Gaming Getting into Monster Hunter -- what does it take?

[shinkodachi]

Hey,

Looking for new games to play and had a friend borrow me a copy of MHTri for Wii over the weekend. Game mechanics felt really weird to me, the camera panning seemed very fast and I just had no idea where to begin with. Looked up some guides and tried to get the basics down, but I just don't "get it". How/why is this series so popular in Japan? It looks amazing and from what I understand, after the learning curve it should be enjoyable for hours upon hours of gameplay. So what am I missing?

Since I have a Wii U, the game I'd be looking at is MH3U. I'm 100% positive the GamePad will be a better controller than the Classic Controller and there's also the potential for online play on the Wii U version now that Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is shutting down. So while I may borrow my friend's MHTri a few times more to get used to the overall feeling of the game, I'll eventually hunt down a copy of MH3U (bad pun, I know). Right now it's not cheap though, everywhere I've searched for a PAL copy it's always 50-60 euros (even used).

What does it take to get into a game like Monster Hunter? This would be my very first Monster Hunter, but I've played many similar games. The game idea is fascinating and from the videos I've seen, the battles are long and epic! I'd love to play on that level, but the learning curve is really slowing me down. Any help is appreciated!

 

[Foxi4]

Test the weapons out and find something that you find yourself comfortable with. Dual blades are good for a beginner, but their DPS is rather small as you go deeper into the game, so I suggest getting used to the long swords - they're very versatile, quick, and they have an easy-to-execute unlimited combo. Other than that, all it takes is some dedication and keeping track of recipes for new, better equipment. Keep elemental vulnerabilities of the monsters in consideration as well - it's good to have a couple of weapons of your favorite type at the ready in case your weapon of choice is ineffective.

 

[Chary]

Projared has a series on how to start out with Monster Hunter. It's pretty entertaining.

Honestly, I have to say, I can't play single player, to me, the game is only fun with friends. And if you have a lot of patience. Carpenterbugs *grumble grumble*
What does it take to get into the game? Maybe just playing it over and over until you get the timings and controls down. It's a huge series, it's really overwhelming. My Wii U says I've sunk 37 hours in, and I've BARELY scratched the surface of what there is to do.

 

[shinkodachi]

Sounds great! I'll check out ProJared's videos. I'm sure the online play is why it's such a huge series (especially in Japan where stuff like Dragon Quest is big for this reason). It'll be a long time before I'd dare to go online though, if you say you've played 37 hours and have barely scratched the surface, I'd probably spend double that in single player before looking for friends to play online. (And since my friends IRL don't have Wii Us, I'd need to join an MH community, ideas where to begin? I'm in Europe.)

Thanks