Jump to content

Let's Play Tactic's Ogre LUCT: War Of The Chicken Man


epilepsyduck
 Share

Route Split  

15 members have voted

  1. 1. Lawful Route or Chaotic Route? (Chapter 2 route split)

  2. 2. Chaotic Route or Neutral Route? (Chapter 3 route split)

    • Chaotic Route
    • Neutral Route


Recommended Posts

2 votes + me cheating doesn't seem super conclusive, so I'm gonna give it a little more time. Still, it's looking likely that we'll be doing the Chaotic route!

This is definitely not a transparent attempt to bump the topic

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Replies 128
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Sorry for the delay! Today we're gonna reject Leonard's generous offer to keep working for Earl Incorrectcourse and see one of our dearest(?) friends take up his somewhat funky role in the story.

Chapter 1 Conclusion: Vice's Vices

Spoiler

sxrIXH9.png?1

All four people reading this thread have spoken, and we're gonna tell Leonard he can keep his war crimes to himself.

 

5NaGgMk.png?1

Quote

Denim: achieve peace by murdering innocent people!?

Leonard: You are still young... I envy your pure soul... If you can't stain your hands to achieve that ideal, you have no business being involved in this war!

 

GbyImvk.png?1

Leonard tries to stab Denim for the crime of not wanting to do war crimes.

 

tSH7aVK.png?1

Our pals are here to our rescue, at least!

 

iYq3c7O.png?1

Quote

Kachua: Vice? What are you...? No, don't do this to us!

mQCdnkG.png?1

Quote

Kachua: No, don't do this to us!

Sm7m9xw.png?1

There's no way our totally reasonable pal Vice would ever betray us and commit such horrific acts, right?

 

PCaK9t3.png?1

Vice, buddy, you don't look so good all of a sudden.

Quote

Vice: will to fight for their freedom are... already dead. No matter how many we kill, it doesn't matter. Those people should be happy to die for Walsta.

Kachua: Are you serious? What has happened to you, Vice!?

So, it seems like Vice has gone full bloodthirsty, and is willing to murder his dear friends. It's honestly not that far of a swerve from his initial characterization, but still, it's a little extreme for something that happens so suddenly.

But how would things go if we'd gone along with the massacre?

 

DtzUVwi.png?1

Going along with Leonard's plan makes Vyce stand against you, taking on a far nobler characterization than before and even a more heroic looking portrait. Vyce's whole thing is always taking the side Denim didn't at this point, and it results in a pretty radically different character. To be honest, this isn't super well executed, especially not in the SNES/PSX version, where Vice's characterization pre-Baramus leans a lot farther towards his "evil" version than his "good" one. The PSP version gives Vice a more reasonable personality that can more believably go either way, and makes the differences between the two versions a little less extreme, but the change is still a little much. I feel like maybe having him always take one role and having a different character always take the other would've made a little more sense

The PSP version does actually add another character to Denim's crew early on that could've taken that role if they wanted to do some rewriting, but sadly she mostly exists to be anime nerd bait and a bad Agrias clone.

 

B2WsIO7.png?1

Quote

Vice: like a baby. And you, Denim! How did you become the leader in the first place!? You suck as a leader!

Leonard: Vice, leave them here and follow me. We are going to wipe out the town with or without them!

Denim: Wait, Leonard! Vice!

WXxgfil.png?1

Taking the Chaos route doesn't actually prevent the massacre from happening, by the way. Leonard's forces are gonna murder folks regardless, it's just a matter of if you take part or have to beat a hasty retreat.

 

wuP9xm1.png?1

Anyone who was in the last battle is still a little low on HP, but we get the edit screen to sort everyone's inventory out before the battle starts.

 

1UIwrVY.png?1

This is our crew. The next battle's a bit tough, so having two healers and not having to deal with Kachua's dipshit AI is gonna be a big help.

 

Nhx9H4p.png?1

The forces here are a bit stronger than anything else we've faced, so they're a bit more of a match for our team, and we have to deal with all of them. Fortunately, all of them drop useful items that they're guaranteed to drop instead of cards, so it's a pretty rewarding fight. The same items are found in the Lawful version of this fight, too, so don't worry about missing out here.

 

rMmBmlc.png?1qu9ckny.png?1

These guys start with a height advantage, so it's important to get some folks up there ASAP. The others are just gonna have to deal with being fired at from above for a couple turns.

 

icUCICu.png?178yLcvt.png?1

Though in hindsight, maybe putting them up there just makes them super-big targets.

 

9OP2KJt.png?1

Finally having semi-consistently available AoE spells is honestly a great thing.

 

pYpGVNF.png?1

Point blank archery is a fun way to avoid those pesky counterattacks while minimizing your miss chance. The PSP version ends up adding a dead zone for bows that makes that much less possible.

 

xeyNAjG.png?1

That's one boy down.

 

uMS5EUD.png?10uYygx7.png?1

Make that two boys.

 

pnxYK2X.png?13XN1ePa.png?1

One of these Knights was carrying a Heavy hammer. Hammers are basically like axes, but there aren't any human classes that specialize in using them so they're a little less helpful. Still, the basic one here is a bit stronger than the basic axe.

 

YQuYPNN.png?1

Canopus has taken a real beating, but he's still got some leaves to eat.

 

m7R8dT0.png?1

This Witch has a spell that may or may not be available in Chapter 2, so I'm gonna try to spare her to steal it from her.

It is and I wasted my time with this

 

0JaAkwK.png?1

These Archers have really good bows, so they do some nasty damage.

 

N4mUdKN.png?1

Sometimes having two healers around is worth it.

 

YnPJ4Ee.png?1

Filo uses Ion Shot, one of the few attack spells with a miss chance. It functions like a projectile weapon, and can get blocked by terrain like one too.

 

axrdWsY.png?1

Thankfully, no such problem occurs.

 

0slXKYB.png?1

Let's get us one of these nice bows for ourselves.

 

5Y7Bc7l.png?1vLbCk61.png?1

Our ghost pal Andy draws a lot of ire out there, but does a bizarrely good job defending himself.

 

4Cjsl46.png?1P7IGfC0.png?1

We murder some more friends.

 

8FyruEs.png?1wkgxP2c.png?1

We also pick up one of the two Great bows we get here. These things are a pretty good upgrade over the Short bows, but they take two hands to wield. Indeed, the Short bow is the only one handed bow in the game; after a certain point, any bow user you've got is gonna have to sacrifice their melee abilities altogether. This isn't as bad as it sounds, since anyone with a bow is usually not gonna be all that close to the main action anyway, but it's something to keep in mind.

 

7SOk0E5.png?1

We've put this girl to sleep, but her Witch buddy has a little something for that issue.

 

HYihyAk.png?1TX6Y1VP.png?1

She uses her staff and casts a spell to fix her friend. We'll get to how she did that in a bit.

 

aVV7BJc.png?1

Her buddy uses her newfound consciousness to make things very bad for our bird friend.

 

uKhjHch.png?1

Having multiple healers on the scene has proven a very worthwhile strategy.

 

zHTu1En.png?1hk96IHa.png?1

The Wizard we killed earlier dropped this staff, the Life staff, and it's one of the first weapons we get that as a function for "using" it. You just use it the way you would a consumable item and it causes some sort of magical effect to happen; in the Life staff's case, it casts a healing spell that heals 50 HP, guaranteed. We're gonna see more and more weapons with these kinds of effects later in the game, and most of them are going to be staff weapons. It also give nice boosts to INT and MEN to make it even more appealing.

 

rx95aZB.png?1

Enough yammering, though, let's get another nice bow.

 

ZWaRXrg.png?1k0R9qgS.png?1

The usual beating someone up to convince them to join you.

 

Qj54DJ2.png?1aVn4xdo.png?1

Done and done!

 

w0zW8O4.png?1PMx2c18.png?1

The last few treasures we grab are things we've already seen. The Witch obviously comes with all her stuff still in hand.

 

cWVLBXw.png?1FpclR12.png?1

Then Vice threatens us from offscreen.

 

7hdyTVj.png?148aEIqG.png?1

Golly gee, doesn't this look familiar. I'm thinking the Walsta Liberation Army might be hypocrites or something.

 

X05rK6V.png?1BiPVJ3Y.png?1

TFW you try to have a deep-sounding line and the translation makes it sound kinda stilted and weird.

 

3VDWBAc.png?1

That's the end of Chapter 1. If you think that means we're 1/4 of the way through, think again; Chapters 1 and 2 are both a bit shorter than Chapter 3, and are significantly shorter than Chapter 4, so it's more like we're like 1/6 of the way through if anything. Still, I hope you've dug everything so far and are ready for Chapter 2, where we have to deal with the consequences of a war crime we didn't commit bc y'all just don't have the stomach for this war stuff.

 

Edited by epilepsyduck
Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, epilepsyduck said:

DtzUVwi.png?1

Going along with Leonard's plan makes Vyce stand against you, taking on a far nobler characterization than before and even a more heroic looking portrait. Vyce's whole thing is always taking the side Denim didn't at this point, and it results in a pretty radically different character. To be honest, this isn't super well executed, especially not in the SNES/PSX version, where Vice's characterization pre-Baramus leans a lot farther towards his "evil" version than his "good" one. The PSP version gives Vice a more reasonable personality that can more believably go either way, and makes the differences between the two versions a little less extreme, but the change is still a little much. I feel like maybe having him always take one role and having a different character always take the other would've made a little more sense

The PSP version does actually add another character to Denim's crew early on that could've taken that role if they wanted to do some rewriting, but sadly she mostly exists to be anime nerd bait and a bad Agrias clone.

"Are you serious? Now I have to be the good guy! You know how hard that is?"

Yeah it doesn't quite work for him to go against Leonard in the Law route.

Also, that girl sounds disappointing.

27 minutes ago, epilepsyduck said:

That's the end of Chapter 1. If you think that means we're 1/4 of the way through, think again; Chapters 1 and 2 are both a bit shorter than Chapter 3, and are significantly shorter than Chapter 4, so it's more like we're like 1/6 of the way through if anything. Still, I hope you've dug everything so far and are ready for Chapter 2, where we have to deal with the consequences of a war crime we didn't commit bc y'all just don't have the stomach for this war stuff.

Says the person who initially voted for me in the poll to get the Chaos route. :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chapter 2's gonna see the stakes rise both in the story and the gameplay, but fortunately we get to meet the best character in all of this, even though she's christened the worst possible name.

Chapter 2 Ashton: A Farewell To Knights

Spoiler

nFJO1jD.png?1

Chapter 2 opens up with a shot of this ugly guy we read all about in the Warren Report.

 

VNX1ffB.png?1

This bit appears to be broken in this patch, actually? I'll just text dump what it's supposed to be saying:

Quote

Three weeks have passed since the Baramus Massacre... The tragic incident caused the Walstanians to unite and urge anti-Barbatos groups in the Gargastan Kingdom to revolt. The Gargastan government is divided into two factions: the Anti-Barbatos and the Pro-Barbatos. Barbatos tried to eliminate those that were opposing him, but the Walsta Liberation Army led by Duke Ronway liberated a city close to the capital. The Cardinal then had to fight to retake Coritani Castle. Since the Gargastan government was in disarray, the number of people enlisting in the Walsta Liberation Army tripled. It was only a matter of time before Coritani Castle surrendered. Meanwhile, Duke Ronway plotted to make Denim responsible for the massacre. Now Denim has a bounty on his head. The Walsta Liberation Army and a lot of bounty hunters are after Denim. He is hiding in the port town of Ashton...

 

xd0Fep9.png?1

Sounds like the title of a romance novel.

