play through once, and look at their bar and when they'd appeal, then time it so that they go FIRST.

That way when you double or triple, they end up with a nearly full bar, and you end up with a full one, and then you burst, denying them.

I'm using the song i right now but it's my last release so I could switch to READY! or Meisou Mind...

I'm using Mushaharu's Secret Crest (Large Increase in Voltage Gauge fill rate from all three general appeals, Large Increase in Voltage Gauge fill rate from MEMORY appeals.)

I'll try your strategy though. 

[Setsuna]

I'm using the song i right now but it's my last release so I could switch to READY! or Meisou Mind...

I'm using Mushaharu's Secret Crest (Large Increase in Voltage Gauge fill rate from all three general appeals, Large Increase in Voltage Gauge fill rate from MEMORY appeals.)

I'll try your strategy though. 

Actually, that strategy works best (The dual lockout) WITH that crest - a double + triple appeal is JUST enough to get you a full bar from zero.

You single appeal, burst, double appeal, triple appeal, then finish it off with a second burst. It doesn't matter who bursts, since your multipliers should be set to 2.2 for every beat in burst mode.

http://www.twitch.tv/alaylle/b/299233544

WARNING - This is a Miki Playthrough. If you don't want to see Miki spoilers (or you don't like Miki driving camera crew insane, or the producer while we're on the topic) don't watch, I guess.

If you want to see some of the antics I've tried to pull off, look at part 5 and 6 of the playthrough I was doing yesterday. If you watch the festivals, you'll see what I mean by the timing.

Bear in mind this is strictly a Hyper playthrough, so the error of margin is somewhere in the vicinity of a single note. On normal, I think you get a bit more error to work with.

[TheBluePhone]

Actually, that strategy works best (The dual lockout) WITH that crest - a double + triple appeal is JUST enough to get you a full bar from zero.

You single appeal, burst, double appeal, triple appeal, then finish it off with a second burst. It doesn't matter who bursts, since your multipliers should be set to 2.2 for every beat in burst mode.

Yeah I actually ended up doing that but I only won because while Miki was bursting the song hit the cut-off point and her points stopped going up. 

Now I just need to get better at time managing...

Thanks for the help though. :V

[shinn87]

Second run and I'm beginning to think that Strategy posted on the Wiki is impossible. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to break into the top 20 by end of week 8 www

[Setsuna]

Second run and I'm beginning to think that Strategy posted on the Wiki is impossible. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to break into the top 20 by end of week 8 www

In normal mode, it still is in theory, in Hyper mode, you have got to be kidding.

If you ARE in normal mode, it requires a couple of things that from memory aren't mentioned in the X360 walkthrough (Which most people don't have set up.)

- A ludriciously good (usually DLC) costume setup. A set would be best to get more stars to come out to trigger the super break.
- Enough patience to manipulate all the paid promotionals to ONE spot (it used to be two, but it's really really hard to do two now apparently)
- The ability to play a festival at about idol level 4-5 (To attempt the super break)
- Perfect all lessons between weeks 4 to 7
- Select a song that the leader is associated with (To improve chances of super break)
- Gear the team to be an avalanche at the start (in short, how they get along with each other be damned, due to the requirements below)
- Super Break week 7, and score about 25k. (Don't think it'll work all the time. it CAN work though)
- perform a Keep in week 8 for good measure.

Variations on it include performing week 4 to nail the +40% fan booster if he's around, then following the above plan.

This will (in theory) make your now about 10000 fans behave like they were closer to 50000, and should net you the sales necessary to sell enough to net you a 20th spot.

... Now why you'd want to do that is another story, really. It requires manipulation of the scheduling grid to get you what you want where. (Which can be done via who you talk to and WHAT response you give them.)

As well, a super break can be committed to the week the single comes out, except of course, the odds of THAT happening are incredibly low.

[shinn87]

In normal mode, it still is in theory, in Hyper mode, you have got to be kidding.

If you ARE in normal mode, it requires a couple of things that from memory aren't mentioned in the X360 walkthrough (Which most people don't have set up.)

