Does anyone play this online still? I can get it with the classic controller for $29.99 and I am tempted to pick it up. As I understand it, it is a bit like PSO but with dinosaurs and some game play differences. I also see it is Online and free to play. Does anyone know if hacking is a problem on this game?
Beautiful game. Still play it every now and then on the European server. Hackers are not welcome online by both CAPCOM and other players and they will eventually get their console banned from online play.
The hacking problem on Monster Hunter Tri differs a bit from other instanced MMOs. Since you don't level up numerically (and so much of your success in the game is dependent on actual player skill) there really isn't a focus on item duplication or other loot acquisition. But since progress in the game is determined by the missions you're able to complete, the hacks tend to be more about intercepting network traffic to game the outcome of combat. In more direct terms, what you have is people with sniffers and other network tools who rig it so that their characters can do hundreds or thousands of points of damage with just a kick, so that the terrifying boss monster goes down in just two or three hits. It's blatantly cheating, and like Denryu says Capcom does what they can to discourage it and block that type of user from connecting. The good thing is, the instanced architecture of the game means that if you have three good friends to play with, you need never get into a pick-up session or play with strangers if you don't want to. See if you can try out one of the earlier games first, if you haven't played a Monster Hunter title before. The Phantasy Star comparison is quite apt, but it doesn't communicate the sheer difficulty level that Monster Hunter Tri can present to you if you're not prepared for it. A lot of the slow parts of the game involve mundane tasks like sharpening your dulled sword, or laying out a carefully-built trap and waiting for a boss monster to come by and take your bait. If you get into it, the skewed success/failure ratio makes winning incredibly satisfying when it happens. I strongly recommend the game every chance I get.
After buying it when it first released and played it for 1-2 months I stopped when I stuck on it since I don't have big patient for games like this and I needed to grind online. But I want to resume playing it one day except if Monster Hunter get released for 3DS (I prefer playing grinding games on portable consoles if possible). Hacking usually is not a problem for Wii games (for example, I play Mario Kart Wii pirated online without any problem) but on the other hand Monster Hunter Tri, just like New Super Mario Bros Wii, have strong anti-piracy protection so I had to bought them original both (at least they deserve their moneys).
Thanks for the input. It actually turned out to be $40, so I got Fallout 3 GOTY edition instead for the PC. Perhaps I will get Monster Hunter on another system one day - Vita maybe.
The combat isn't that much like PSO except for the fact that's it's real time and you can have a group of four. It's more about exploiting each monster's weakness and having the right equipment, especially since you don't level up. I got this game a year ago or so, great game but I lost patience pretty quickly (which always seems to happen to me with RPGs). Too bad you can't play on the Japanese server outside of Japan, it probably still has plenty of players.
Anybody plan to jump in on the HD version of MHP3rd? I think I might give that one a shot (played a bit of MHP2 in the past).
Have they actually announced a western release for Portable 3rd? I assume they would call it MH Freedom 3. I'm not so worried about being able to play online, but using the same save file on both the PS3 and the PSP is an interesting possibility.
No date but I think there is a higher chance of this comming out then the psp version. But really if they localize for one why not push out both or try selling both together as a $60 bundle.
I'm fearful that the last few PSP games in the west won't see a standard UMD release and will turn out download-only, or end up as Vita exclusives. For similar reasons, I'm still a little grumpy about Cladun.