 

0uUcSXW.png?1

This town's looking gloomy. Appropriate, given the events we've dealt with.

 

naDcbWD.png?1

Denim's got a knack for hanging out in the dumpiest looking hideouts.

 

HqBDGb6.png?1

Quote

Kachua: There was nothing you could have done.

Denim: I just...couldn't do it. I couldn't protect them...

Kachua: ...Denim, let's leave the island.

Denim: Don't say that, Kachua. You know I can't do that, not until I avenge father's death. I just can't run away now. I can't let the people who died in Baramus die in vain, I have to finish this.

Bi1nwYw.png?1

If Canopus is still alive, he appears in this scene. Kachua takes some of his lines if he died, but the conversation plays out a little differently.

 

NewMKfl.png?1

Quote

Canopus: ...Are you kids fighting again? Here, take a look at this.

MJSUAiR.png?1

Quote

Canopus: heads again! It's up to 30,000 Goth now! Ronway must be desperate!

Kachua: That bastard... He's making it look like we're the criminals.

IpKijoh.png?1

Quote

Canopus: good or bad. People can be criminals and victims at the same time. We can also say that the winners of the war are the good guys and the losers are the bad guys.

48b.jpg

 

6XnDOrU.png?1

Quote

Denim: the criminal and the loser, since I couldn't save them.

Canopus: Right. Therefore, you have no choice but to win. Don't brood over your failures anymore.

jauqjUi.png?1

I don't know how this works as a response to what Denim and Canopus were saying.

Quote

Canopus: The Liberation Army went over the Barnam mountains and are gathered somewhere in the Swanzi Forest.

Denim: Finally, they've mobilized the attack on the Gargastan Army. And now Gargastan doesn't have enough power.

Canopus: Yup. Barbatos is down for the count now... The Walstanians have all but won.

Kachua: And we will remain criminals...

Canopus: That is why we have to go. We have to deal with our situation first. According to the information I received, Lans is on Tanmas Hill, which is located in back of the Swanzi Forest. If most of the Liberation Army is concentrated in the forest, then this is the perfect time to break through...

Kachua: Then we can talk to Lans! I know that he will help us!

jY9U6g8.png?1

Quote

Denim: in just sitting around here. Let's move!

 

Ll2SLkm.png?1

Back to the world map. Most of the locations from Chapter 1 are gone, and the ones that remain have new battles waiting for us.

 

COkS0yU.png?11ZqNdeB.png?1

The shops are now selling a new suite of weapons. No longer are we limited mostly to crappy Short swords!

 

d3nvOBl.png?1Qx6FEpV.png?1NEk4TEc.png?1zIdAP4a.png?1k2qfL66.png?19yJepnj.png?1

The shops also have new spells for every element we've got so far. The most interesting new things here are Charm (possesses enemies and makes them fight for you), Thunder (a Wind-element attack spell that's more reliable than Ion Shot), and Clear (cures poison). Light Bow is a kinda crappy attack spell that only Exorcists and a handful of other classes can use. The Hahnela/Zoshonel/Bartha/Gurza spells are spells that increase the power of one element in a battle at the expense of the opposite one, and generally aren't worth using unless your entire team is the appropriate element.

 

t081Io3.png?1

We also get a chance to pick up a new kind of ally!

 

dLEqoBl.png?1

So, let's talk Fairies. Fairies have been in every Ogre series game, and they've rarely been of much use. They're support-oriented units with pitiful offensive potential but a handful of surprisingly useful abilities that almost- almost -make up for it. Here they can eventually learn to heal status effects, shoot holy bolts at people, and give allies another turn, but all of these come at the cost of damaging the Fairy, and Fairies do not have a lot of HP to play around with. Their ability to fly and wear equipment makes them halfway-acceptable archers, but weighing them down too much utterly demolishes their evasion and WT, both of which they desperately need to stay alive and contribute. The PSP version makes them better by letting them change classes and learn magic, but here they really don't impress much at all. I'll still try to make use of one, just to show off its abilities if nothing else.

 

8IY2epH.png?1

The Witch we picked up has fulfilled her purpose, so let's take that nice status-restoring staff off her hands along with everything else.

 

CCAseUK.png?1

You were. Bye!

 

U3p2nfj.png?1

Already, first stop is Zodo Mar-

 

F1MlWiL.png?1

Oh?

 

HRfj5uZ.png?1

Here's the team. The next battle's a bit of a doozy, so we need our best kids on the job.

 

LFQejjA.png?1

Here comes the best girl, with inarguably the worst spelling of her name!

Quote

Aloser: looking for you. You will die!!

xJOJ8dT.png?1xhDoSJR.png?1

Quote

Denim:  to lose my head yet. Sorry...

Aloser: I'm not a bounty hunter. I'm paying you back for what you did in Baramus!

Denim: A survivor of Baramus! Hold on, and listen to my story!

WVG1EpF.png?1

I guess she doesn't wanna listen.

Quote

Aloser: I will avenge the death of my brother!

IqyckuL.png?1bnuRDuo.png?1

This objective ends up being a little deceptive. You'll see why eventually.

 

j7PlDgB.png?1DyelYOF.png?1

One of the toughest parts of this fight is that Arycelle and co. are very, very fast, so they usually get to go first.

 

gvYxKwe.png?1Us1IWx2.png?1

They proceed to make things a lot harder for me. Even the AI knows Hawkmen are better off as archers instead of axe-wielders, it seems.

 

WNqGmn1.png?1

Bet they weren't expecting this, though.

 

3ROY4Gw.png?1huHYELv.png?1

We just generally give him a hard time.

 

znkvBZl.png?1

One down before he even got a second turn. These two birbs are top priority, trust me.

 

C5JOUlf.png?1

Quote

Denim: of Baramus! I was there, but I tried to stop the massacre!

Aloser: Do I look that stupid to you!? Why did you betray Walsta!?

Whenever Denim or Aloser have a turn, they'll have a bit of dialogue together.

 

M8JwnMg.png?1

Anyway, let's get another pesky bow user out of the way.

 

ZfYnW91.png?14FZjLgW.png?1

Kachua is so insanely underleveled that a single healing spell immediately levels her up. It's her fault for not coming into training with me!

 

wWUjOjs.png?1

Quote

Aloser: working in the mines. He couldn't even walk. And yet you guys...

arjsHSE.png?1

Aloser does a lot of damage for this point in the game. Denim's armor keeps him relatively safe, but she can do over 90 damage to some of my mages! You have to be very careful in this fight to avoid casualties.

 

ObmZ4rF.png?1MHjMjiH.png?1

The Witch's only spell is Poison, and she has a terrible hit chance with it.

 

FPrR4jA.png?1

Just about the only melee combatant Aloser brought with her is this Knight with a spear. He's mostly a threat in terms of picking off units the archers have softened up.

 

xXLZlFA.png?1

This Cleric here has a useful spell that we won't get another shot at for quite a while, so I need to kill her ASAP.

 

BDekrZB.png?1pVFOv6L.png?1

While the boss is still very dangerous, once you pick off most of her allies the fight becomes a lot more manageable.

 

BNse0J2.png?1

Quote

Denim: the order to kill everybody in Baramus. It was not the Gargastans!

Aloser: Now you are blaming our great leader! How dare you!

sVQ3Myc.png?1

Quote

Kachua: listen. We will have to fight.

Correction, we have to fight, while you just stand in the back grinding EXP off everyone's wounds, ya coward.

 

EqVltD1.png?1

Glen shows us why someone trained as a Knight isn't quite the reliable tank you'd expect.

 

CEQr9XY.png?1yzfdVZa.png?1

I try picking off the Cleric from afar, but she frustratingly demonstrates actual self-preservation and heals herself instead of her allies.

 

2CK5xJ2.png?1

There, no more running away.

 

uvp10h6.png?1

Kachua's really rolling in the levels today.

 

ANMZxsP.png?1

Things just aren't going Glen's way today.

 

MhVnlBr.png?1

They're not going his way at all.

 

QXPW6zW.png?1fF4AT6E.png?1

I could've reset this, but I didn't feel like it. He's just a generic after all, he's literally infinitely replaceable.

 

Rm1BfoM.png?1

Gimme that sweet spell.

 

n97Pasu.png?1J4kUlVY.png?1

Vitalize is a spell that cures status ailments. We'll eventually be able to buy it, but for now this is the only copy we get, and it'll probably come in handy soon.

 

MaGDGCP.png?1BVLBUIV.png?1

Anyway, let's bully a loser. Instead of having to kill her, the fight actually ends if you get her to low enough HP, around the 25HP range or so.

 

og78eD3.png?1bAeZm7d.png?1

Quote

Aloser: Go ahead, kill me! Kill me like you did to the rest!

Denim: At this point, I can do whatever I want with you. But, I won't take your life.

Aloser: Wh-What do you mean? It's no use to take me prisoner.

Denim: No... I want to prove to you that I'm innocent. I want you to see me with your own eyes and listen to me with your own ears. You must know the truth. After that, if you still think I'm the enemy, then I'll let you take my life.

Aloser: You can't deceive me... Do whatever you want.

Denim: ...Very well.

 

 

qSQVavj.png?1

Honestly, beating this with just one death is an improvement over my first go at it this run.

 

K4rFysC.png?1CHHUo2P.png?1

We get basically nothing else for rewards. I guess Aloser's company is reward enough.

 

n77ct8E.png?1

Next time, we go to Zodo Marsh, for real this time.

 

Edited by epilepsyduck
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We've got a few plot-lite battles today, so let's get on with it and meet what will soon become a reoccurring thorn in our side for the rest of the route.

Chapter 2 Zodo Marsh-Bordo Lakeside: "I wonder what kind of brain you have!"

Spoiler

lUQJZVJ.png?1

We've captured a not-so-friendly Archer and now we're ready to head to Zodo Marsh without interruptions.

 

WeHQhjP.png?1ltZgfpf.png?1

I did do a little offscreen training and ended up swapping a bunch of people's classes around. If only the Phlanka wasn't the only one-handed axe...

 

aKU712e.png?1iW0xqYc.png?1

Some of our non-human allies have learned special new abilities as a result of hitting level 10. Canopus and the Gryphon both now have Wind Shot, which sends out a bolt of wind-based magic similar to Ion Shot, but costs HP instead of MP to cast and so can be used from turn 1. While Canopus can get similar results with his bow, for the Gryphon this is huge as it does far more damage than his melee attacks.

 

rzhbvey.png?1

The Fairy has learned her first support ability, Cute Kiss. It heals a tiny amount of HP, but also cures status effects and unlike her other special abilities it costs no HP to cast. It's not so important since we have Vitalize, but it can come in handy in a pinch.

 

eZkX3rP.png?1

Enough chitchat, we've got combat to do.

 

asZz0CN.png?1

The next fight takes place in a swamp, as you might expect from the name, so Ninjas, fliers and long-range attackers are gonna be a big help.

 

XWNkxMD.png?1NRToS0Q.png?1

This guy doesn't care about us, he's just excited about some buried treasure he just found!

 

58MBudI.png?1

Quote

Kachua: a bounty hunter. He's kind of flabby around the mid-section...

Geez, Kachua, that's kinda rude, isn't it?

 

86iQpwz.png?1

Quote

Zapan: were you, I would watch that tongue of yours! But don't worry, I won't hurt you. I will spare your life, sweetheart. I will take "good" care of you.

D:

 

Y0OryR2.png?1

Y'know what, Kachua? Be as rude to him as you want.

 

yvurDx8.png?1aHY8YGc.png?1

And to think, this guy's recruitable on the Lawful route. So that's another bullet dodged by going Chaotic!