- A ludriciously good (usually DLC) costume setup. A set would be best to get more stars to come out to trigger the super break.
- Enough patience to manipulate all the paid promotionals to ONE spot (it used to be two, but it's really really hard to do two now apparently)
- The ability to play a festival at about idol level 4-5 (To attempt the super break)
- Perfect all lessons between weeks 4 to 7
- Select a song that the leader is associated with (To improve chances of super break)
- Gear the team to be an avalanche at the start (in short, how they get along with each other be damned, due to the requirements below)
- Super Break week 7, and score about 25k. (Don't think it'll work all the time. it CAN work though)
- perform a Keep in week 8 for good measure.

Variations on it include performing week 4 to nail the +40% fan booster if he's around, then following the above plan.

This will (in theory) make your now about 10000 fans behave like they were closer to 50000, and should net you the sales necessary to sell enough to net you a 20th spot.

... Now why you'd want to do that is another story, really. It requires manipulation of the scheduling grid to get you what you want where. (Which can be done via who you talk to and WHAT response you give them.)

As well, a super break can be committed to the week the single comes out, except of course, the odds of THAT happening are incredibly low.

Thanks for the detailed explanation, Setsuna. I am indeed in normal mode at the moment. Speaking of which, I heard it's not possible to attain S rank in normal but instead has to be done in Hyper?

This is one game I am hellbent on getting all achievements and it's kind of frustrating to know how much preparation which has to be put in for the opening weeks alone, with key ones seem to occur by chance.

And it's not like I want to do it, but it seems like certain achievements, such as getting all the awards in a single run would require this much work

[Setsuna]

Thanks for the detailed explanation, Setsuna. I am indeed in normal mode at the moment. Speaking of which, I heard it's not possible to attain S rank in normal but instead has to be done in Hyper?

This is one game I am hellbent on getting all achievements and it's kind of frustrating to know how much preparation which has to be put in for the opening weeks alone, with key ones seem to occur by chance.

And it's not like I want to do it, but it seems like certain achievements, such as getting all the awards in a single run would require this much work

That is true - in normal, you cannot accumulate any S ranks. You're still free to get any true ends though.

I imagine that the above is literal overkill for normal (but to be blunt, you only really need to make top 20 by song 3 and you'll be fine, making it song one is literally murder), but in Hyper mode, there's no such thing as overkill - By the time the 4th song rolls around, you need 220 0000  (or however they count it, their numbering system confuses me) sales to claim number 1, and by the 5th song, it's uh, 250 0000.


In short, hold onto your hats.

What really sucks in Hyper mode (Which wasn't present in the X360 version) is the fact that you MUST score all S to get S rank. One A and you fail to get it.

There the general strategy is to break top 50 with song 1 (If you can get a 20, I'll be surprised, even with what I outlined above) then break top 20 with song 2 or 3.

Best method is to do the above, but on a sustained basis - You train only with 1 time unit and perfect that, and do a paid promotion (a bottom tier paid gets you about 10000 fans, or similar to say, a live performance, but sets you back from memory 35000?). The memory gain's nice, but the real benefit is the fact you can level up and still keep up with your fanboosting.

Then run up the fan count to the moon. Then pray like hell you break #1 with a super break, regular break or a revive. Hopefully with a million fans or more, and you'll most likely have in reach at least 4 of the 5 IA regionals, if not claimed them outright by week 41. In short, the IA regionals are the LAST thing you need to worry about.

Actually, my bad, they're the second last thing you need to worry about. The last is of course, needing to loop and do any hell training. Given we're being a torrent of destruction on the idol industry of Japan, I doubt the regular fights would be anything other than speed humps (if only because claiming the IA regionals require some tactical considerations well above the scheduled fights.)

Then once you hit number 1, you score the 60k to get the S rank scoring (which is a mean feat in itself) and then make sure you have idol level 16.

Hit that in hyper mode, and that elusive S rank (and an achivement) are yours. But it IS hard to get.

Oh, and turn off autosave in the options if you want to try that.

I'll just note quickly - Yes, the later (and more expensive) accessories work - you just don't generate the sorts of money required to buy the headset or the crown (or some of the other lavish accessories) off the bat, and usually a DLC (As in store bought) set will do better than any you could salvage in the end of a single run - And the set is fairly important programming wise.

