Disgaea 3 FAQ v4

This FAQ has game mechanic spoilers, but NO STORY SPOILERS.

** GENERAL **

Q. Release date?
A. Japan, 2008/01/31. US, 2008/08/26.
No EU publisher has been announced yet. There are rumors that N1 has opened a EU based subsidiary, but I am unable to corroborate this information.

Q. Why is this 2D game not on PS2 or DS or other?
A. From a purely technical standpoint, the limitation is due to the PS2's available system memory.

http://www.hardcoregamer.com/index.php?option=com_magazine&id_rubrique=3&type=article&id_article=82

HGM: Why the jump to the PS3 for this iteration of Disgaea?
Jack Niida: The jump to PS3 was mainly due to the developmental limits of the PS2 system. Many people might not realize it, but compared to the PS3, the PS2 has a limited amount of memory that can be used to process 2D info, thus limiting the creativity of the developers. The PS3 allowed us to expand what we could express within the 2D format and further evolve the game system. The PS2’s a great platform, but in order to make a truly fun game, the PS3 was necessary.

Furthermore, certain levels, such as Hall of Ordeals 3 are extremely tall, over 100 blocks high and also illustrate what kind of expanded level design is possible with the extra memory available.

Furthermore, the graphics, backgrounds and OSD have been updated. The detail of the sprites has improved as well, but this doesn't show well on small screen shots commonly found on the web.

Other reasons include:
- Blu-ray allows more room for voice-overs.
- Downloadable content: Several patches have been made available, adding new characters and content. More are rumored and confirmed. N1 recently had a contest on it's Japanese website to ask fans which character from previous games should be added through DLC
- Faster loading times, (stages as well as saving/loading games)
- HD output: Text, especially kanji is much clearer and easier to read on an HD display. Backgrounds are shorp and show the extra detail that the PS3 is capable of.

Q. Does the story for this one tie into the previous Disgaeas in any way?
A. The story is completely unrelated to D1 or D2. Similar to the other Disgaea, you can acquire characters from previous games, but these are bonus missions and not connected to the main story.

Q. How long is the story?
A. For a first run, probably between 20-40 hours, depending on how much time you spend delving into the item or academy worlds. A speed run could take 15 or less if you know exactly what you are doing I suppose.

Q. Is there New Game+?
A. Yes. Talk to the Masked Hero after you beat the game to activate it. It's not automatic.

Q. What patches have been released?
A. The Japanese version has had two patches. 1.10 was released on 2008/04/25. 2.00 was released on 2008/06/26.

Q. What DLC is available?
A. The first DLC was made available on 2008/06/26. Two story characters from D2 could be purchased for 200 yen and one monster class for 100 yen.

Q. Does this game support PSP remote play?
A. The Japanese version does not.

Q. Are there any tropies?
A. As of version 2.00, there is no trophy support.

** GAME MECHANICS **

Q. Are the mechanics the same as the first one?
A. Battles are the same. Geo-effects have been updated with Geo-block, but are fundamentally the same. Same weapons. Mana and skills have been revamped. Dark Assembly has been replaced by Homeroom. More or less the same. The Mentor mechanism is replaces by a much more flexible "School club" system. There is a new Ma-change system as well, which allows monster characters to morph into weapons.

Q. What is new with skill and mana?
A. You buy skills with mana, instead of getting them by leveling up. There are new Mabilitys which are like passive skill.

Q. Mabilitys?
A. This is a pun in Japanese. "Ma" is the same kanji used in magic or dark king. And of course, it rhymes with ability, so the we get Magic Ability shortened to Mability.
Each character type has one inherent skill and you can purchase other secondary mabilities with mana. Besides the inherent mability, you can only have one other mability active at a time. There are other ways to acquire mabilities. If you reincarnate to a different class, you keep your mabilities from the previous class. You can transfer mabilities through the Academy world as well.

Q. Academy World?
A. Similar to the item world, where you "dive" into items to make them stronger, there is a new Academy world where you can "dive" into characters to make them stronger. Here, certain stats can be increased or you can transfer skills and mabilities from other characters in your School Club

Q. School Clubs?
A. Lists of clubs can be found here in Japanese:
http://disgaea.ps3wiki.net/index.php?委員会
and here in English:
http://akurasu.net/wiki/index.php?title=Makai_Senki_Disgaea_3/Committees

Each character can only be in one club at a time. A character can freely change clubs in the homeroom at any time. Each club has one character designated as leader. The leader can use sub-members abilities in battle and can learn skills and mabilitys from sub-members in the Academy World.

Clubs are bought with mana, and many clubs have requirements before they are available to be purchased.

Removal from a club means you longer get the benefits for that club.


** CLASSES **

Q. New classes?
A. Witch Doctor, Cheerleader, Masked Hero, Berserker. Also, Gunners, Archers, Samurai and Healers all have male and female variants with different mabilities and slightly different stats.

Q. Have any classes been removed?
A. Sinners, but the male healers look like sinners. I guess they've been reformed

Q. What about Majins?
A. They are still in the game. You have to go through the tutorials in new game+ to unlock them. Statistically, they resemble the Majins from D2 rather than the uber-class from D1.

Q. What is the strongest class/characters?
A. Overall, the game is far more balanced than previous entries. The Japanese FAQ mentions that at high levels all characters are strong and that the difference between magical and physical users is not a wide as it use to be.
http://disgaea.ps3wiki.net/index.php?FAQ#bdbf5a29

Q. How do I unlock higher tier classes? Is it like D1 or D2?
A. Unfortunately, it's like D2. You have to raise a tier 5 to the required level before you can unlock the tier 6. Iou can't go straight from tier 1 to tier 6.