 

F7AGFzy.png?1FrBz52f.png?1

Much like Arycelle, you don't actually need to kill him, just bring his HP past a certain point.

 

32jcOrs.png?1

This battle isn't too hard, but the terrain here sucks, to be frank. Not only is it hard for a lot of units to get around, but every element except Water faces stat penalties on a lot of it, and the rain (which strengthens Water/Wind at the expense of Earth/Fire) just makes it worse. The game thankfully doesn't have a ton of swamp battles, but the ones it does have are universally obnoxious.

 

CBvNx64.png?1

Our opening volley is less than successful.

 

OVtz4Qw.png?1

Special abilities get stuffed into their own special menu, separate from spells.

 

2koMVES.png?1fBkU2iC.png?1

Wind Shot does appreciable damage from Canopus, but is notably stronger for the Gryphon we have. I think it keys off of Strength instead of Intelligence, but don't quote me on that.

 

WR4SZRK.png?1

The HP loss you suffer depends on your level, so it actually becomes more expensive to use the higher level you are, though higher level units have more HP in the first place.

 

sZ7GOTe.png?1

This Dragon's Sleep-inducing breath can really fuck up my whole day, so I wanna get him off my back first.

 

zkOUlC0.png?1

And what better way to do that than making him a friend? Don't ask how Denim can talk to dragons.

 

mdS9j6Z.png?1gmrjwLX.png?1

Here's the Ion Shot spell, just to compare it to Wind Shot. It's honestly kinda bad, especially since anyone who can use it can use better spells anyway.

 

xNgFJBg.png?1

The AI's hatred of cute little ghosts knows no end.

 

gvft0tt.png?1hG8ojUW.png?1

While Wind/Thunder's breath weapon and its Stun effect is inarguably the most useful, Water's Sleep effect is almost as good.

 

qHrdeLX.png?1

This is the kind of damage our Gryphon pal is getting with Wind Shot. He's gone from mediocre item caddy to actually competitive long-range attacker.

 

ZANauaB.png?1TCktlNA.png?1

The dragon's really the biggest headache here. We should be fine now that it's out of our hair.

 

3tgCLah.png?1ku6iqQe.png?1

I gave Kachua one of the Light Bow spells I bought. She's so underleveled that it does pathetic, damage, but even if she wasn't it's kind of a terrible spell. Don't bother with attack spells that have miss chances, folks.

 

dLygLxK.png?15df6TCx.png?1

While Zapan employs a number of units that can get around in the swamp easily, he himself is only just getting here as we eviscerate his troops.

 

bLF1b6D.png?1

Most of these people just drop small chunks of money, so it's not super worth it to go out of your way to kill them.

 

KLrSnFz.png?1

Anyway, let's get out of here. Just gotta bully a creepy old man.

 

ADG7aCP.png?1

Quote

Zapan: you. How stupid of me! I shall retreat for now.

jbzRWBV.png?1

Unfortunately, we'll be dealing with this dude again.

 

88FXv5D.png?1bY6d2KV.png?1

That's fine, I guess.

 

zEFTOq0.png?1

That didn't take too long, so we got time for another fight!

 

HQyPVlz.png?1

While there's more traversable terrain in this fight, a lot of fliers will still be useful here. The Knight ended up not doing anything at all this fight.

 

YroUgp7.png?1

Quote

Genzo: Liberation Army? Damn it, there's no place to run away... Wait a second. You look familiar... I saw you on a reward poster in Walsta. So you're the kid who wiped out Baramus! You sneaky little cretin! You blamed us for your own evil deeds! I will send you to Hell!

It seems like even the folks we'd been fighting against this whole time were shocked by this Baramus Massacre deal.

 

FevD1Xg.png?1v20hp63.png?1

You don't seem like such a bad guy, Genzo, but you're in my way so I gotta deal with you.

 

5V5nKZ8.png?1

This battlefield's not so immediately impassable as the last, but there's still a lot of water and marsh and stuff.

 

Fc649CR.png?1

Before we get into the meat of the fight, let's look at a few interesting points.

 

iMgC7za.png?1

This Archer is wielding the game's first Crossbow. Nobody actually specializes in using these and they have somewhat limited range, so they're not as useful to Archers as regular bows, but they can be decent for Knights and Valkyries and the like who want ranged attacks, as they're one-handed and do more damage than the Short bow, the only one-handed bow. We won't be able to buy any for quite some time, so here's our first opportunity to get one.

 

Cq6WZhS.png?192M70Ve.png?1

We also have a new kind of monster, the squishy Octopus. These things manage to make Golems look useful; they're so insanely slow and fragile that getting any real use out of one is a nightmare, and while their Eddy special ability can do some impressive damage it can only be used while the unit is in the water. They also don't benefit from Beast Tamers the way the Gryphon does, just to further rub salt in the wound.

 

5ELP2KL.png?1

We're not gonna fuss over the sea monster. We'll just deal with his pals first.

 

aXRl9kW.png?1

Archery is every bit as dangerous against us as it is in our hands, so dealing with bow-using birbs is top priority.

 

5dQmUrV.png?1

Here's that Charm spell we picked up a while back, charming the octopus. I was really hoping to get the archer, but we just can't have anything these days.

 

lyZebbL.png?1

Unlike Arycelle and her buddies, Genzo is no match for Denim's forces. Denim only gained like two levels between these battles!

 

lIlUnsT.png?1

Every status effect has a unique message for recovering from it. In Charm's case, it's just the word "Sanity", like we're playing one of those Lovecraft games or something.

 

wRPhoLl.png?1

Despite seemingly high stats, the Octopus units all take a lot of damage from basically any attack. It's just one of many reasons they're not worth it.

 

W6rIlQh.png?1XvdkpHg.png?1

I'm just gonna brush past a lot of the fighting and get to use getting a free Crossbow attached to some useless dumbass.

 

wa25ro8.png?1kUV38nC.png?1

Goodbye, Genzo!

 

AkrcHGT.png?11oyMeCt.png?1

Not the best death quote. Certainly has nothing on "Can't believe I lost to a chicken man".

 

bgXwTPS.png?1JhMxdfT.png?1

More cash.

 

1hsip6h.png?1

This translation may be garbled and weird, but it provides a lot of very amusing dialogue, even if unintentionally so.

 

N6d9Pu2.png?1

We'll have a more plot-relevant fight to deal with next time.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

Y0OryR2.png?1

Y'know what, Kachua? Be as rude to him as you want.

>Says he'd treat her well

>Puts out a force including a dragon against her.

Yeah, completely on board with the rudeness. Not even going to think on the other thing he was implying.

3 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

jbzRWBV.png?1

Unfortunately, we'll be dealing with this dude again.

And here I hoped FFT's worst tropes wouldn't be regular.

I hope this is the only time a villain just nopes out.

It won't be will it?

3 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

lIlUnsT.png?1

Every status effect has a unique message for recovering from it. In Charm's case, it's just the word "Sanity", like we're playing one of those Lovecraft games or something.

I mean, there's tentacles right here, are we sure this isn't a Call of Chtullu game?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

theres this guy i follow on youtube and twitch who does tactic's ogre challenge runs and one of them was just using fairies. i love them. they are perfect.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been a little under the weather, so it'll be a couple more days before I have anything to show. Sorry about that!

On 5/15/2019 at 1:20 PM, Dayni said:

And here I hoped FFT's worst tropes wouldn't be regular.

I hope this is the only time a villain just nopes out.

It won't be will it?

It's not even the last time this villain pulls this shit.

On 5/17/2019 at 10:15 AM, Laura said:

theres this guy i follow on youtube and twitch who does tactic's ogre challenge runs and one of them was just using fairies. i love them. they are perfect.

I'm a bit hard on Ogre series Fairies but they're certainly cute little folks. Who needs efficiency anyway?

You wouldn't mind sharing that channel, would you? I'd actually like to see something like that.

Edited by epilepsyduck
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks! It's nice to find more folks doing TO-related content.

We're gonna be chatting with an old friend and seeing how the war crimes life's been treating him, while learning of a relationship that hadn't ever been hinted at before.

Chapter 2 Tanmas Hill: Beloved Lans

Spoiler

pAQSEKV.png?1

Not much left to do in this shitty old swamp, let's get to some less soggy terrain!

 

8DGCJ3m.png?1

Here's the squad.

 

vBVj7dm.png?1

In addition to the usual suspects for cutscenes, our newest captive/friend has decided to join us as well.

 

GxPbR4k.png?1

Quote

Denim: I wonder why they went to Swanzi Forest?

ZOTMoWX.png?1

Our kids continue deeper into the map, seemingly undisturbed by how fishy this is starting to look.

 

wlCiFoN.png?1

Who could it possibly be with such a unique sprite we've never seen before?

 

9ujQlVt.png?1

Quote

Vice: to see you again. I was worried that you got killed by one of those bounty hunters. I'm glad you are still alive.

Well, he sounds friendly, despite his evil-looking expression and apparent sunburn.

 

rOjCZFc.png?1

Quote

Kachua: Where's Lans?

DRyYYDi.png?1

Quote

Aloser: thought you were at the Swanzi Forest!

Vice: Aloser? I thought you were dead. You bitch! You turned your back on us! Can't you tell who's going to win the war?

Aloser: No, you misunderstood. I just...

Denim: Why are you here, Vice? Where's Sir Lans?

q5eopO4.png?1

Quote

Vice: you've been suckered again? I didn't think you would believe the information I leaked. But thanks to your stupidity, it worked well. Your beloved Zenobian is not here. I guess he's getting drunk at the old town of Rime with some woman.

I guess Vice isn't so friendly after all. Not entirely sure the translators understood the connotations of the word "beloved" here.

 

Lxs5DHQ.png?1

Predictably, we've waltzed right into a trap Vice has set for us.

 

Fl30pvW.png?1

Quote

Vice: I'm going to kill you both. You're nothing but a nuisance. Besides, the Duke ordered us to kill all the witnesses of Baramus.

gnyDZDM.png?1

Trust me, Aloser, I felt the same way.

Quote

Vice: That goes for you too, Aloser. I can't let you tell anybody what really happened.

Aloser: You, Vice? Then you were there in Baramus!

fV5ZZdV.png?1

Then the game just drops this on us, I guess. It might've had a little more impact if we'd seen Aloser some time before Chapter 2 started. I forget if the Lawful route even mentions it at all.

Quote

Vice: You didn't know anything about this? You weren't told anything?

Aloser: No... What a disaster! Is it really worth it? Do you really want to win that badly?

Vice: You shouldn't have known this, but it's too late now. You can't live with a guy whose hand is stained with blood. It would be better for you to die here.

oeZmFIe.png?1

I know I said Chapter 1 Vice was closer to this portrayal than his more heroic one in the Lawful route, but to be honest it still kinda feels like a leap for him to be this bloodthirsty, especially here in the original script. Just another reason why splitting him into two characters might've been a bit smarter.

 

V1ORNjR.png?1eWWDGWg.png?1

Vice is yet another boss that will flee after getting below a certain amount of HP. This fight's overall not too tough, but it's got a couple things to stop it from being a cakewalk.

 

4CqBogS.png?1

One of the main ones being Denim, Kachua and Aloser's starting positions; they're some distance away from the rest of the party, and surrounded by foes with ranged attacks. Fortunately, it won't take long to get everyone back together, but this won't be the last time we deal with this problem.

 

YFrCfk8.png?1

The Gryphon is arguably the least threatening foe here, but I made him my first target for reasons unknowable.

 

9ReD1xi.png?1

Quote

Aloser: Even if I have to kill you, Leonard!