[BT2]

In normal mode, it still is in theory, in Hyper mode, you have got to be kidding.

If you ARE in normal mode, it requires a couple of things that from memory aren't mentioned in the X360 walkthrough (Which most people don't have set up.)

- A ludriciously good (usually DLC) costume setup. A set would be best to get more stars to come out to trigger the super break.
- Enough patience to manipulate all the paid promotionals to ONE spot (it used to be two, but it's really really hard to do two now apparently)
- The ability to play a festival at about idol level 4-5 (To attempt the super break)
- Perfect all lessons between weeks 4 to 7
- Select a song that the leader is associated with (To improve chances of super break)
- Gear the team to be an avalanche at the start (in short, how they get along with each other be damned, due to the requirements below)
- Super Break week 7, and score about 25k. (Don't think it'll work all the time. it CAN work though)
- perform a Keep in week 8 for good measure.

Variations on it include performing week 4 to nail the +40% fan booster if he's around, then following the above plan.

This will (in theory) make your now about 10000 fans behave like they were closer to 50000, and should net you the sales necessary to sell enough to net you a 20th spot.

... Now why you'd want to do that is another story, really. It requires manipulation of the scheduling grid to get you what you want where. (Which can be done via who you talk to and WHAT response you give them.)

As well, a super break can be committed to the week the single comes out, except of course, the odds of THAT happening are incredibly low.

-Nonsense, you don't need good items at all. I'm currently on my first real playthrough on normal mode and ranked in the top 20 with my first song just fine. I'm not using any DLC or any uber items, just some regular 3750 money ones and a Starry costume I bought with a discount. You don't need Lucky Stars either
-Manipulating paid promotions to 2 spots might be better but assuming one lets their fans decline until they're finished leveling up, the extra 10k fans you had before'd mostly be gone. Just do 2 paid promotions in 2 different locations.
-You don't need perfect lessons per se, but it makes it easier, also lessons aren't hard neways.
-Selecting a song the leader likes doesn't make sense either; like mentioned before you don't need any special conditions to rank in the top 20 with your first song. Also, you don't need to select a song your leader likes per se, it works for the other 2 members as well.
-There's no such thing as manipulating the unit in getting along better at that point in the game.
-Super Break is pointless, 25k'ish score and 2 paid promotions at any location are enough.
-You don't need a keep either, you can just spend all your time training, though it's best picking Koshiba in week 7 and 15 first.


The reason why I said "real" playthrough before was because that's not actually my first. Everyone knows that buying items in an actual playthrough is a waste of time, you could've spent that time slot on lessons, one should make a dummy file for buying items neways. It's even better making a dummy file for the Lucky Rabbit discounts for when you intend to buy the really expensive items later on.
Instead of playing first, fail and get items and money and afterwards buy items like people did on the 360 version, I decided to make the shopping file first. Just start out a game and scroll through all text, do regular commus for money, don't bother answering correctly cause you don't need danketsu, mood or memories anyways. If you do want to do stuff, just use auto commands. By the time you lost to RK you should have made 40-60k money. Ideally you should've spent some of it on a dual appeal charm somewhere before 10. I got the nikuwan charm in week 9 myself. Buy some accessories and items you can use in week 11. Save and quit.
This should take around 60-75 mins in total.
Afterwards I started producing a unit for real. Dual appealing works even better in normal mode than in the 360 ver because the game's so much easier.

[Jarte]

So I'm on my first playthrough on Hyper mode, and it's my first playthrough on the PS3 version, so I don't have a lot of stuff, and I'm stuck on the last FES against Jupiter. I can't seem to beat them no matter what, the song I'm using is Honey Heartbeat, which I now realize was a terrible choice, it doesn't seem possible for me to get a burst in until they have gotten at least two, and I literally can't do anything to stop them. I have 4 memory appeals and my dance is maxed, vocal's only about halfway, and I'm using the amulet that reduces multiplier drain rate for vocal and dance.

Is it still possible for me to beat them, or do I need to start a new file at this point?

