Depends on how much you're looking for; Persona 3 and 4 play rather differently from 1 and 2, and are somewhat disconnected thematically from their predecessors as well (apart from a few shout-outs and Igor). If you're looking to play through the series in part as a whole, either 1 or 3 are probably good starting points; 2 and 4 introduce quite a few gameplay improvements that make going backwards afterwards somewhat difficult. Otherwise, if you're looking at just playing through one game for starters, probably 4, being the most recent and most polished, is your best option. All of the games, with the notable exception of the two games that together comprise Persona 2 (Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment), are completely disconnected plot-wise except for a handful of shout-outs, so there's no particular penalty to playing out of order. Thematically, I'd say this game is far closer to Persona 3/4 rather than 1/2 as well from the setting, though we're only just starting out; Philemon and Nyar-nyar may make an appearance later on.
At any rate, to describe them further in case it helps, Persona 1 and 2 tend to play more as conventional PS1-era RPGs. Every person in the party has the "Wild Card" power alluded to earlier in this thread, which essentially means that they can swap out different Personae at will, though they have particular affinities with different arcana that make certain personae more effective - equipping and utilizing more powerful personae is how characters improve in battle prowess. In addition to fusion, his game also includes the recruitment system of most SMT games through selecting a person and an action to interact with a demon - by gaining a demon's contact card through sparking their interest in you, you could create a persona equivalent in the Velvet Room. As far as control outside of the battlefield, it's fairly closer to the traditional RPG or other SMT games (caveats like first-person/third-person aside), particularly when compared to the next two games in the series.
Compared to the first two games, Persona 3 and 4 introduce some features of time management, particularly balancing school life with saving the day by exploring a labyrinth over the course of the school year. Instead of focusing solely on a straightforward plot (or as straightforward as SMT ever gets), you decide your actions over the course of the day (typically morning/afternoon/evening during free days and afternoon/evening for school days, barring plot events), which can range from improving your own personal skills to hanging out with friends to, naturally, saving the day. Unlike the previous Persona games, only the main character has the "Wild Card" power (all other party members being fixed to a single persona reflective of their personality), and also unlike the earlier Persona games but like the SMT main-line series, if he/she goes down in battle, the game ends. Leveling is also more straightforward, and recruitment is also completely removed - instead of communicating with shadows (which are now unique enemies who cannot be fused), you gain new personae only through fusion and post-battle shuffles. The biggest change, and the most polarizing for old-school SMT fans, is probably the introduction of Social Links. Effectively, by making friends with other people and deepening your bonds with them through gameplay very similar to visual novels (i.e. read the conversation, pick the right options when prompted), you unlock new strengths inside yourself, improving fusions of persona in the corresponding arcana and eventually unlocking new persona; in Persona 4, S.Links with your party members can also unlock new support abilities and an extra special bonus once maxed out. As implied, a lot of old-school fans tend to deride S.Links as "dating sim" gameplay (and yes, you can date some characters of the opposite gender, since, after all, high school romance), but I, and a lot of other players both new and old, found it quite refreshing.
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Topic: Persona: OOC(looking for players)(Current on break) (Read 4751 times)