I do appreciate that Aloser doesn't fret in the slightest about killing her former lover once she learns what a bastard he is. Girl's got standards

 

fIrANq3.png?1

Unlike a lot of fights involving guests, we don't really have to worry too much about Aloser's safety, and can benefit from the extra damage she'll be dealing.

 

a3wXE1X.png?1

Quote

Denim: Why do we have to fight like this!?

804sLSO.png?1

Quote

Vice: You disobeyed an order. You're a traitor!

Denim: Who in the world would allow himself to butcher innocent people!?

Vice: I would... I would sacrifice a thousand more lives to create a better future for our people.

KuupXfG.png?1

That Vice, what a card!

 

41BnlJQ.png?1bEEQnhQ.png?1

Dragon breath is annoyingly accurate in terms of dishing out status effects, so taking Dragons out is top priority in my book.

 

D1nRvmX.png?1

Dunno why they put a Dragon next to a Beast Tamer, though. Maybe they didn't want to spoil the class that actually boosts Dragons.

 

utSIAO2.png?1

Kachua is woefully underleveled for this fight, and Vice is eager to capitalize on it.

 

tpDVzWO.png?1xpwU2fp.png?1

The other bow-wielders aren't nearly so intelligent in choosing targets.

 

nmQDJot.png?1

My Berserker gets to testing out the new Crossbow I gave him.

 

kRNA7XI.png?1

It turns out that animals don't like being shot with crossbows.

 

UJdUMA6.png?1

They also don't like having dark magic cast on them. Hope this advice helps you in your lives.

 

e0OLgcV.png?1

This Ninja used to be a Wizard, and it's certainly made him pretty fragile.

 

0vZaiJP.png?1

Unfortunately for that guy(lar), we've got enough firepower to punish him for that.

 

NP1Lv04.png?1

Denim get's a crit, not only doing more damage but also pushing his enemy back a space. Unfortunately, this means he can't perform his second attack.

 

YkYxqef.png?1

I see someone has been doing a little Dexterity training. Can't wait until my own status spells have hit rates above 50%.

 

GofEYaE.png?1

Vice really has it out for Kachua, which I don't mind since she can't die yet anyway. He doesn't even manage to land his second shot.

 

Mt9QkNc.png?1

I try to capitalize on Vice's poor positioning, but he's a speedy little fucker and dodges.

 

G9B3LiA.png?1

It's nice once Gryphons get Wind Shot and can actually start doing damage. It's a shame they have to spend such a long time being useless first.

 

wS85C9G.png?1

There's not much of note in terms of items or potential recruits in this fight, so let's just end things a bit early.

 

9piE0Cs.png?1

Vice must've seen himself in a mirror.

Quote

Vice: We have to retreat. Denim! You can't go back to Ashton! I've already blocked the road! Surrendering will not help you, because I'm going to kill you!

u4VB6Lp.png?1cUgKHzK.png?1

Everyone else winks out of existence, while he uses his Escape Gem that all bosses seem to have nowadays. When do we get something like that?

 

XCW6qth.png?1

Quote

Aloser: run away from us!? Go ahead, try it. I'll follow you to Hell and back. You will pay for what you did in Baramus! Denim, I must apologize... From now on, my life is yours...

We've gotten through to Arycelle. And it only took, like, four people's deaths to get there!

 

T3eMTHH.png?1

Quote

Denim: enemy's reinforcements arrive. Let's head to Krizar.

yBfBeRL.png?1

Another day, another battle.

 

v6TCvLn.png?1D0oVS0m.png?1

The game sure does love making sure you're never wanting for cash.

 

RwpqC0M.png?1

One angry Archer lady, just for us! She's not super different from generic Archers, but unlike Sara and Voltel, her stats are actually a bit higher than would be normal for a generic unit of the same level and class, so she has a bit of an edge over the Archers we raised ourselves. She also gets to keep her unique portrait even if she changes classes, as do most special story characters, though her sprite will change to reflect her new class.

 

XFz7KVh.png?1

Absolutely.

 

NLJ499t.png?1

Ashton and the other locations have been closed off to us, leaving us no way but forward. We'll get to what lies in Krizar later!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

9ujQlVt.png?1

Quote

Vice: to see you again. I was worried that you got killed by one of those bounty hunters. I'm glad you are still alive.

Well, he sounds friendly, despite his evil-looking expression and apparent sunburn.

Oh look, it's the guy who wanted to kill his friends.

Totally happy to see Denim.

8 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

fV5ZZdV.png?1

Then the game just drops this on us, I guess. It might've had a little more impact if we'd seen Aloser some time before Chapter 2 started. I forget if the Lawful route even mentions it at all.

Quote

Vice: You didn't know anything about this? You weren't told anything?

Aloser: No... What a disaster! Is it really worth it? Do you really want to win that badly?

Vice: You shouldn't have known this, but it's too late now. You can't live with a guy whose hand is stained with blood. It would be better for you to die here.

That's a bit of a shame really.

You kind of wish this got hinted at, don't you?

8 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

9ReD1xi.png?1

Quote

Aloser: Even if I have to kill you, Leonard!

I do appreciate that Aloser doesn't fret in the slightest about killing her former lover once she learns what a bastard he is. Girl's got standards

The standard of not wanting your bf to kill your family.

Jeez, for knights they really seem to bad at this chivalry business.

8 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

NP1Lv04.png?1

Denim get's a crit, not only doing more damage but also pushing his enemy back a space. Unfortunately, this means he can't perform his second attack.

It's one of those things that is both neat and annoying honestly. Neat in that it can free up a space for plugging a gap or getting someone in to finish, annoying for situations like this.

Can enemies fall down heights and if the fall high enough do they take damage?

9 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

cUgKHzK.png?1

Everyone else winks out of existence, while he uses his Escape Gem that all bosses seem to have nowadays. When do we get something like that?

I'm not surprised, just disappointed.

8 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

XFz7KVh.png?1

Absolutely.

Why would you recruit a loser? That's all you'll get out of it, a loser!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/23/2019 at 5:15 AM, Dayni said:

Can enemies fall down heights and if the fall high enough do they take damage?

Yes and yes. Doing that is pretty much the best part of using shields to push enemies, really.

On 5/23/2019 at 8:18 PM, Laura said:

the a in lgbta stands for aloser

Absolutely.

 

We're entering what will soon become a very nautical sidequest, but first we've got some dessert to take care of.

Chapter 2 Krizar: Liqueur Ganashe

Spoiler

cfmJiC8.png?1

Not like we've got much choice, but let's get to the next battle.

 

RbMWCgU.png?1

Here's the lineup. The Archer is our newest pal Aloser; I should probably consider switching one of our current Archers to something else now that we've got three of them.

 

71HDkOx.png?1

Seems like it's always raining in this city, doesn't it?

 

bmtQKWg.png?1

Quote

Ganashe: Vice was right. So you're one of Denim's men.

xtVimkf.png?1

I certainly don't recognize this fella from anything before now.

 

09DEsre.png?1

Quote

Ganashe: captive. Too bad.

8nxtuZn.png?1

Quote

Denim: recognize him, Kachua?

Kachua: No, I've never seen him before. You never send anyone on scouting missions.

Apparently they don't, either.

 

ZHoamBG.png?1

Quote

Ganashe: This is where you will die, you traitor!

q7pYzZJ.png?1FmQuQY8.png?1

We've gotta deal with one Knight with a very delicious (if misspelt) name, plus all his other Knight buddies and a lone bookworm.

 

ekeV4qT.png?1N7NwhtN.png?1

These two knights are carrying a new weapon, Slender spears. Unlike the Slim Lance of FE, Slender spears are a fair bit stronger than the usual ones, though also significantly heavier. Regardless, they're quite a substantial upgrade for anyone who's got the regular ol' Spear, and it's worth trying to persuade at least one of these guys to nab the goods.

 

9JBakM7.png?1

Some of the Knights have Crossbows, just in case you wanted another one of those, too. Here's one such Knight making things worse for our resident Ninja.

 

uvLP96q.png?1gvxaaYA.png?1k8lJqp8.png?1fjORdyO.png?1

Two Knights already out of the way. This particular battle isn't among the tougher ones in Chapter 2. Ignore the continuity error.

 

hGTLLcX.png?1BCCpzlv.png?1

With that said, it's important not to be a cocky idiot and put one dude in range of the entire enemy force.

 

Wzcrw7y.png?1LhUkbaq.png?1

Kachua continues down the incredibly slow road of catching up to the rest of the party in levels.

 

Et7D4qv.png?1

Things very nearly ended for our friend Nicole, but the RNG took immense pity on me.

 

gyeVywk.png?1z98z2p3.png?1

This one other Crossbow dude is probably the biggest threat here, so let's deal with him.

 

hiCvFUl.png?1

I had Denim attack the boss, briefly forgetting that I wanted to get those fancy spears first.

 

QAw7nXa.png?1

At least Denim is happy about it.

 

aQ702VN.png?1zHn0vFd.png?1

One of his pals decides to help him out, unwittingly helping me out at the same time. Thanks, buddy!

 

HKHUTeG.png?1

I really do appreciate it.

 

5SWlsQ0.png?1OOguE8p.png?1

Well that was lucky!

 

YCznuhK.png?1

Let's get the nerd out of the way with a nerd of our own.

 

iGEzNCg.png?1

That's one new spear in the bag, now to ge-

 

VFQbGRR.png?1

Oh. Thanks, Andy.

 

kDQmTYr.png?1

Eh, fuck it, one's good enough.

 

14cGtAT.png?1

With 1 HP left, I couldn't resist letting someone punch him to death.

 

viqzxUw.png?1

Aloser levels by punching a man in full plate armor with her bare hands.

 

kATqk4e.png?1sTFQ7l5.png?1

You have a very low threshold for belief.

 

AtWiS7M.png?1

Another fight cleared with little trouble.

 

r6jaACj.png?14vPWNrJ.png?1

Cash and more cash. Kinda hate when enemies drop money, tbh. I've got plenty already.

 

6XANtkr.png?1

For just a minute, but sure!

 

Bs90Hbw.png?1

It feels like we've been in this exact tiny room at least a couple times before.

 

n8mB1mL.png?1

Quote

Knight: A knight of the Valeria Liberation Front.

Kachua: The Valeria Liberation Front? That was the army that Sisteena belonged to...

Forcas: Oh, so it was you who saved Sisteena in the city of Rime. I heard that you're in quite a jam. I never thought that I would meet you here.

This particular conversation plays out very differently depending on whether or not we saved Sisteena back in Rime, but for simplicity's sake I'm just gonna show the version I got here. The alternate version mostly just goes over who the Liberation Front is, since if Sisteena dies we don't get to talk to her about it.

 

f1xaeRG.png?1

Quote

Denim: have time to talk. The Duke's army is after us. We have to meet up with Sir Lans in the city of Rime.

Forcas: How do you plan to get to Rime? With the power you have right now, you couldn't break through the guards at Tanmas. You're too reckless.

Denim: But we can't just sit...

Forcas: I have a suggestion. I want you to help me rescue my comrades who were captured by pirates. When we get our ship back from them, then we can take you to Rime. Not a bad deal, huh?

FjqyLX1.png?1

Quote

Forcas: Well, the way I see it, you don't have any other choice. Am I right?

Denim: He does have a point. It's a bad idea to take the road there. Maybe a ship would be the safest way to go...

Forcas: The pirates are at Fort Kadoriga. There's not that many of them.

Denim: I guess my options are pretty limited at the moment... Okay, I'll help you.

Forcas: Thank you. You won't regret it...

kObZTu5.png?1

Well, seems like that's all settled. Let's take care of some pirates!

 

Z2fdxvp.png?1

Quote

Kachua: he's a member of the Valeria Liberation Front.