[Setsuna]

-Nonsense, you don't need good items at all. I'm currently on my first real playthrough on normal mode and ranked in the top 20 with my first song just fine. I'm not using any DLC or any uber items, just some regular 3750 money ones and a Starry costume I bought with a discount. You don't need Lucky Stars either
-Manipulating paid promotions to 2 spots might be better but assuming one lets their fans decline until they're finished leveling up, the extra 10k fans you had before'd mostly be gone. Just do 2 paid promotions in 2 different locations.
-You don't need perfect lessons per se, but it makes it easier, also lessons aren't hard neways.
-Selecting a song the leader likes doesn't make sense either; like mentioned before you don't need any special conditions to rank in the top 20 with your first song. Also, you don't need to select a song your leader likes per se, it works for the other 2 members as well.
-There's no such thing as manipulating the unit in getting along better at that point in the game.
-Super Break is pointless, 25k'ish score and 2 paid promotions at any location are enough.
-You don't need a keep either, you can just spend all your time training, though it's best picking Koshiba in week 7 and 15 first.


The reason why I said "real" playthrough before was because that's not actually my first. Everyone knows that buying items in an actual playthrough is a waste of time, you could've spent that time slot on lessons, one should make a dummy file for buying items neways. It's even better making a dummy file for the Lucky Rabbit discounts for when you intend to buy the really expensive items later on.
Instead of playing first, fail and get items and money and afterwards buy items like people did on the 360 version, I decided to make the shopping file first. Just start out a game and scroll through all text, do regular commus for money, don't bother answering correctly cause you don't need danketsu, mood or memories anyways. If you do want to do stuff, just use auto commands. By the time you lost to RK you should have made 40-60k money. Ideally you should've spent some of it on a dual appeal charm somewhere before 10. I got the nikuwan charm in week 9 myself. Buy some accessories and items you can use in week 11. Save and quit.
This should take around 60-75 mins in total.
Afterwards I started producing a unit for real. Dual appealing works even better in normal mode than in the 360 ver because the game's so much easier.

You note 'Real playthrough.'

Most people are usually requesting their first. The requirements get harder simply because you DON'T get to set up your file like you want.

(if we're talking that, we then go - Buy items from BK - Get the two or three charms you need, then go. You don't even need the super break because the odds of you scoring well are high. Most of what you cover makes it easier simply because it becomes trivial to score. You need better items to compensate for the likelyhood you a) don't know every song to know when to burst at the last moment which in the first seven weeks will net you very little (but just enough) and b) you can compensate with a lower level with higher overall stats.)

Without them, you don't get the crutch that is the charm you get out of the Tokyo Prefecture, OR the charms that reduce multiplier loss.

You might note I asked 'Why do you need to do that?' because strictly speaking, shooting to the top 20 first song is more or less unnecessary, particularly on normal mode. You should be able to A rank the entire set without quite going that far. Usually at single or even four is sufficent.

I'll also note that you're mostly correct (Although a standard playthrough usually nets you a chance to go shopping on week 44 at Lucky Rabbit - if you're good enough at single block lessons, you should have enough time if you used your promotions correctly to just drop a lesson and go shopping) due to the fact I noted that it's more or less unneccessary.

Hyper mode S rank? Well, lthat's a completely different scenario...

[BT2]

You were replying to Shinn at first, and he/she mentioned it being his/her 2nd playthrough, also pretty sure the good people at the english wiki mentioned it not working for first playthroughs. If I can get the resources for a dual appeal playthourgh in 11 weeks on a shopping save, I don't see why people who are actually on their second playthrough can't.
BK MANIAC items would be overkill, cheap'ish LUCKY RABBIT ones should be enough. My personal item budget was 20k.
I agree that it's overkill to rank in the top 20 on normal but I refused to watch another i ~and you~ scene.

Shopping in week 44 sounds like a waste of time, I don't know how much you earn on later Hyper mode jobs but for normal standards you could've spent your time losing to Vesperia and get a good amount of money. Remember that Fes's work differently than other stage jobs in that you always get the money and half the fans if you lose. That'd be 101'ish k with Kanemaru and unlike the 360 ver it's not once per playthrough.
For that reason alone I'd still prefer parking a save at week 11.

Haven't started hyper mode yet, but if bumco modified the sales formula or increased the sales of others or added more rivals; haven't seen Maou Angel and other rivals in normal mode chart and Jupiter rose way too slow. If they did, dual appealing'd be rather pointless seeing as how it's just a flawed, though effective early on strategy without any real strength after w30'ish.

