THE iDOLM@STER 2 Gameplay Thread

[enigmaopoeia]

I have never played any of the iDOLM@STER games, though I may play Dearly Stars one day, and I have a question:  Is it okay for someone to start off with iDOLM@STER 2 without ever playing the original or Live For You! ?  I adore the characters and I constantly listen to the songs, so I would love to eventually play the game for real.  orz

The Japanese text itself isn't as much an issue with me because I can read some of it and I can always use the wiki to help me out.  And, of course, if all else fails -- trial and error!  =D

[TweenDoriru]

I have never played any of the iDOLM@STER games, though I may play Dearly Stars one day, and I have a question:  Is it okay for someone to start off with iDOLM@STER 2 without ever playing the original or Live For You! ?  I adore the characters and I constantly listen to the songs, so I would love to eventually play the game for real.  orz

The Japanese text itself isn't as much an issue with me because I can read some of it and I can always use the wiki to help me out.  And, of course, if all else fails -- trial and error!  =D

None of the games are really connected at all, so it should be fine to start with iM@S2 (though it is a bit more complicated than iM@S1, each really has its own pros and cons, I've come to find out XDD)

Though, from my personal experience playing each game, I wouldn't recommend starting out with DS. It's not like any of the other games when it comes to the actual gameplay, and...it was pretty bad XD

I think that if you can read Japanese, you're at an advantage enough to play (I play it, and I can read more than I can actually comprehend XD). It's not too hard to get a grip on

[enigmaopoeia]

Ah, okay, then I should definitely order iDOLM@STER 2 along with a Japanese Microsoft Points card soon.  Very excited!  <3

Also that achievement is:
俺と春香。 = 天海春香をリーダーとして最後までプロデュースしました。
Haruka and I. = Haruka Amami was produced as Leader in the last minute.
SOURCE:  http://www.xbox360achievements.org/game/idolmaster-2/achievements/

My translation may be incorrect.

EDIT:  Oops, pasted the wrong achievement.  =D

[BT2]

Also that achievement is:
俺と竜宮小町 = 竜宮小町の伊織、亜美、あずさをゲストに呼べるようになりました。
Ryuuguu Komachi and I = Was able to invite Ryuuguu Komachi's Iori, Ami, and Azusa as guests.

Err.. no, no it's not.

[enigmaopoeia]

Oops, you are correct I was viewing something else and pasted the wrong thing.  Haha.  *fixes it*

[KIRBYSIM]

My god this thread is helpful.
Thanks to all you guys for the input, the Japanese wiki doesn't have some things I was looking for like the morning communication answers (or I didn't look hard enough...)

Yeah, they didn't have it because the responses are kinda straightforward to them, I guess. Although I wished there were more information on how picking who to talk to and selecting the +-- or -++ actually affects the unit's moods.

Still. This is a great improvement over the original iMAS where it was pretty much completely random, right? Or was it possible to pick the best communication choice based on some kind of rhyme and reason back in iMAS1?

[TweenDoriru]

Still. This is a great improvement over the original iMAS where it was pretty much completely random, right? Or was it possible to pick the best communication choice based on some kind of rhyme and reason back in iMAS1?

I'm pretty sure it was always random XD The non-random greetings throw in a little extra pressure (like, say you need a -++ answer, but you're only given a +++ or --- answer, so what do you do?), so I wouldn't put them as a -full- advantage over the random greetings, but hey.

I admit, though, I like having no random choices before auditions, though, where you can't skip through the text or anything. Hooray for easy lip-reading game.

...What's the advantage/disadvantage of doing that right/wrong, by the way? It doesn't seem to actually have an effect on anything.

[Ghift]

Though, from my personal experience playing each game, I wouldn't recommend starting out with DS. It's not like any of the other games when it comes to the actual gameplay, and...it was pretty bad XD

I liked DS and managed to get through it though I was forever putting off Ai's story Ai please stop screaming at me, I started with it but then recently got SP. The gameplay is really different, to the point I think I may have cocked up my SP playthrough with the DS mindset. Lesson learnt. orz

I've never played any of the Xbox games, but if you manage to start with a portable game I'd make it an SP one first.

[TweenDoriru]

I liked DS and managed to get through it though I was forever putting off Ai's story Ai please stop screaming at me, I started with it but then recently got SP. The gameplay is really different, to the point I think I may have cocked up my SP playthrough with the DS mindset. Lesson learnt. orz

I've never played any of the Xbox games, but if you manage to start with a portable game I'd make it an SP one first.

Hmm...well, as far as the iM@S games where you play as Producer, SP is the one I'd recommend starting with. You learn how to play the game well because it's easy iM@S1 is a lot harder than SP, and then iM@S2 is...well, in the middle, I'd say Though, I never had a problem producing in iM@S1, and my first iM@S2 run was a bad end XDD.

In general, even though the games would be out of order (not that it matters, none of them are connected anyway), I'd recommend going from SP to iM@S1 to iM@S2...and, I guess, throw in DS wherever, if you want to give it a go.

[ikuto-sama]

My first IM@S game was SP. It's a good game to start with because it's not too hard to understand, and even if you only know a little Japanese you can get by because there's English splattered on the menus everywhere. Communications and raising tension are usually the only hard parts for me, because sometimes I don't know what I'm saying. And there's plenty of info on the forums that can help you out with any of the IM@S games.

Since DS is different than the other IM@S games because it's from the idol's perspective, I wouldn't recommend it for your first IM@S game. Also the fact that it just isn't...as good as the others. I like DS, but it has new characters and until you know all of the 765 idols it might be a bit confusing.

I haven't played any of the 360 games yet. Wish I had a J360 to play them, but I'm broke. I have to wait until I'm able to get a job...1 1/2 more years! XD

[KIRBYSIM]

I'm pretty sure it was always random XD The non-random greetings throw in a little extra pressure (like, say you need a -++ answer, but you're only given a +++ or --- answer, so what do you do?), so I wouldn't put them as a -full- advantage over the random greetings, but hey.

I admit, though, I like having no random choices before auditions, though, where you can't skip through the text or anything. Hooray for easy lip-reading game.

...What's the advantage/disadvantage of doing that right/wrong, by the way? It doesn't seem to actually have an effect on anything.

You get less points during normal appeals if you get it wrong, I think. Didn't really look into it but I felt that I was getting significantly less points per normal appeal when I got it wrong (could have been something else though)

Will investigate in my next playthrough.

[enigmaopoeia]

I've been playing a bit of Ellie's story and there are some parts which confuses me. But that's for another topic and I don't want to derail here.

I have a question, I apologized if it has already been asked before because I did not see this when I used the search function:  Does any of the DLC from the original game or Live For You! carry over in IDOLM@STER 2?

[BT2]

Short answer: No

[enigmaopoeia]

Haha, thanks, BT2.  I thought so, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

[TweenDoriru]

You get less points during normal appeals if you get it wrong, I think. Didn't really look into it but I felt that I was getting significantly less points per normal appeal when I got it wrong (could have been something else though)

Will investigate in my next playthrough.

thanks

I've been playing a bit of Ellie's story and there are some parts which confuses me. But that's for another topic and I don't want to derail here.

I have a question, I apologized if it has already been asked before because I did not see this when I used the search function:  Does any of the DLC from the original game or Live For You! carry over in IDOLM@STER 2?

Well, there are L4U DLC items in iM@S2...a school uniform (roughtime school or laughtime school or whatever it is), the "good sleep pajama", and then several of the default accessories are DLC from L4U (flower boots, pom-poms, baby accessories, etc.).

Nothing outstandingly awesome like Punkish Gothic, though. I bet they're saving that one for us to actually pay for.