What is it about DQ3 that makes it so beloved and well-received

It's the most customizable game in the series.

You have to realize that when this game came out there was literally no JRPG that could even compare. Like literally name on JRPG that even comes close.

The party custimsztion allows for a lot of options with plenty of replay value to boot

World map exploration is excellent and the world is just the perfect size not too big and not to small

Battle mechanics are well balanced and any combanition of parties can work

Nonlinear but not aimless or pointless

Amazing music, compare the battle them of 3 to the last 2 DQ games

A real genuine plot twist that is actually unexpecting and leads into at least 6 or so more hours of playtime

Is it a perfect game? No but for the time it was incredibly well balanced and polished and it's no surprise to see why the series built upon the formula 3 created

>>4223526
>You have to realize that when this game came out there was literally no JRPG that could even compare. Like literally name on JRPG that even comes close.
Ultima 3 for the Famicom came out a few months earlier.

Every game after became increasingly storyheavy and railroaded. Some like that, for me DQ3 is the last one that is exciting to play.

High level of party customization and varying equipment
Very good pacing
DQ worldbuilding

>>4223547
Yeah, and DQ3 blows it out of the fucking water. The world is tiny, the dungeons are shit, half the classes are useless, there is no life to any of the game locations, and it's a repetitive grindfest.

The have to have the most pathetic Ultima fanboy blinders on to think it holds a fucking candle to DQ3.

>>4223573
An Ultima fanboy would compare it to Ultima 4 or 5 which were also available when DQ3 came out.
Personally I don't find the dungeons in DQ3 that interesting either. The locations and the size in Exodus are fine.

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>>4223573
>world is tiny
Sosaria and Ambrosia are about 64x64 tiles each. But you're discounting the game's many cities and dungeons, which is where you'll be spending most of your time.

>dungeons are shit
You might want to elaborate on this point, otherwise I can't address this part of your post.

>half the classes are useless
I'm not sure if you're aware of the disparities in equipment access, thieving skills and magic efficiency, but these limitations make each class fit a certain niche. That isn't to say some classes aren't objectively a lot better than others, though. As for arguably useless classes like the alchemist, I think their inclusion is important for people who want to play with a gimped party, possibly as a self-imposed challenge. Bear in mind that DQ3 has its share of gimped characters as well.

>no life to any of the game locations
Except for the dozens of NPCs littered throughout every city, and the multitude of action commands available to you besides "push A to talk."

>repetitive grindfest
I don't think you've ever played this game before. Grinding is not important in Ultima III. You'll have to grind to level 5 before you can commandeer a pirate ship, but it's a waste of time beyond that. Leveling up has nothing to do with character attributes. You increase those by making donations to the shrines in Ambrosia. Likely, the only attributes you'll be increasing are INT and WIS so you can have access to later spells.

>grindfest
This was probably the most ironic sentiment of your post, by the way.

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>>4223584
Man, some crpgs need a remake with better gui. This will never happen because west games cannot receive a remake if they are not full 3D, but i think a lot of the games lost against their jrpg counterparts because being having shit controls/UI.

Ultima did amazing things, and look how out of shape is now. No one remembers Ultima when it comes to crpgs, but TES or BG or FO cannot be compared to it.

>>4223469
I really like DQ3. It has great music, and interesting world to explore that mixes linear gameplay with a more open oriented world later on, a great focus in the world instead of the characters (I got tired of the main party in DQ7, but i was always eager to find new places in DQIII). The class system is interesting, but i never change classes.

>>4223607
old CRPGs had many other issues.
http://www.filfre.net/2017/05/the-view-from-the-trenches-or-some-deadly-sins-of-crpg-design/
>Ultima IV was perhaps the ultimate rat-killing game of all time; hour upon hour was spent in tedious little battles that I could not possibly lose and that offered little reward for victory.

>>4223607
Ultima 4, 6, 7, 8 have modern remakes with improved UI and controls.
EA killed Ultima and the less they remember they own Ultima the better, lest we get another Ultima Forever.
Richard Gariot is cashing in on the name by making some online game even though it was people like Warren Spector who made the games.