[Edit]
Nvm the Maou Angel part, their sales have just been reduced greatly.

[Setsuna]

You were replying to Shinn at first, and he/she mentioned it being his/her 2nd playthrough, also pretty sure the good people at the english wiki mentioned it not working for first playthroughs. If I can get the resources for a dual appeal playthourgh in 11 weeks on a shopping save, I don't see why people who are actually on their second playthrough can't.
BK MANIAC items would be overkill, cheap'ish LUCKY RABBIT ones should be enough. My personal item budget was 20k.
I agree that it's overkill to rank in the top 20 on normal but I refused to watch another i ~and you~ scene.

Shopping in week 44 sounds like a waste of time, I don't know how much you earn on later Hyper mode jobs but for normal standards you could've spent your time losing to Vesperia and get a good amount of money. Remember that Fes's work differently than other stage jobs in that you always get the money and half the fans if you lose. That'd be 101'ish k with Kanemaru and unlike the 360 ver it's not once per playthrough.
For that reason alone I'd still prefer parking a save at week 11.

Haven't started hyper mode yet, but if bumco modified the sales formula or increased the sales of others or added more rivals; haven't seen Maou Angel and other rivals in normal mode chart and Jupiter rose way too slow. If they did, dual appealing'd be rather pointless seeing as how it's just a flawed, though effective early on strategy without any real strength after w30'ish.

Hyper mode is uh, scary now.

If you want to check the full details of what a chart would roughly look like on the last scorable week of the game in Hyper mode check this compiled list. Each five slots have been snapshotted, from number 1 down to number 100.

http://www.mediafire.com/?ucjax69lvn70g

Be warned, 1-5 may contain spoilers, so if you don't like being spoilt, you'll avoid them. If you dislike ANY spoilers, you may decide not to look at any of them, if you can disern the color anyway.

As well:

http://www.mediafire.com/i/?yy682y5i233tjl2
A S rank run I completed with Miki just earlier. I ended up with 2 time units spare. Not days. Time units.

A friend's managed to successfully clear it with a day in hand. I don't believe you'll find more than two days free though.

http://www.mediafire.com/i/?i7r0ugzq9kssrwj
A not quite S rank run - This was done by a friend, who was caught off guard (even though his stats are about the same or even better than mine) by a note.

A summary of that set of screenshots is:

- 10th is now higher than 1st in Normal (It clocks in at 1.62 million by game end). In fact, the top 20 is above first place in normal.

If you have the Miku extend, Miku has 2.26 mill on number 3. If not, it'll be one of the shadow girls I think.

Jupiter land 2.5 million sales with Alice or Guilty now. That's Number 2.

Number ONE lands 3 million. (But who is a spoiler)

Break your fifth or bust, basically. (I broke with 4.25 mill in sales as per the screenshot.)

To S rank, you MUST score S in all catergories (Top song place, Total Sales, High score, IAs gained, Number of repeats, Idol total level) You can't skimp out on any of the catergories in Hyper mode.

As shown with the two report cards, you'll see what a single A will do to you.

Generally what happens is that you'll most likely hit Memory level 5 before you hit idol level 16 or the other way around. Due to this, you normally have a break in your schedule (and since this is hyper mode you're forced to accept the fact you must clear idol 16).

This in turn makes it viable to go shopping if you use a double time period for a lesson (or even a single, although you may find a regular promotion and 44000 may be more useful, although 44000 may not be worth it if you're at memory level 5 and you're constantly in Hyper mode. It depends.)

As for the double burst tactic - you'll need it later on due to the fact there's level 11 and 12 events - In short, if you DON'T shut them out, they'll score anything between 80 to 100k (No, not kidding. I let the level 12 one run once, and she scored 100k while I just watched (They'll burst 4 times)) so shutting them down and out is a piority.

But you can see that you'll find that time isn't any sort of luxury. It's much easier to play normal for the money though, since S ranking everything takes time, and you don't have to gear up certain reporters for some of the harder events.

You are NOT permitted to use the 'Auto option' in Hyper either, meaning all play must be manual (At least if how they handle it now works.)