First playthrough

[Hurball]

If I play through this game without using any guides or walkthroughs for the first playthrough (so it's actually fun as opposed to following a guide all the time), will this mean I have to do another 3 playthroughs to get all the achievements?

Eg I complete the game on normal. Would I then need to do another normal difficulty playthrough to get items I missed? Or would the next two playthroughs on hard and insane difficulty enable me to (relatively) straightforwardly gain every achievement?

Slightly related: when starting a second playthrough is it completely independent from the first playthrough, or does it carry on item lists, levels etc from it?

[gildedtalon]

If I play through this game without using any guides or walkthroughs for the first playthrough (so it's actually fun as opposed to following a guide all the time), will this mean I have to do another 3 playthroughs to get all the achievements?

Yes, why so many playthroughs you ask? There are two achievements for EQ, beating the EQ on hard and EQ on infinity. So the first time you play it on normal mode, no need to go through the Seraphic Gate coz there is no achievement whatsoever for beating EQ on normal mode.
The reason why you need to do a fourth playthrough and you must do it on normal mode coz Seraphic Gate is not accessible on easy mode and you need it to get compulsive and lots of other achievements. That's why there's completely no reason why anyone would ever want to play easy mode

I know some idiots recommend to get compulsive on infinity. DON'T DO IT, they are the most hardcore of nerds who get tortured in a daily basis who can never seem to break out of the eternal cycle of suffering. Why? The increased stats and life of enemies(everything is multiplied by 1.8 for infinity including life), believe me it's hell on the Seraphic Gate on infinity even if you manage to reach lvl 255. It makes all the process for getting item drops from enemies that much longer coz they are more resistant to our attacks and one mistake you'll be sent to game over screen crying for months coz you just lost like 5 hours of progress. Don't do it unless you want to torture yourself repeatedly coz you have been harrassed all your life and it doesn't seem like it's gonna stop anytime soon

Or would the next two playthroughs on hard and insane difficulty enable me to (relatively) straightforwardly gain every achievement?

Nope, playing on hard and infinity is only for the two Ethereal Queen achievements. No other reason, leave immediately as soon as you beat her, it's a waste of time to continue playing on that mode. Just overwrite the two saves as soon as you get the two achievements, you're never gonna have to use it again

Slightly related: when starting a second playthrough is it completely independent from the first playthrough, or does it carry on item lists, levels etc from it?

Yes, exactly as you think, completely independent, nothing carries over. Every single time you have to craft items for FOL gathering again

Sorry if I sound too harsh, but what I speak is the truth, son and it's better that you know it now. You must know what type of hell you're going through

[Hurball]

Thanks for the well written response - if I do end up getting this I'll either follow a spoiler-free guide or just playthrough normally and do 4 playthroughs in total.

The 360 needs more JRPGs though - there's only really this and The Last Remnant that seem worthwhile (that I haven't played) and they were released years ago...

[gildedtalon]

Try Star Ocean: The Last Hope(it is also created by Tri-Ace like this game), Tales of Vesperia, also The Last Remnant is a much better and easier game if you play it on PC, the xbox version seems unfinished in my opinion