Denim: We have no choice but to go by his word, Kachua.

Kachua: He's taking advantage of our situation... I don't like this...

Denim: Don't say that. He's pretty desperate too...

Kachua's suspicious of our new Knight pal, despite sticking up for the Valeria Liberation Front back in Chapter 1.

 

36OhAAR.png?1

Quote

Denim: Did you know that you always complain when things don't go your way? You can be such a baby.

Honestly a very fair read of Kachua, especially SNES/PSX Kachua.

 

TWpVZXS.png?1

I'm sure those ominous ellipsis don't mean anything.

 

49F6nzU.png?1

Once again, we're barred from going backwards. They're really keeping us on the rails in Chapter 2, huh? We'll head out to deal with those pirates next time.

 

Edited by epilepsyduck
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, epilepsyduck said:

viqzxUw.png?1

Aloser levels by punching a man in full plate armor with her bare hands.

Wist, did she do a shoryuken there?

1 hour ago, epilepsyduck said:

36OhAAR.png?1

Quote

Denim: Did you know that you always complain when things don't go your way? You can be such a baby.

Honestly a very fair read of Kachua, especially SNES/PSX Kachua.

Ouch.

I mean, he's not wrong though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

SF randomly decided to delete over half the fucking post and I had to do it all over again asdkjfaskjldfhaiwuogriuhyaiuortyiuar

On 5/30/2019 at 7:28 PM, Dayni said:

Wist, did she do a shoryuken there?

It's just the animation that plays when a unit levels up, but I like your idea better.

 

After meeting an ally of Sisteena and agreeing to help him out, we discover that suicidal idiocy is apparently a requirement for membership in the Valeria Liberation Front, and have to game the system a bit to save yet another new pal from his own incompetence.

Chapter 2 Fort Kadoriga: Chicken Rings

Spoiler

6BmcRJ8.png?1

We'll get to all that combat stuff in just a second, we've got something to deal with here first.

 

mEy2uuB.png?1

It seems like our Witch has been rewarded for persevering with sub-50% hit rates on her spells with a new class!

 

CozJODD.png?1

Sirens are, effectively, Wizards+. They cast all the same spells as the Wizard class, but they have better growths in all the magic-y stats in exchange for marginally lower Agility and HP (two stats Wizards already don't have a lot of). This makes them stronger casters once they're trained up, but a little more vulnerable too. To be honest, they're a little underwhelming for a supposedly "advanced" class, but they're also among the best candidates for promoting to an even stronger class we'll be able to access later, so it balances out. Plus they're just way more fashionable than those old bearded dudes in stuffy robes and pointy hats! Unlike the Witch class, they can only be Lawful or Neutral for some reason, so don't train up Chaotic Witches if you want access to these ladies.

 

Uqe1q0J.png?1

Enough class talk, though, let's help our new Knight friend out.

 

IxO0e4l.png?1

Here's how I've deployed things. This battle practically requires Canopus and a bunch of other speedy ranged attackers for reasons we'll get to in a bit.

 

2pFe6MZ.png?1

Instead of a creepy old necromancer and his dumb skeletons, we've got an allied Wizard utterly surrounded by enemies.

 

IotRslZ.png?1

Quote

Dasa: No matter how many men you bring, you'll never defeat us. We've been raised by the mighty Obello Ocean.

My numerically and statistically superior army begs to differ.

 

ckpJhMz.png?1

Forcas asks his buddy if he changed his name to Okay.

Quote

Forcas: We will rescue you!

qdTT0Li.png?1

Quote

Byan: You should've left me behind!

d4kkC8Q.png?1

Quote

Dasa: I don't care. But don't kill the girl. We can sell her for a high price.

Hey, don't sell Byan short like that. I bet someone would like a crotchety old man!

 

InpDUST.png?14ypxZV3.png?1

Predictably, we gotta deal with the pirate leader to win, and doing that quickly is imperative thanks to a certain green-robed gentleman.

 

sqC0rVq.png?1qcP2N3l.png?1

So, you remember that battle back in Chapter 1 with Sisteena, where she stood in place and let everyone attack her? Byan has kind of the opposite problem; if he stayed where he was, he'd probably be okay, but instead he'll rush into the middle of the enemy forces without a second thought and get annihilated before you can reach him. You absolutely need to have someone who's faster than both him and the Ninja that starts closest to him, or he will die in this fight. If you can get him past his first turn, though, you should be relatively safe.

 

zP4taFB.png?1

Here's the Ninja in question. If you can just get one hit on him, he'll leave Byan alone, but the trouble is being quick enough to get that hit, especially since it's impossible to close to melee range before he moves no matter how fast you are.

 

tmLcCUe.png?1YdgCJ7u.png?1

Also, we have a new enemy type, the Cocktrice. They're very similar to Gryphons, which makes sense when you remember that Gryphons literally promoted into Cockatrices in the first Ogre Battle. Instead of Wind Shot, though, they get Petrify, which let's them do a little damage and turn an enemy to stone. Petrify is very dangerous compared to other status effects, since it doesn't fade on its own, and if your whole team gets Petrified you lose. With that said, Petrify is a melee ability, like the dragon breath attacks, and Cockatrices have kinda mediocre Vitality and minimal equipment options, making it a rather risky ability to take advantage of compared to Wind Shot. Still, they do benefit from Beast Tamers, so with one around they can do acceptably in combat.

While you should deal with the boss quickly, you'll absolutely need to kill this ugly chicken first. Despite its empty inventory, it drops something very desirable, and our next chance to get the item it grants is very far off.

 

MKrGB8y.png?1mqrTNc6.png?1

To get Canopus to be fast enough to attack the Ninja, I took his armor away. This not only made him quick enough to attack, but also made him a more tempting target than Byan, keeping the old dumbass safe.

 

joZqGoB.png?1

Unaccosted by the spear-wielding weeaboo, Byan decides to be smart for once and stay on high ground, away from enemies that mean him ill.

 

0KjFwQ3.png?1i0DzU9t.png?1

He even picks a pretty sensible target for his attacks, then retreats. And it only took three or four attempts to make him not a total moron!

 

HMaFOGk.png?1

Fuck this guy.

 

AQuMuBV.png?1

To stop the poultry from messing things up, I put him down for a nap.

 

M4KyssX.png?1

And another one, just because.

 

tDeOFtl.png?1

Some of the enemies here have Matou claws, if you want more of those. They're pretty useful, but I didn't end up bothering.

 

7m15m9Q.png?1

Sick of these goddamn Naruto wannabes.

 

63wbu3c.png?1

Dasa here has our first whip-class weapon, the Guard whip. It's pretty damaging, and like spears can attack from two spaces away. Unlike spears, whips can't pierce enemies, which means no hitting two enemies at once but also means no hitting your own allies who are behind an enemy, making this limitation a blessing and a curse. He drops it when he dies, just to further incentivize killing the bastard.

 

FnOS0Md.png?1

Speaking of priceless treasure.

 

EBKHugJ.png?1x1zDeTz.png?1

On the surface, the Undead ring is nice but not particularly exciting. It provides a sweet +8 Intelligence, more than the +3 of the Magic ring and more than most other rings provide, but doesn't provide any other bonuses and doesn't have a special move attached to it. However, this Ring is needed to turn one of our characters into a powerful new class, and while none of them have the stats for it yet, it won't be too long before they do. Getting one this early is a huge boon, since we'd have to wait until endgame to get more. We'll get to the class this little trinket provides once someone has the stats to change into it.

 

oTRcT3o.png?1iFFNhN8.png?1

Anyway, let's get rid of this dickhead with the help of our newest buddy.

 

7oI9J8t.png?2

Done and done.

 

zNwmXYx.png?1

Denim's quite proud of himself!

 

gZBtNRi.png?1ZtufDJT.png?1

I guess even pirates have loved ones. Should've picked a better profession, my man.

 

KnBeBAT.png?1

What little remained of the pirates slowly wink our of existence.

 

KDop9fu.png?1

Yes please!

 

JzZuYM0.png?1

Despite how it might look, we won't be having any cool boat battles like in FE or anything.

 

29h5gci.png?1

Quote

Forcas: Now we can move on. I will take you to the City of Rime, as I promised. Please, come aboard.

This Forcas dude has turned out to be pretty alright for a supposed "right-wing terrorist".

 

VlArRyL.png?1

Quote

Byan: Sisteena is still being held captive.

Forcas: What!? I thought she escaped!

Byan: Sorry. She was taken to their hideout. I think we should rescue Sisteena before we return to Fort Bodo...

Forcas: ...I'm aware of that. But taking these guys to Rime comes first.

Ohh7y32.png?1

Quote

Forcas: They kept their word. Now I must keep mine...

Byan: But we're talking about Sisteena here!

Forcas: I'll be a Knight before I become a man. I will not break a promise that I made as a Knight.

Byan: You are so stubborn! Fine, I shall ask them myself.

I appreciate you're willing to help relative strangers out of a bind, but I don't mind you helping your own allies too, Forcas.

 

un1LLIU.png?1

Quote

Byan: One of our comrades is still being held captive by the pirates. I know this has nothing to do with you, but I'm asking for your help.

Kachua: You have your own comrades. Why don't you ask them for help?

Byan: We don't have much time...

Kachua: Nor do we. The Liberation Army is after us. Look, we've done our part. And just like your friend mentioned, this is the time for you to keep your promise.

Byan: Once we are on the sea, the Liberation Army can't come after you. Even if we drop by the pirates' hideout, you'll only be held up for about three days.

Forcas: Byan, that's enough. What she said is right.

Byan: Denim, what do you think? You're their leader...

Damn, Kachua, that's kinda cold.

 

f0Wwk0z.png?1

Option 1 leads us to a new battle where we go save Sisteena, and lets us keep the new friends we've made. Option 2 causes Byan to fuck off forever and leaves Sisteena to her fate. As Sisteena is crucial to a lategame sidequest and Byan has a lot of nice items and is fairly useful as a mage, there's no real reason to say no here.

 

3tLk8Pz.png?1

Quote

Denim: different ideals, but I know what it feels like to lose a friend in battle.

oHRdKnq.png?1

Kachua is predictably unhappy with the idea of helping other people out. Girl's got a bit of a selfish streak.

Quote

Denim: Look, I'm in charge here, Kachua! I'm sure everybody will understand.

Forcas: I appreciate your generosity, Denim.

Byan: I know where their hideout is. Fort Damsa is on Dicniga Island.

L6lsRAC.png?1

More pirate battles await!

 

GrcWDCj.png?1

Well, that's certainly far away. We'll get to Denim's seafaring voyage and the amazing plot revelations it brings later!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/5/2019 at 12:01 PM, epilepsyduck said:

CozJODD.png?1

Sirens are, effectively, Wizards+. They cast all the same spells as the Wizard class, but they have better growths in all the magic-y stats in exchange for marginally lower Agility and HP (two stats Wizards already don't have a lot of). This makes them stronger casters once they're trained up, but a little more vulnerable too. To be honest, they're a little underwhelming for a supposedly "advanced" class, but they're also among the best candidates for promoting to an even stronger class we'll be able to access later, so it balances out. Plus they're just way more fashionable than those old bearded dudes in stuffy robes and pointy hats! Unlike the Witch class, they can only be Lawful or Neutral for some reason, so don't train up Chaotic Witches if you want access to these ladies.

Sirens not being chaotic sounds like some bull to me.

On 6/5/2019 at 12:01 PM, epilepsyduck said:

0KjFwQ3.png?1i0DzU9t.png?1

He even picks a pretty sensible target for his attacks, then retreats. And it only took three or four attempts to make him not a total moron!

Green_unit.txt.

