Question regarding confidant bonuses and NG+

[Eishern]

Hi everyone.

I am currently on my first play through, so i dont use any guide to maximize my confidant ranks or stat gains.

I know about the third semester and its requirements. I know that NG+ will reset my confidant ranks back to 0. And i know about some sort of present from your girlfriend on valentines day, unless you f*ck it up by being a bad guy.

Now my question is, is there any "gain" from rank 10 confidants for NG+? Lets take this theoretical scenario: i have like 20 days left until the end of the game, and like 5 confidants at rank 9. Would it be, in any way, "useful" for me to get them to rank 10 for a NG+ run? Or would it only benefit me for the remainder of the current run?

Thanks for answers :)

[Radiosity]

Every max rank confidant gives you a special gift near the end of the game. These gifts are carried over to NG+ and unlock certain confidant rank bonuses earlier than you would normally get them. So things like having Yuusuke duplicating cards for you and similar will be available the moment you unlock the confidant, rather than having to wait until you've ranked them up.

So yes, maxing them is useful.

[Eishern]

Originally posted by Radiosity:

Every max rank confidant gives you a special gift near the end of the game. These gifts are carried over to NG+ and unlock certain confidant rank bonuses earlier than you would normally get them. So things like having Yuusuke duplicating cards for you and similar will be available the moment you unlock the confidant, rather than having to wait until you've ranked them up.

So yes, maxing them is useful.

Thanks alot for the answer mate! if you dont mind another question... How likely is it to be able to max my favourite 7-8 confidants without a guide? I try to make the most of my time. I level up stats based on weather and day of the week, reload confidant dates if i dont get at least 3-4 "notes" and dont sleep until nothing else is available. I am currently leveling kawakami and mifune to get more out of my time. I dont want to be stuck with a bunch of rank 7-9 confidants at the end of my playthrough :(

[Wolfherz]

It's also important to remember that some personas are locked behind maxing out confidants. Some of them are required to fuse the persona available only in NG+. The personas you can fuse only by maxing a social link are: Vishnu, Futsunushi, Cybele, Mother Harlot, Odin, Kohryu, Ishtar, Chi You, Metatron, Ongyo-Ki, Lakshmi, Zaou-Gongen, Attis, Alice, Ardha, Beelzebub, Mada, Lucifer, Sandalphon, Asura-Ou, Satan, Vohu Manah, and Maria.

To fuse the NG+ only persona you need Arsene, Lucifer, Satan, Michael, Ishtar, and Anzu. You also need to be level 95 UNLESS you maxed the Strength confidant which allows you to pay money to fuse a persona that's a higher level than you. I think it costs a few million if you do this at the beginning of NG+ if you max the Strength confidant the first chance you get.

It's not hard to max all confidants on your first run, but it's VERY important to always have a persona from the arcana of a confidant you're trying to work on. There are exceptions. I think both Sun and Moon confidants don't need personas to level them up every time you hang with them. It's obvious but it's also important to pick the right conversation choices as well. Messing up with that can definitely hinder you chances of maxing them on your first run. Using Chihaya to increase your points through fortune telling also helps immensely. This is especially true with the Devil arcana confidant.

[Eishern]

Thanks for your response frey! Sun, devil and emperor i actually totally neglect, as im not interested in these persons or their trait. I dont know if level 95 is something ill be aiming at to be honest. I forgot for my first few dates / meeting to bring the right persona with me, but since june im doing exacly that. I hope ill be able to max the confidants im interested in. Thanks alot! :))

[Eishern]

Oh, one other thing. Is fortune telling really useful? The stat incrase fortune telling is increasing the stat gain for the remainder of the day by 1.5, rounded down. So instead of Lets say a 3 stat gain after school, 3 at afternoon and 3 in the evening (sum 9), i would have to spend the time after school for the buff, and then get 4.5 (rounded to 4) at afternoon and another 4 at the evening (sum 8). So wouldnt it be more beneficial to NOT fortune tell?

[Nibbie]

Originally posted by Eishern:

Oh, one other thing. Is fortune telling really useful? The stat incrase fortune telling is increasing the stat gain for the remainder of the day by 1.5, rounded down. So instead of Lets say a 3 stat gain after school, 3 at afternoon and 3 in the evening (sum 9), i would have to spend the time after school for the buff, and then get 4.5 (rounded to 4) at afternoon and another 4 at the evening (sum 8). So wouldnt it be more beneficial to NOT fortune tell?

Two things wrong with your scenario. First of all, there are only two free time period each day, not sure how you managed to not notice. No such thing as 'after school, then afternoon, then evening', it is only 'after school OR afternoon' (based on if you went to school) then 'evening'.

Second, the reason she is useful is because her readings *don't* take up time. You can visit her in the afternoon each day, have a reading done, then do anything you want afterward. Her money reading literally couldn't work otherwise.

[Radiosity]

Originally posted by Eishern:

Originally posted by Radiosity:

Every max rank confidant gives you a special gift near the end of the game. These gifts are carried over to NG+ and unlock certain confidant rank bonuses earlier than you would normally get them. So things like having Yuusuke duplicating cards for you and similar will be available the moment you unlock the confidant, rather than having to wait until you've ranked them up.

So yes, maxing them is useful.

Thanks alot for the answer mate! if you dont mind another question... How likely is it to be able to max my favourite 7-8 confidants without a guide?

As Frey mentioned, it's not that difficult, especially with all the extra time you get in Third Semester.

[archonsod]

Originally posted by Eishern:

Oh, one other thing. Is fortune telling really useful?

The affinity reading basically acts as a free bonding session with the confidant you choose, so in your case it'd be incredibly useful.

[Rhapsody]

If you're going to want to max all confidants blind, I'd also recommend trying to find that Fortune arcana confidant and maxing it out as soon as is feasible. :p

This time around there doesn't seem to be any achievement for that though. I would have settled for just fulfilling the Mementons request for each confidant but failed one of them. :(

[Eishern]

Thanks for all the input guys :))