Q. Is it true I can change the colors of my characters?
A. Yes. If you find the palette swap shop, which randomly appears in the item world's Strange Gates (similar to the Dark Court from D2). You can choose which color scheme of a particular character you want, regardless of rank. (e.q. a rank 6 character could select the color scheme of the rank 2 version)

** WEAPONS **

Q. What is the strongest weapon?
A. Overall, the game is far more balanced than previous entries. All of the top tier weapons are considered nearly equally strong. It's not just the sword anymore. Furthermore, after leveling up and powering weapons, there is a stat cap of 1,863,514 for Rank 40 weapons. See the Item Customization/Duplication FAQ by Kylain / Prometheusx303 for detailed info on maxing weapons.

Q. Is Yoshitsuna still the strongest Sword?
A. No. In D3, Yoshi is a rank 39 weapon. The rank 40 weapons are all stronger.

Q. What weapon mechanics has changed?
A. All weapons have been tweaked. For each weapon, some skills are the same and some aren't. For example, the sword skill Winged Slayer is not a 3x3 square anymore. It still 9 squares, but shaped like a triangle.
Some high level weapons have an extra block of range, not just the rank 40 items.
Axes now lower SPD instead of HIT. Your ability to dodge is lowered, rather than your ability to hit. Typically, Axes will have the highest damage in the game for single target attacks. Also, Axes have a multi-square special attack skill as well.
Guns are now the average of HIT and SPD, instead of just HIT.
Staffs are basically the same, but you use mana to increase range and area of attack, instead of leveling the staff mastery.

Q. I can't find the highest level weapons! Why don't they appear in the item world?
A. You have to go to the Land Of Carnage to get the highest rank weapons. Yes, this means collecting the pirate maps.

Q. Is the Nekobaba Stick dupe trick a bug or cheat?
A. The answer is neither. It's not a bug or a cheat. There have been many patches since the official release and the capability remains. This particular trick has been known in the wild since a few days after the game was release in Japan. The intention is likely an optional time saver for people who choose to use it. That being said, there is no official word from N1 on this issue that I am aware of, and the debate is likely to continue.

** HOWTOS **

Q. I can't get into the Academy world! Where is the Afro Prinny?
A. Make sure someone is in the Academy World School Club. If not, he will never appear.

Q. I can't find statisticians! Where are they?
A. You have to do reverse pirating to get them.

Q. What is Reverse Pirating?
A. Basically, when pirates invade the item world, you defeat all of them and you get their pirate ship. Then, if you have some members in the Reverse Pirating Club, you can Reverse Pirate items you have of item level 20F or higher. the amount of times you can do this is limited to once per twenty floors defeated.

When reverse pirating, there are always a large number of innocents and a turn level. The basic ship has a 3 turn level and after 3 turns, the ship will leave and the level ends. You can defeat Innocents to add them to the item or throw them on the ship with in the turn limit to double their level. You must have empty innocent slots on the item however. It's a good idea to empty them of innocents first.

Q. How do I level up fast?
A. First, get past 7-3 in story mode. Second unlock the Hall of Ordeals and get to HoO 4. Third, get the Nekobaba stick. Find all the pirate maps and unlock Land of Carnage. Get to HoO 4 on Land Of Carnage.

Q. How do I get more mana?
A. in the early game, kill prinnys. they give 2x normal Mana. A good level 4-1. 5-6 also has mana bonuses, but no prinnys. There are two clubs that characters can join where they leech mana from the players surrounding them. These are great for characters who don't kill often, like healers. Lastly, buy mana potions from the store in the item world. Typically, HL is easier to acquire than mana.
If you have a high store rank, buy the monster weapon "Hydra breeding diary" It will always have a 30 Manager on it. Buy five and hit the item world to get a 300 Manager.

Q. How do I get Tera spells?
A. No Tera spells in D3. They only go up to Omega.

** MISC **

Q. What is N1?
A. Nippon-Ichi, the maker of the Disgaea series. Ichi is the Japanese word for one.

Q. What is NIS?
A. Nippon Ichi Software, another name for the maker of Disgaea series.

Q. I thought Atlus made Disgaea?
A. Atlus translated and published the original Disgaea in North America. Since then, Nippon-ichi has set up a US-based subsidiary to handle translation and distribution of games from Nippon-ichi (Japan) and occasionally, games from other Japanese developers than need translation.

Q. I thought Koei made Disgaea?
A. Koei published the original Disgaea in Europe.


** Thanks for the assists from: **
deathfisaro
Prometheusx303
Everyone on D3 board at Gamefaqs

Accelerators are a rank 31 item with MV of 2.
There is a rank 34 item with MV of 2 and a rank 39 item with a MV of 3.
Also, the strongest weapons and armor increase MV by 1 or 2.

Lastly, you can increase a characters MV twice via the academy world.

From the joystiq interview:


Can you comment on the possibility on bringing Disgaea 3 to other consoles? The Wii, for instance. Given the PS3's limited install base, it would seem to make sense for NIS to reach as wide a market as possible.

Jack Nilda: Considering Disgaea 3's game capacity it is possible to port the game to other platforms. We currently don't have any plans on releasing it on other platforms, but if our fans voice their opinions we might consider a port.


No other platform is planned, but they might consider a port. I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. The PS3 version sold very well in Japan.

Item leveling is more or less unchanged. You still dive into the item world. They have added tricks that allow you to get the item level up to 200 however, using level spheres and strange gates.

See the Maximization/Duplication FAQ for the details.