On 6/5/2019 at 12:01 PM, epilepsyduck said:

f0Wwk0z.png?1

Option 1 leads us to a new battle where we go save Sisteena, and lets us keep the new friends we've made. Option 2 causes Byan to fuck off forever and leaves Sisteena to her fate. As Sisteena is crucial to a lategame sidequest and Byan has a lot of nice items and is fairly useful as a mage, there's no real reason to say no here.

Is there any benefit to saying no?

On 6/5/2019 at 12:01 PM, epilepsyduck said:

GrcWDCj.png?1

Well, that's certainly far away. We'll get to Denim's seafaring voyage and the amazing plot revelations it brings later!

Why is it so far away though? Is Rime far closer though?

Edited by Dayni
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Dayni said:

Is there any benefit to saying no?

You don't have to do the battle if you say no, and it is kind of an annoying fight. Still, the rewards are well worth it imo.

 

Now that we've saved a stupid old man from some pirates, it's time to take that same stupid old man and have him fight even more pirates.

Chapter 2 Fort Damsa: May Denim's Blessings

Spoiler

Q1hzsvt.png?1

There isn't much for us to do on the map except go deal with some pirates.

 

TR4on1I.png?1

Crossing the water triggers an animation of a ship sailing to your destination. I appreciate touches like that, since some games wouldn't have bothered.

 

57MXn3o.png?1

Ranged attacks are gonna be highly useful in this fight, so I bring as many ranged folks as I can. We're just gonna have to deal with Byan looking identical to our generic Wizard friend.

 

zmrobot.png?1

These are certainly an egalitarian group of pirates, given how many ladies there are both here and in the last group.

 

PGZo3CP.png?1

Quote

Veldo: husband? Sure, he was over-weight, but he was still my husband and the father of my unborn child.

Seems like it didn't take long to meet the Veldo the last boss mentioned as he died. Doesn't sound super torn up about his death given that she immediately insults him.

 

GbKXGE1.png?2JRpNqdn.png?1

Hopefully with a kid on the way, she'll listen to reason.

 

6vlyOjL.png?1

Oh, I guess not.

Quote

Veldo: her, you'll have to go through me! Dasa was my husband! Don't underestimate me just because I'm a woman! I will avenge the death of my husband!

 

dnKE3C2.png?1OqSQZEp.png?1

Predictably, we gotta deal with the boss to win. Unfortunately, given her advantageous position and ranged weapon, that'll be easier said than done.

 

RN3B94Z.png?1

Fliers are obviously useful for basically and battle involving an uphill climb.

 

m986eBI.png?1

Especially when they have at-will magic attacks that cost no MP to cast.

 

buoji77.png?1

Byan and Forcas join us as guests in this fight. They're still a little prone to getting themselves in hot water, but it's nothing like the last fight as they both start right next to you.

 

8vdlUfx.png?1NQiIzbG.png?1

It turns out I may have forgotten to give Canopus his armor back, so he takes significant damage from the archers now.

 

40kpO5N.png?1BIY9Bgx.png?1

And healing spells only kinda make up for it.

 

cHTVaEt.png?1

Thankfully, the RNG showed me some small mercy instead of forcing a reset.

 

h2YEzGu.png?2

Shooting at foes above yourself is usually not worth even attempting, but with some of them down on my level things are a bit easier for our archers.

 

6IYNDCk.png?1clEKWcD.png?1

Ninja double attacks are great for killing weakened foes. The fact enemies counter before the second hit is a bit annoying, though.

 

T5BMw1d.png?1vY2J7Wr.png?1

I feel like it's been a bit since we appreciated the hammy spell quotes, so here's one now from our resident suicidal guest.

 

xMMuU2K.png?1

Much like Aloser, Byan's got stats that are a bit better than generic his level would normally have, so he's a bit more potent than my generic mages.

 

QHP7A1C.png?1

We really gotta deal with all these bow users. They're doing an uncomfortable amount of damage.

 

95EiS4Z.png?1

All but one of the Amazons have some impressive melee weaponry as well, making them almost as dangerous.

 

kcx4YMC.png?1

Oh dear, that's not good.

 

SNzwt7H.png?1

Thankfully, I came prepared for such an occasion.

 

WNxxEBy.png?1

If you ever noticed the "Blessing" item Denim's been holding since practically the start, this is it in action. It activates instantly upon death and revives you with 50 HP and MP, getting consumed in the process. They're mostly only found as hidden treasure items, but they're not too uncommon, and it pays to have one on Denim at all times.

 

st21opY.png?1

Anyway, I'm sick of these bow ladies.

 

6ndKaas.png?1

Especially when they nearly put Denim back in the grave after he just got saved.

 

c6dH9ve.png?1

Let's patch our boy back up so we don't have more problems.

 

gdkYf1r.png?1

Much like Byan, Forcas is unusually strong compared to the generics. He's only got pretty basic equipment on compared to Byan, too.

 

TYn4jwq.png?1

With our cute little ghost in range, the enemies do what they always do and start exclusively targeting someone who can't die.

 

4GHSUHr.png?1qc9EsQa.png?1

These enemies are a little higher level than my own army, so a few people get some levels off of fighting them.

 

xtbSg8C.png?1

Andy got poisoned at some point, so I figured now's a good time to show off the Fairy's first ability, Cute Kiss.

 

XXB6dj2.png?1bz7jv2g.png?1

Fairies generally have kinda cutsey abilities, the last one notwithstanding, so expect a lot of hearts flying around.

 

GT6gTVG.png?1

Usually this ability isn't that great since we have the Vitalize spell, but since undead can't be healed by Virtue magic it still has some niche utility.

 

P6Mvxgm.png?1Oe6OnrQ.png?1

We got another one of those claws from one of the Amazons. Quite handy given how long it'll take us to get better 1-handed weapons.

 

viZy2NT.png?1

Thanks to the terrain and weather no longer being against him, Byan's stats give him access to an even wider area-of-effect for his spells than the rest of our mages have! It's still a little terrain-dependent, but it won't be for long.

 

josPJ6q.png?1xp33m9Y.png?1

They certainly haven't lost any potency, either. Ignore Andy's crumpled form, he'll be fine.

 

q4jfWP6.png?1

Let's put an end to this whole pirate family.

 

SakqTho.png?1lnZVNq6.png?1

Sheesh, that's a bit grim. It ain't a Matsuno game without at least one minor antagonist you feel a bit bad for murdering.

 

xo6wac7.png?1lrTQRuJ.png?1

Let's not dwell on that, though. Stuff!

 

CQ55B6h.png?1

Seems like Sisteena is safe and sound.

 

7Y5ZKP9.png?1

Quote

Sisteena: my life. I can't thank you enough.

Don't mention it. You might wanna stop getting into such dangerous positions, though.

 

9HNy8Lu.png?1

Quote

Forcas: I missed you so much.

Sisteena: I missed you too. It's a miracle that you two are still alive.

yYRxwVl.png?1

Quote

Kachua: this picture perfect moment, but can we go now?

Christ, Kachua, you could be less of an ass about it. This cutscene actually changes a lot depending on whether or not Byan and/or Forcas survived the battle, and this is actually the least dickish thing she has to say here.

 

neceVYd.png?1

Quote

Forcas: before it gets dark.

Byan: Hey... How about stopping by Fort Bodo on the way?

Sisteena: That's a good idea. Then I can repay you for your kindness. Besides, you may be able to stop my sister.

oYAUkKr.png?1

Quote

Kachua: abandoned for years. What could be so important?

Forcas: Fort Bodo is one of our bases. Our leader Selye will be there.

Denim: Any particular reason why we should meet the leader of the Valeria Liberation Front?

Sisteena: You'll know what I mean when you meet her. You'll see that we have problems as well.

rr1e3ro.png?1

At last, the pirate menace is ended!

 

eFpbTce.png?1

The next location's even kinda on the way we'd need to go to reach Rime, so we're not taking any massive detours this time.

Next up, we have a boring filler fight, unlock the secrets of the undead, and finally encounter this Cardinal Barbatos that folks have been so worked up about.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

josPJ6q.png?1xp33m9Y.png?1

They certainly haven't lost any potency, either. Ignore Andy's crumpled form, he'll be fine.

Andy's as blue as a sheet.

Okay, that's awful.

7 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

eFpbTce.png?1

The next location's even kinda on the way we'd need to go to reach Rime, so we're not taking any massive detours this time.

Next up, we have a boring filler fight, unlock the secrets of the undead, and finally encounter this Cardinal Barbatos that folks have been so worked up about.

It's annoying it's in the other direction from where you just went, but you already went so far out of the way that this is still in the right direction. 😛

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Oof, we've gotten really delayed, huh? Let's take our new friends back out to sea and get back on schedule!

Chapter 2 Griate City-Fort Bodo: Losing Your Head

Spoiler

3VlOuzU.png?1

After our last scuffle with the pirates, Sisteena and co. are still tagging along with us. That's three somewhat dim AI allies we have, four if we count Kachua! Thankfully, we'll only have to deal with them for one more battle, and it's not a very hard one.

 

vXx1TQQ.png?1

Also, I decided to switch Denim back to a Beast Tamer now that we have a whip for him to use. I'm probably gonna be switching him between Tamer and Ninja up until we start getting more advanced classes in order to give him more balanced stats.

 

EeFkwJy.png?1

There's only one unimportant fight between us and Fort Bodo, so let's get through it quickly so we can get to that juicy plot meat.

 

WZyF7p8.png?1

Here's the crew. My parties are starting to become very magic and archer heavy, which is only gonna get more true as we go further in.

 

Wgzm2Hx.png?1

Seems like a lot of our fights have been plagued by bad weather lately.

 

lYoft31.png?1

Quote

Dagon: How did you break through the blockade? Never mind! This will be your grave! That 30,000 Goth is as good as mine.

Dagon's a simple man. No need to fuss over a backstory, he just wants that cash.

 

XrrM2vw.png?1v7e4ovh.png?2

There's not really a whole lot to this fight, so going for Dagon ASAP is preferred to faffing about killing everything. None of them have particularly exciting drops, anyway.

 

KyXTCFw.png?1

As usual, our bow-using and wing-having friends lead the charge.

 

xRMOAcN.png?1V29R7Cm.png?1

The AI goons you've got tailing you are still a bit danger prone, but they shouldn't be in too much danger now that they're with us.

 

jEmXlt8.png?1

The last thing we need is him getting chipped down and dying before we get where we're going, so lets patch this boy up.

 

rusHU1n.png?1

Sisteena and her pals are a bit higher level than we are, so healing them gives pretty decent experience compared to our own troops.

 

3FYJtZz.png?1uI0FKaR.png?1

Really, when they're not standing around idly or rushing headlong into danger, they're a capable bunch. Can't wait to get them under our control!

 

ga4JqBY.png?11Nb5tx7.png?1

This isn't among the game's toughest or most interesting fights, so I'm gonna brush past a lot of it.

 

ZEi1OFz.png?1

There we go, let's get out of here.

 

yt7RdPL.png?1EYZC97i.png?1

Oh.

 

gQGXlQT.png?1

Yeah, congrats I guess...

 

6GzRVZm.png?1ONWITJU.png?1

Aside from a tiny amount of cash, the boss drops a new spell, the Necro spell. It allows us to turn our allies into skeletons and ghosts when they die, and is kinda not that useful on its own. Eventually, though, we'll get another spell that makes it much more useful, but that's a long ways off.

 

BcG9tWq.png?1

Welp, on to Fort Bodo I guess.

 

l1Y6meP.png?1

This entire set of scenes coming up changes dramatically depending on who between Sisteena, Forcas and Byan is still alive. I'll just be showing the scenes where all three are alive for simplicity's sake.