>>4223610
Sounds more like DQ1 and 2.

>>4223624
I can see DQ1 but not DQ2, which is more or less DQ3 lite in some regards

>>4223624
DQ took more after Wizardry, where normal monsters could inflict you with status effects, gang attack a single party member and be a threat rather than being filler content. Few Japanese RPGs copied Ultima combat design for a reason.

>>4223598
DQ3's overworld map is 256x256. You could fit U3's overworld and ambrosia and every fucking town inside of it. There is zero fucking comparison here.

The dungeons are nothing but featureless first person mazes.

Every single class in DQ3 is useful. Nobody is even close to the alchemist, barbarian, or illusionist, and promotion means you have even more combinations and the ability to re-focus even the weaker characters once their early game effectiveness wanes.

Running a fucking Death Gulch/Compass Heart/Flower collection train is still a repetitive grind for cash.

These games are not even on the same level, and I say that as someone who really likes Exodus of the NES. You have to be fucking deluded to even bring it up.

>>4223628
Ultima took after Wizardry and added party combat and status effects.
It was more about tactics and positions than pure war of attrition.
>Few Japanese RPGs copied Ultima combat design for a reason.
Simulation RPGs are a thing.
Very few Japanese games come close to Wizardry when it comes to combat.

>>4223640
>Every single class in DQ3 is useful.
If you think the use of a playboy is too hold your party back.

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>>4223640
>featureless first person mazes

>traps, monsters, treasure chests, springs, marks
>''''''''featureless''''''''

So you haven't played it after all. That's good to know.

>Every single class in DQ3 is useful

Okay.

>and promotion means you have even more combinations and the ability to re-focus even the weaker characters

But that involves grinding, which you are opposed to. For argument's sake, I'll also point out that class changing involves a lot of planning and min-maxing. No such planning is needed to enjoy Ultima III.

>Running a fucking Death Gulch/Compass Heart/Flower collection train is still a repetitive grind for cash

Which, realistically, you would need to do only a few times if you want a fully-powered wizard in the party. Just one wizard is enough to plow through Castle Exodus.

>and I say that as someone who really likes Exodus of the NES

Evidently not since you're berating it, often on pretenses that simply aren't true.

>>4223678
the goofoff/jester class is useful for making you laugh for not mashing the A button so quickly and grinding for a Sage

3 has the most replayabilty
It rewards you for playing 1&2
Best over world theme only rivalled by homeland of DQ4
Lot of classes and class change system
Gbc version had a lot of bonus content
I think is the first Rpg to have a "wow i thought the game ended after that" moments

I played all DQ between I-IX and I can agree 3 is the best with IX as a close second

I loved 6 but not beign able to recruit monsters like in 5 is a huge step back
and the problem 4 is how annoying is the replayability, getting to the Mc's chapter feels like a chore to definitely start the game

>>4223779
you can recruit monsters in DQ6. In the superior SFC version only.

Anyone have the censored artwork the GBC remake got for Nintendo Power Magazine?

>>4223469
It's definitely not my favorite (I like 4 and 5 better) but it's when dragon quest sort of came into it's own. 1 and 2 suck if you play them now, 3 is pretty good.

>>4223469
I've been trying to get into DQ and just started playing DQIII (SFC) the other day and not really feeling it. I really liked DQI, it was basic but had all the necessary elements and more importantly it ended right before it started getting boring. DQII I quit some time after getting the boat because fuck exploring that huge ass map with all the random encounters every other step of the way. DQIII was going well but got to a dungeon which is the equivalent of playing russian roulette, sometimes you get trash mobs, other times it's basically all the monsters the game could fit in the screen and they all gang up on the mage killing her in 1 turn and everything goes to hell. I had the best gear I could get at that point IIRC, and fuck if I am going to grind my ass off this early, not that it'd matter since the mage has shit defensive growth.

>>4224567
>Quitting a game the moment you have to explore
What? I don't remember correctly but there isn't holy water DQ2?

