Dragon Quest IX Basics

1.) Grind For Experience - This is an RPG, friends. An unforgiving, old-school JRPG. And you know what that means. It means that this game can be extremely unforgiving if you don't grind for experience as much as you possibly can. Dragon Quest IX, like Dragon Quest I-VIII, absolutely, positively requires you to be cognizant of leveling-up. If you don't level your characters up, and you move into a new territory, dungeon, or other locale, chances are you're going to have a hard time. If your characters are severely under-leveled, then expect to get the floor wiped with you by the enemies in new areas. That's just the way the cookie crust crumbles in Dragon Quest IX. So avoid the heartache, and grind for experience whenever you get the chance... even if it's a huge nuisance. Consider this rule number one for Dragon Quest IX (and all of the other Dragon Quest games, for that matter).

2.) Always Have the Best Gear - When you're playing through Dragon Quest IX, you're not powerless to what's going on around you. In other words, you don't have to level-up your characters and hope for the best. There are great ways to supplement your character's statistics; you equip them with stronger armor, gear and weapons. Doing so will boost their ability to do more damage in battle, and withstand more damage in battle as well. What's even better is that, if you combine this tip with Tip #1, you'll kill two birds with one stone. After all, grinding for experience to level your characters up is also going to net you gold with which to spend at the various shops you encounter during the game. It's inevitable. So why not grind for experience and grind for gold simultaneously? You might need one more than the other depending on where you are in the game, but the fact that you can chip away at both tasks at the same time makes doing so a much more tempting proposition.

3.) Explore! - What fun is an RPG if you don't explore? Dragon Quest IX is a fairly linear affair compared to many of its contemporaries, but that doesn't mean that there isn't exploration to be had. You can often get to towns or dungeons early, before you're meant to, which is actually quite helpful (especially following your party's acquisition of a boat). As long as you're not too far ahead of yourself (thus risking getting wiped out by the powerful enemies in a given area), you can add towns and dungeons to your list of visited locations. You can then use Zoom (or a Chimera Wing) to get from one location to the next rather seamlessly. So in this way (and many others), exploration pays off. And hey, since we talked in Tip #2 about combining tasks, you can actually grind for experience, gold and explore all at the same time. Now that's multitasking.

4.) Speak to Everyone - During the course of your adventure, you're going to run into a lot of people. The mortal residents of the Protectorate are generally a talkative bunch (as are your fellow Celestrians back up in the Observatory), and by speaking to everyone, you'll learn a great deal about many a subject. You're not always looking for information on how to progress through the game (though that's very helpful). Sometimes, you'll want random details on a town, or a person, or a dungeon. You may even earn a Side Quest by speaking to a person. Regardless, speak to everyone you encounter, and speak to them multiple times. You don't necessarily have to speak to the same person twice in sequence, but if you talk to a person, run off to complete a task, and then return, that person will likely have new things to say. So attempt to speak to people as often as you can. You never know what you may learn.

5.) Take Your Time - There's no rush. Really, there isn't. Even if you somehow managed to rush through the entire game, you're still looking at 50+ hours to completion. So really, what's the point? Absorb everything the game has to offer, and you'll find yourself in a much more satisfying position, since you'll actually have a coherent picture of what's going on around you, and why. And of course, you should take your time while moving through the world map and dungeons as well, since the more enemy encounters you have, the stronger and richer you shall become. In other words, there's really no need to rush. If you're going to sit down and play Dragon Quest IX, then be ready to sit down for the long haul. If you don't have a hundred game hours to invest in it, you probably shouldn't start playing the game in the first place.

6.) Complete Side Quests - Side Quests are your friend. Seriously -- they are. Most (if not virtually all) self-respecting RPGs have side quests, and Dragon Quest IX is certainly no exception to the rule. The thing about Dragon Quest IX, however, is that the side quests you have to complete aren't ambiguous. They're Side Quests -- proper nouns -- and they can be tracked in your Battle Records. Anyone you speak with that has a blue bubble over their head instead of a white bubble indicates someone that will give you a Side Quest. These quests are numbered and named, and can be tracked to completion (or not). Completing Side Quests is good for you to do, however, as you can get a lot of rare or hard-to-find gear and items for doing so, a lot earlier than you'd otherwise find them more organically. Side Quests require patience, however, since you can't always complete them right away, and must come back to them later, when you're more prepared to undertake them. Either way, quest away, friends.

7.) Alchemize! - Alchemy is one of those things that most RPGs have. It's something that's seems too deep and too complicated to be worth your time, and since it's entirely unnecessary to complete the game, many gamers might be tempted to overlook it completely. But you should resist that urge if you can. Alchemy can prove to be a ridiculously useful endeavor for you, since you'll be able to craft strong weapons, armor, gear and items that you may otherwise have a difficult time finding (or will never find at all). Alchemy definitely requires patience, since you'll have to grind for items you'll need to alchemize with, but try to sink some time into doing so. If you want to find recipes organically, you should also do so, but if you want to cut to the chase, visit the Alchemy section of our guide, and then get to work!

8.) Buff-Out Your Battle Records - On your main menu in-game, you're going to find something called Battle Records. You won't find it immediately at the start of the game, but once you're about 5-10% through, just about all of it should be unlocked for you to browse over. Your Battle Records are just that -- records of your adventure for you to take a look at. You will find information on all of the enemies you've battled, equipment and items gathered, and even recipes for Alchemy that you've stumbled across. It's strangely satisfying to buff-out your Battle Records, and you should do just that. Watching your percentages tick up is a great deal of fun as you work towards 100% completion. Plus, Battle Records also show how much time you've spent (or wasted) playing Dragon Quest IX. Don't overlook them!

9.) Change Classes - Dragon Quest IX is fairly unique in the Dragon Quest saga, in that you're able to change the jobs of your entire party whenever you'd like (as long as you've gotten far enough in the game to have reached Alltrades Abbey, that is). The thing is, Dragon Quest IX's inherent system somewhat discourages you from changing jobs. After all, your character is reset to level one when you change to a different class, which makes you feel as if you shouldn't bother at all. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Changing classes and combining your powers (when applicable) makes strong characters even stronger, and makes everyone more versatile. At the very least, try every class one for a little while, and see what works and doesn't work for you. And of course, when new classes become available (and they will), be sure to give them a go, too. You'll never know what you like and don't like until you try it out.

10.) Backtrack! - It's true. Dragon Quest IX is definitely a semi-linear affair. There's no way to work around that fact. But it's also true that Dragon Quest IX is far from being completely linear (especially after your party finally gets its own boat), and that with the use of spells like Zoom, you should be able to access any place you've been instantaneously. Be sure you backtrack to old locations from time to time. People in towns, for instance, might have new things to say to you if you haven't been back there in a while. New Side Quests might even become unlocked for you in territories you've already voyaged through. Be sure to take your blinders off, and be willing to go backwards instead of forwards from time to time. It's the only way to fully experience the game, get all of the Side Quests, and hear everything everyone has to say to you. All are important to the overall Dragon Quest IX experience.