 

BH9CX6f.png?1FZM3Xxq.png?2

Silly game, that's not an Archer, that's a Soldier. You don't even know your own classes.

 

kvtp8KV.png?1

Quote

Sisteena: comrades. It's me, Sisteena! Put down your bow before you hurt yourself!

Warrior: Sisteena!? You are alive! Selye was so concerned about you. Please come inside.

Sisteena: Let's go!

 

fxEJKYH.png?1

Looks like we've got another lady with a unique sprite! This family lucks out in that way.

 

w5rlgjt.png?1

Quote

Selye: before me!? Are you trying to give away the locations of our secret bases to them!?

Sisteena: Before you jump to any conclusions, please listen to my story!

Selye: How dare you speak to me in that tone of voice! I'm the leader of this army!

Sisteena: These kind strangers rescued me from the pirates.

Selye: Pirates? They didn't hurt you, did they?

Sisteena: I'm fine, Selye. Everyone is safe. ...The reason I'm here is to stop you from carrying out your crazy plan.

Selye: Not again! I'm through discussing the matter with you! I will not change my mind! Our comrades that also felt the way you did about my decision left here with you. I never forced any of you to go along with my decision. That is why I didn't stop you from leaving.

 

ed51EX8.png?1lhVP70G.png?1

Given the game's track record when people talk vaguely of their "plans", I can't imagine it's anything that's gonna work out super well for anyone.

 

VcmOvQs.png?1

Quote

Selye: It's none of your damn business!

Sisteena: She is planning the assassination of Duke Ronway.

Selye: Sisteena! Silence! How dare you involve these interlopers!

Sisteena: Killing the Duke will not end the war. On the contrary, the Dark Knights and Bacrum will declare war against the Walstanians.

Selye: That's right! It's just a matter of time before Gargastan loses the war. Once the Liberation Army defeats Gargastan, they will have big power. Then the Bacrum and Walsta forces will be equal. If an all-out war broke out, both countries should fall. But Branta and Ronway know that will happen. They will keep their neutrality treaty. But if the Duke dies, Bacrum will invade Walsta. Once Branta defeats Walsta, we must assassinate Branta.

Well, I guess that's not as bad as annihilating a whole town, but I sure hope this plan extends to what happens after you assassinate all these leaders. Lodis/The Dark Knights are probably gonna be a problem after that, y'know.

 

cTmidQ1.png?1

Quote

Kachua: plan will pan out so smoothly?

Selye: It will, and when we nail Branta, that is when true peace will return to the land of Valeria!!

G6lj6Jx.png?1

Quote

Selye: Why don't you join us and kill the Duke? It's a whole lot better than being a criminal on the run.

Sisteena: It is always the common people who suffer from war... I don't want to kill any innocent people. I don't want to see a country built on a foundation of blood!

zrcax2g.png?1

Before we can get into this ethical dilemma, we're interrupted by another generic.

 

FfjOT2Q.png?1

Quote

Selye: What's going on!?

Warrior: I just got word that...

Selye: Rest for a moment. Then give me your report.

Warrior: The Gargastans...they have been defeated by the Walsta Liberation Army. Coritani Castle has fallen!

Kachua: What!?

Warrior: Barbatos... was captured and executed this morning!

J82PB9p.png?1

Quote

Selye: going according to plan. Tell our comrades to prepare!!

Warrior: Yes, sir, err... I mean, ma'am!

Selye: Also, tell our messenger to rest.

Warrior: Yes, sir, err... I mean, ma'am!

Not content with having a kind of dumb joke that clashes with the tone of the scene, the game decides to repeat the same joke literally two lines later. Scenes like this sometimes make me wish I'd gone with the PSP version, really, but then I remember the grind of it.

 

0AWRqQL.png?1

Quote

Selye: Now that Coritani Castle has fallen, we have no choice but to execute our plan. We have to act quickly before the Duke completely takes over. It's too late, Sisteena.

Sisteena: You're wrong, Selye!!

XQo24Jr.png?2

Sisteena runs out of the room. I took a screenshot a second too late to really demonstrate that properly.

 

lBV88Pu.png?1

Quote

Selye: idle chatter. You don't see the reality of our situation... If you give up freedom, what will you have left? You've lost sight of what you're truly fighting for. We must do whatever it takes to make our dream a reality. My sister is not a revolutionary. She won't stain her hands with the blood of innocents to succeed. ...But I still love her. Take care of my sister for me. Help her any way you can.

Despite her previous offer, we don't get a chance to join up with Selye's operation. That's okay, though; this isn't the last time we'll see her.

 

Sfw1IeL.png?1

Sisteena's run out to look at the sea. Say what you will about her, she's certainly got a dramatic flair.

 

nmusHfJ.png?1

Quote

Sisteena: There must be another way. You're becoming what you want to destroy. You will do anything to achieve your own selfish goals. Have we been fighting to establish a country whose foundation is built upon the blood of innocent people?

kWJSbCI.png?1

We've come to another choice. Option 1 will have Sisteena and her two allies join us, Option 2 causes them to leave. Here's transcriptions for both:

Quote

Denim: Join us, Sisteena. We have a lot in common, don't you think?

Sisteena: I noticed that the first time you rescued me.

Denim: Then come, let us fight together!

Sisteena: Thank you... I will never give up my beliefs. Even if it means that I must fight against my own sister...

 

Quote

Denim: You can't follow your own ideals all the time. This is the time for you to be practical.

Sisteena: You couldn't bring yourself to do it then, that is why you tried to stop the massacre at Baramus, didn't you?

Denim: That was then, this is now. I realize now that I have to be practical and do what is best for the greater good...

Sisteena: You just got tired of being chased after as a criminal. I believed in you... but you're just a coward! ...I was stupid to believe in you... How could you... I never want to see your face again... Goodbye...

Denim: ...Goodbye, Sisteena.

 

vhp0ahf.png?1

There's not really a good reason not to let Sisteena join up, to be honest, so that's what we're doing.

 

Fmcplob.png?1

Right now, Sisteena's just a slightly-better-than-average Amazon, who we'll be reclassing to Valkyrie pretty soon since she more than has the stats for it. Eventually, though, she'll get a new class for herself that makes her a bit more formidable, and she's also part of a significant sidequest we'll be doing come endgame, so it's worth keeping her around.

 

0dN9MQT.png?1ujt0Ukq.png?1

Forcas and Byan aren't quite as special, but they're a little stronger than average so they're at least strictly better than generics. Byan actually has the stats to access a new class, but we'll get to that next time.

 

el8M9R0.png?1

Before we end things, let's check out the Warren Report. Y'all remember this, right?

 

hZmPfte.png?1Fay6aY0.png?1

As I mentioned before, it's got some scenes entirely unique to itself, and we're about to see the very first one of those.

 

o6D9VWM.png?1

A little anachronistic, but what fantasy setting isn't? It certainly gets the point across.

 

jhow0NO.png?1

Quote

Ronway: come. It's the morning where we celebrate our victory!! Through this man's death... the era of darkness has finally come to an end!

gvSKEdZ.png?1

Quote

Young Man: treating us like scum for all these years! I hope it hurts!

Woman: Kill that Gargastan bastard for killing my son!

Gargastan Old Man: Go to Hell, you child molesting tyrant!!

That last accusation isn't in the PSP version, and hasn't been brought up until just now. I think that old man was just reaching for mean things to say about him.

 

dz5HB1j.png?1

Quote

Ronway: You're hated by your own people...

Barbatos: ............

Ronway: At ease, my people. I understand how you feel... My Walstanian comrades, hear me! Our suffering has been produced by this man! My dear Gargastans... let us cleanse your soul by spilling enough blood for all of us to see as atonement! From this day forward, let the Walsta and Gargastan people live in peace and harmony!

 

HzEyOJI.png?1

Ronway's done hyping up the crowd.

 

YRpsZqq.png?12OtVBeK.png?1

I'm sure whatever they are, they'll be thematically relevant.

 

trUDduR.png?1

Quote

Barbatos: Ha, ha, ha. Do you really think the war is over!? Ha, ha. Imbeciles! I'm not the one who started the war. It is you! You people made me declare the war!

Ronway: Shut up, you rotten son of a bitch! You're blaming innocent people for your evil deed!

Barbatos: Poor Ronway... You're the same as I... All people do is complain, yet they just blindly follow whoever is in power... Ronway... If you think you have won the people over, then you are gravely mistaken. They're not the ones who are being manipulated, it's you and I who are manipulated. Look at me, you're next!!

tclL2uN.png?1DhkH7Mn.png?1

Enough of Matsuno being a bit of a monarchist, let's get rid of this genocidal dude who's also a child molester now, apparently.

 

wjWqSw1.png?1

This is the last bit we see of this as the camera pans away. Tactics Ogre not being Game of Thrones, it doesn't need to ponder over every grisly detail of its events.

 

7JBIzHn.png?1

Well that certainly was cheerful. Next time, we'll finally get to this fucking city we've been trying to reach this whole time and see what our friend Lans has to say about these events.

 

Edited by epilepsyduck
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We're in the final stretch for Chapter 2, if you can believe it, but first we've got a meet up with a certain recurring character to get through first. Plot ahoy!

Chapter 2 Rime: Kachua's Lament

Spoiler

0yLoi1A.png?1

Let's finally have this meet-up with Lans the game's been getting on about, huh?

 

SKeinIg.png?1

The next battle's a bit of a doozy, so I spent some time training to get everyone's levels up a bit.

 

pr7g0az.png?1

This training put Byan in the running for a brand-new class, though it's not one we have a lot of use for yet.

 

QMLgKmx.png?1

So, let's talk Warlocks. This early in the game, they're basically interchangeable with Witches, but they're arguably a little worse due to inferior Dexterity, Vitality and Agility growths, balanced only by better MP and Mentality; they also have the "slow" movement type as opposed to the Witch's "fast", making them considerably less agile. They equip all the same spells initially, and this makes them very unreliable this early on for all the same reasons Witches are, though things get better once we get some better support spells in our pocket. Later in the game, though, they gain access to an entirely new element's worth of magic, and this magic is very powerful stuff. Aside from them, only a couple of special, rare classes can use this kind of magic, too, so they don't have a lot of competition. This immediately takes them from middling status effect users to arcane powerhouses, but we're gonna have to wait for quite a while to get there. Also, they can support Golems in the same way that Beast Tamers support Gryphons, but since Golems are terrible this isn't a particular positive for them.

Byan's special portrait overwrites the Warlock one, so I'll be sure to show off the proper portrait once someone else gets the stats for it. He won't be staying in this class for now, for the reasons I've explained above.

 

oJJX1SX.png?1

Also, we should talk about the spell he came with, Meteor. Right now, it's a negligible upgrade from the other Earth attack spell we have, Acid, and doesn't even have as wide an area of effect yet. Later in the game, the difference in power will become more apparent, but even then, it's a rather expensive spell to cast and isn't quite strong enough to make up for it. People also claim it does more damage depending on the target's elevation on the map, but I haven't found that to be the case. Its only real advantage over Acid is that there are more classes that can equip Meteor than its cheaper cousin, such as the Valkyrie here.

 

H4T95uH.png?1

Enough chatter, let's get to Rime!

 

tNxxNxC.png?1

For reasons we'll see in a bit, I've plopped a bunch of fliers into my team, and Sisteena and her pals all have ranged attacks of some description. We're gonna need all of them.

 

8m2qPJc.png?1

This map's different from the previous time we came here. Indeed, we won't be seeing Chapter 1's Rime map ever again, and the other Chapters and Routes have different maps as well. It really helps sell how big a town Rime is.