Regarding DQ3 if you already have the best gear including both weapons and armor for all the characters then you shouldn't have problems since those are really expensive early,Buy lot of herbs and make your mage defense herself in case of mobs also you should have pick up a bulky class like warrior or dealer,cleric is a must, having a mage early will drag you down but it will reward you once you can class change the opposite happens if you pick a warrior or fighter

>>4224593
>What? I don't remember correctly but there isn't holy water DQ2?

I think there's also a spell to repel random encounters. I seem to remember using it just to make the sailing portion less tedious.

Also incidentally my favorite Dragon Quest.

>>4224607
It doesn't last long, I simply killed everything on the ocean until I found run away consistently.
>>4224567
The works becomes a lot less intimidating once you find the map, which isn't far from the place you get the boat.

>>4224826
Isn't the map only in the remakes?

Feels like a logical step and polishing from the previous DQ titles.

More customization, bigger world. Very nonlinear for a JRPG which made the game for me, personally. Also the twist at the end. It just feels like a perfect distillation of the Dragon Quest's series values.

>>4223469
I can make an all-girl party and the porn is pretty top tier.

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>>4223469
Class system and cute shota protagonist.

>>4223469
It triggers westaboos.

>>4223678
>For argument's sake, I'll also point out that class changing involves a lot of planning and min-maxing.
If we're playing the 'you've never played the game in question' card...
You have never played DQ3. Class change is a fucking nothing whimsical 'maybe I don't like this class after all' decision that changes pretty much nothing in the long run. Physical characters don't even benefit from the change. The closest it gets to minmaxing is changing the classes of a cleric or mage for a diet sage spell list.
>But that involves grinding,
This is also not neccesarily true. The temple is available at any time you can reach it. If nobody is a high enough level to change you can just come back after gaining experience through normal play. IE. progressing through the game, not grinding.

I'm only nitpicking because you are, by the way. It's laughable that in your defense of the misrepresentation of one game you dare to misrepresent another.

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I was personally blown away by the world map and how it resembled the actual real life world and its locations.
Exploring the world of DQIII is still one of the best experiences I had with RPGs.

>>4225297
canada pagan magicians. america perverted clowns. china kung foo. sand niggrs. russian viking master race. british biblefags. japan the hero. whats the last one?

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>>4225310
Man, That's not Canada but Spain, and that's not America but Africa.

Even if you love this game, you gotta admit the ability to save anywhere would have been nice. Yeah I get that the castles and some of the towns let you do that, but saving anywhere would've made some of the portions of this game a lot less of a chore to deal with

>>4224593
Killing a screenful of enemies without the mage sounds like a pain. I mean if they're not good for carpet bombing everything with AoEs then why bother bringing one along?

>>4225329
I think that misses the point. Saving isn't a matter of convenience that every player gets its something you need to secure by making it to the castle town without getting killed by monsters.

>>4225339
Bikill, sleep

>>4225310
How did you get all these countries so wrong?

Jesus.

>>4223469
Is the GBC version the way to go?

>>4225691
No, SFC.

>>4225691
Yes if you care about content
Choose Sfc if you care about graphics
And android if you care about music

>>4225691

Why not play all the different ports and find out for yourself? Why even limit yourself to a single version of the game?

>>4224567
>the monsters gang up on the mage, killing her in one turn
There's a handy command called "parry" that will let her survive longer, and if it's really that big of a problem you could also have a cleric cast a defense buff on her.

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>>4225310
britbongs: wizards
europeans: fighters
asians: warriors
africans: goofs
middle-east: merchants
australia: christians
americans: hero
south americans: sages

>>4225813
Because most people are only going to play a game through once...I mean if you really love it, then you might play all versions.

Playing an hour of each version might give you an idea of which one you prefer I guess.

>>4223526
>Like literally name on JRPG that even comes close
Ultima III

>>4227579
>I didn't read the thread

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>>4225114
>all-girl party
I see you're an anon of culture as well.