About Trey McGowan Expertise I can answer strategy questions for just about any video games. RPGs and collecting/raising sims are my major specialty, though I am also experienced in general strategy games, a variety of MMORPGs, and possibly even some much more esoteric ones. I can't promise that I'll be able to answer all your questions from personal experience, but I can promise that if I can't, I will do my utmost to research the answer before I give it to you.
Best consoles to ask about: NES, SNES, GB/GBC, GBA, Playstation, Playstation II. If you are asking outside of this list, please give a little extra time for some research to be done on the game.
Please note: if you are wanting a particular version of strategy (i.e. a *fast* playthrough, a powerful playthrough, a challenge game, a specific boss beat in a specific way), make sure the details are added. The more I know about what *you* want to know, the better.
Experience I am an avid player of video games of various types, including RPGs, strategy games, MMORPGs, et cetera. I have been playing since the Atari 1300 days, and even back then, learning the strategy and the like of the games was as interesting as beating it.
Organizations Various video game boards, including GameFAQs
Publications http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/61700.html
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Education/Credentials Upwards of twenty years in various video games playing and finishing. I have read FAQs extensively, and have educated myself directly in a lot of the games that I've played.
Question QUESTION: I really need some help on this game. I need to know what gadgets to use in a 8 week schedule to make the most powerful monsters. I need to raise some s ranked monsters, and mine always get to old before they are even close to s rank. any breeding tips would also be useful.
ANSWER: Hi there, Rick!
Aahhh, Monster Rancher. One of my specialties, and one of the greatest of the monster-raising games. :) I may not be able to answer this question to the satisfaction you hoped, though. This is because when you say 'the most powerful monsters', this honestly depends on the monster.
Each of the monsters have different strengths and weaknesses in their stats, combating, and the like. This means what may work for one monster may not work for the next one. The *general* idea may be the same, but I can't exactly give you the specific gadgets to use since I don't know what monsters you use.
Likewise, I don't know what gadgets you *have*. If I suggested to use the Spa, for instance, I have no way of knowing that you have the spa. So for the moment, we'll go with some basic concepts.
First thing you have to be careful with is your monster's stress levels. The more stressed they are, the faster they'll wear out. To counteract this, you'll need to rotate them to rest on a fairly regular basis. Make sure they get plenty of rest, and if they start making 'stressed faces', then you should give them the chance to take a break, as well as the possibility of medicine.
One of the major things I suggest having on the farm, ASAP, are some of the 'bonus training' items. Rather than being used to train your monster, they will be useful for giving them boosts in other areas. Some of them relieve stress, some help them rest. Try and fit in the 'less stress' one as soon as you can. It takes up valuable 'training space', it's true, but it will be the most helpful thing you can have.
As for machines, I actually rarely use the level 3 machines. I find they are too hard on the monsters. Use 2s for the most part, and 3s only when you are really well-rested and not stressed. Or when you are power-leveling a monster's stats to get somewhere fast and furious. Wait until your monsters have gotten you enough money for stress reduction and the like before you start working them too hard on those big machines. And using the machines that will give bonuses as well as raising stats, IMO, is generally worth it as long as you do it sparingly. The spa is probably the most useful, as it will raise the monster's stats as well as letting some of their stress go. Not enough to be the perfect cure that a fight will be, but enough to make me say that it's probably one of the most-used high-level devices on my farm.
As for breeding tips, combining isn't quite as complex as it is for Monster Rancher 2. Or at least, it doesn't seem to be. So taking two monsters whose stats are high and settling them together will generally give you a fairly good-starting baby. And while the boost isn't as much as some of the earlier Monster Rancher games, even that small boost can be a big help. And even more importantly, the *loyalty* boost will make a huge difference. So make sure you combine monsters who are loyal!
Hopefully this has helped a little bit. If you want more specific information, let me know what monsters you're thinking of using (or at least a generality) and we'll see if I can't work out in more detail what you'll need to do! Questions, feedback, follow-ups, et cetera, are welcome!
Trey
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QUESTION: Thanks for the tips trey. The first three monster ranchers were pretty easy to figure out and beat but # 4 is giving me some problems. I love this game and it is very addicting. I do have the spa as well as just aboout every other training gadget. I use Garus mostly and sub spieces of Garus I also use golumns quit a bit I have already beat the last boss in the volcano. And I have my pheonix feather. I just cant seem to raise an s ranked monster. every time I go to explore in any of the +caves, jungle, or what ever I get smacked down. I need to know the best schedule to use to make some s ranked monsters so I can win some s ranked tournements.
Answer Hi again, Rick!
Aha! Now that I know the monsters you're using, I should be able to help out a little bit.
Make a training regime with the spa, since not only does it help life, but it helps their stress. It's not a *massive* stress reduction, but trust me when I say it makes a difference that I was able to see. I would probably go with using a fairly high-level training, then the spa, then lower level ones a time or two to 'round out' the training week before rest is needed. Not only will it keep their stress at fairly manageable levels, but it will bring their life up. And especially in the case of a Garu, life is a very important defensive stat in all monsters! If you want to use another of the 'special' ones, I would suggest instead of back to back 'spa' and 'other' that you spread them out over a couple training months: one month, use the spa regime, the other, use a 'special', then two stars for the rest of the time. Ones can be used if you want to round out numbers or give them a half-rest, but I wouldn't waste the space on your farm.
Combine yourself a strong (such as it is) starting monster from two of your good ones, and make sure you've got the starting loyalty as high as possible (I *think* 50 is the highest it can be born with, but my memory is failing me). From there, they'll fail a lot less and get through early battles a lot easier. They will also start at C-class, which means they'll be entitled to get into the higher-level fights earlier. Try not to be tempted to throw them in headfirst immediately, but give them enough stats that they can handle them early. The faster they get through the early levels, the faster you're at S-class, after all. Combination is the key to getting to S-class in this game, I find, for that very reason.
If you're going to go Garu, I would focus mostly on skill, life, and power. A golem, going for the defense stats (defense and life) as well as power would probably do you well, with enough skill to make sure that you can hit the important moves. Take the baby into dungeons as soon as you can go, tagging along with your best monsters to be able to sponge the experience and get their moves up. The + level will probably be too much for them, so I suggest going for the Volcano a few times instead. I know it'll be a bit dull after a few runs, but better dull than dead at every turn!
Above all else, patience is the key. It's extremely difficult to get your monsters up high enough level to make it to S-class in this game! So don't feel too bad if you're having a heck of a time. Trust me when I say: you're not the only one! I think I have managed to get through to S-class only a few times, and I can't recall whether I actually made it *past*. It's a real battle every time, but that's part of the appeal of the game: not as much 'ho hum another champion' feeling.
Hopefully these suggestions will help give you that much-needed boost to the final levels! My fingers are crossed for you! Go give 'em hell. Feedback, questions, et cetera, et cetera, are always welcome!