 

yxHiJfa.png?1SJ56rUB.png?1

Yes, I'm certain it's completely safe. I wonder why we had to set up our troops?

 

H0Mcuen.png?1

Oh. That's why.

 

FLTA4Sx.png?1

Quote

Zapan: This must be my lucky day. I never expected to see you here.

mtlSO1F.png?1u1OV2Ff.png?1

You're not the only person in this army, Kachua. Be a little more inclusive.

Quote

Zapan: Come on, be nice. Let's be friends... he, he, he...

VAhGD5A.png?1

I don't like all of these friends you've brought.

 

6gRotRn.png?1

Quote

Zapan: Not today...that's why today is my lucky day. Before that damn Knight from Zenobia appears, I'll have your heads. I want them dead!!

 

KIvyMOX.png?1T4677pU.png?1

Zapan is once again wearing his plot armor, so we only need to get his health low to beat him. Given how difficult this battle is, it's worth it to just beat him right away instead of trying to get all the enemies.

 

F8PU6vK.png?1

Kachua and Denim are separated from everyone else, and the enemies will be gunning for those two real hard in the opening turns.

 

gWdmQxN.png?1

Having a couple fliers around is pretty much required to even the odds.

 

NXP2HiL.png?1QCNMt5d.png?1

Zapan's a bit out of range still, so I start taking care of another major threat instead.

 

w5glKFs.png?1PdSMT52.png?1

Due to Kachua being a little underleveled and underequipped, the enemies decide to kill her before we can do anything about it.

 

fIofCuc.png?1cVHbm8r.png?1

Thankfully, she remembered to bring her Escape Gem, so no loss.

 

hvHVLPy.png?1

Zapan is getting close enough that we can finally start firing at him. Unfortunately, Denim's still in quite a bit of danger where he is, and I don't have any more Blessing items to protect him.

 

tcVjonv.png?1

Forcas uses his fancy new crossbow to try and clear a path for Denim.

 

ghmsTJ2.png?1BfcgluK.png?1

While Meteor's a bit subpar as a spell, its smaller AoE makes it safer to use in situations like this.

 

gwhJOFX.png?1

It's a bit silly that massive space rocks falling on someone only does a little more damage than some gas does.

 

FiEXhQP.png?1

Denim's in a very precarious situation right now. We really gotta end things.

 

qPxeha6.png?1

I didn't actually catch the killing blow by the Hawkman. Imagine this image, but Canopus has darker skin and an ugly green shirt.

 

uEH1YGe.png?1tDIBO4Q.png?1

Seems like Zapan doesn't have his magic cheater gem this time. Finally, we can.

 

FhUULVZ.png?1

Some flashing lights and sound effects indicate that shit's going on off screen. Everyone even turns to see.

 

eVJjOOJ.png?1

If these folks aren't part of it, then who?

 

DaV55VH.png?1qy4Epxv.png?1

Oh, it's these assholes. I can't believe a group of folks called "the Dark Knights" would do something like this!

 

Y9y6hzZ.png?1

Sheesh, that's an ugly portrait. You must be evil!

 

2IiJ3rm.png?1

Not that the good guys look so pretty either.

Quote

Lans Hamilton: of the people of Lodis!?

Barbas: That's the Zenobian crest! You must be the Holy Knight Lans! It was my long time dream to see you Lans! Show me the power that defeated the Highlands!

Lans Hamilton: Your wish shall be granted! Show me your power, Dark Knight!

BCPO7Hg.png?1

I guess Lans is a bit too busy to chat with us now.

 

KKxanUK.png?1WMidbCT.png?1

Oh god dammit, Denim! How'd you lose him, he was literally right next to you when we beat him!

 

DeHfZk0.png?1

Well, that's not ideal.

Quote

Kachua: Here, Denim!

Zapan: Too late, Denim. The girl is mine! I'm taking your Kachua! Come to Amorika Castle if you want her back! I will be waiting!

KdsiT6j.png?1

Quote

Denim: my sister, you bastard!!!

7w79FsF.png?1kp83gYk.png?1

Yet another new face! Somehow I doubt he's a new friend, though...

 

Y76eb6j.png?1aiLFFe3.png?1

Quote

Guildus: Fight me, if you dare!

Martym: What can Zenobia do to us!? Come on! You pathetic excuse for a Knight!

 

u8WOUav.png?1BzQFHUX.png?1

I guess we won't be saving Kachua this fight.

 

k3CJP1v.png?1etUf4ba.png?1

Sure hope this dude we sorta knew for a couple battles is okay after this.

 

405FOzT.png?1

Lets end this particular fight on a kind of limp note.

 

1ESyd6n.png?1qABTPKh.png?1

A tiny amount of cash, and no items at all. This is even worse than losing Kachua!

 

UK7kXe4.png?1

Rime's no longer accessible, so we're sent back to Fort Bodo. We'll be fighting one more filler battle next time, followed by the grand finale for Chapter 2!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't be shy, y'all. We're nearing the end of Chapter 2, but we've got a couple of surprises left before we get to the grand finale.

Chapter 2 Gruborza Plains: Rime-A-Way

Spoiler

kRSzFXh.png?1

There's not much that needs doing, so let's just get on with the next fight.

 

UYazu8p.png?1

For this one, we're dusting off Presance and playing primarily with our story-based allies instead of our generics. They're only gonna get more and more irrelevant as time goes on, unfortunately, but a couple might still make some surprise appearances!

 

lmtXZjV.png?1

We face off against a gaggle of generics lead by a sprite we've never seen before.

 

0jrUG1Z.png?1

Quote

Ramidos: What do we have here!? It's the kid that's worth 30,000 Goth! I've been a bounty hunter for so long that I have become jaded. But I guess Zapan was telling the truth. I hate to do this to you kid, but I have bills to pay. Sorry...

I like Ramidos, as far as minor bosses go. She cuts straight to the chase and doesn't bring some sob story with her, and I can respect a woman of action like that. Plus she's pretty unique looking compared to most others.

 

2OQ4pHo.png?1MZ2I6zI.png?1

Unfortunately, she's still a minor boss, and we need to cut her down to progress. Maybe there's a good timeline out there where the PSP remake made her playable instead of the awful waifu bait they added instead.

 

mUu99aE.png?1

Ramidos has the ability to directly summon enemies during battle. She only summons them one at a time, though, so this isn't too big a deal, but since she primarily summons undead, you can get a bit overwhelmed if you don't have an Exorcist around. She also has a special one-time thing she can do thanks to a certain inventory item of hers, but we'll get to that in a bit. Aside from those two things, she's actually kinda wimpy as a boss.

 

QtbJgvW.png?1

Most of the enemies here have generic equipment and spells, but the Witch has the first copy of the SlowMove spell, one of the game's best support spells. It cuts enemy speed in half, making sure they get far fewer turns than they normally would. While this might seem less useful than Stun flat-out disabling foes, SlowMove doesn't have a miss chance like that spell does, meaning it always works. This can utterly cripple otherwise-terrifying opponents, and it's easily the best thing Witches have going for them this early on. It's well worth it to grab this early copy, as it can make the next battle a lot more manageable.

 

P5LHCIn.png?1

Our opening volley is less than successful.

 

jLcm2KC.png?1

By contrast, the boss does something quite devastating for her first move.

 

6rmdT5q.png?1

You may have noticed this little egg-shaped orb in her inventory. It's a consumable item that can be used to cast a spell.

 

ORxj1mp.png?1

Each of these orbs summons one of the Goddesses of the setting. You remember them from the intro, right?

 

jK8haxg.png?1rXg4xDm.png?1

This particular orb sets off some fire effects that would make Arvis blush.

 

WNpX8fq.png?1wXw7Haw.png?1Kenvykc.png?1qN1Yj42.png?1

This then hits the entire enemy party for quite a bit of damage. No risk of friendly fire or anything, just free damage on every foe on the field.

 

SdYqli9.png?1

It can miss, though, so it's not a perfect guarantee. These items make for a great trump card for tough battles, though they're kinda hard to come by, only being found in hidden item tiles until very late in the game, and being rather rare drops from such.

 

nDYsoBo.png?1Z6yDJpk.png?1

It's ultimately a good thing she opened the battle with that, since it gives me plenty of time to heal up. Since the item is used up after one casting, she won't be pulling that little trick again.

 

dhn1Ryk.png?1uQRiaZv.png?1

Alright, we stunned some of these annoying Ninjas, now we ca-

 

M0daBd7.png?1

Oh.

 

EehuCJp.png?1

Well, at least Basha's hanging in there, despite her low heal-

 

ivKVpvn.png?1

Oh.

 

OBPdmsX.png?1NVLVRYc.png?1

I've already had to restart this fight once for various reasons, so I'm just gonna let this happen. I don't usually fuss too much over losing generics, especially this early on and especially not the free generics you start with.

 

1p7K4Ix.png?13HI5fBb.png?1

Aside from her little nuke spell, she's mainly gonna be summoning enemies every turn until we get close. Aside from the undead, there's one in particular I'm waiting for.

 

vhJxDfQ.png?1fXqTav8.png?1

Aside from that, I guess we gotta satisfy ourselves by beating up these anime nerds.

 

22cGCku.png?1

This other Witch doesn't have any useful spells for me, so I don't care about her at all.

 

kDOivJR.png?1

I guess we can see our soon-to-be new spell in action, at least.

 

pMqf0mK.png?1ik4wwP8.png?1

A big blob comes down from the sky and annoys the target for a little while, and then they're massively slowed down. Funnily enough, this even affects their walking animations, though not their actual movement range or anything.

 

ePHkliv.png?1

Andy continues his job as the perfect decoy. I'm very mean to this poor little guy.

 

J4JisF3.png?14g9loAu.png?1

Presance has been on the bench long enough that Exorcising the enemies here gives him enough EXP for instant levels.

 

xbhEBWg.png?1

I wanna get this girl's HP low enough so Denim can talk her into a new career path. Given her frailty, it's a bit dicey.

 

fVkweD2.png?1

I also wanna stop these people from healing her up and making it harder.

 

e8wYc80.png?1

Ramidos stops spamming annoying Skeletons for a minute to give us a glimpse at a new unit type.

 

wv9p80w.png?1VbBQx2k.png?1

Gremlins are, effectively, an offense-based version of the Fairy. In most games they appear in, they tend to be a bit crap, but here they're surprisingly useful and well worth recruiting. They have good Strength and excellent Agility and Dexterity, making them fantastic archers, especially since they can fly. Their other stats, especially Vitality, are fairly awful, but if they've got a Bow that isn't such a problem at all. Their special abilities are offense-based versions of the Fairy's support-based ones, intended to do damage and inflict status effects, but two of them are melee abilities, so using them is kinda risky, and while the last one's a ranged attack it causes heavy damage to the user, making said powers kinda gimmicky and unimpressive compared to what Fairies get. Still, they're quite impressive little fuckers, and we'll definitely be using one.

 

7Sdmjcb.png?2

But first, we gotta get rid of these other distractions.

 

mebOPLX.png?1

Girl, you are making it very hard to save your life!

 

XGLflDU.png?1

The Gremlin's CuteKiss charms the target, which is the last thing we need right now, so the Gremlin's taking a nap for the time being.

 

kwpky2d.png?1SkfHxqC.png?1

It took quite a bit of effort, but we eventually get both of these kids on our side.

 

3LvETMf.png?1

Now let's get out of this place and save our pal!

 

mR7pnIz.png?1lUCAYeq.png?1

Goodbye, Ramidos, we'll miss the terrible hellfire you inflicted upon us.

 

pQv6AeO.png?17JNFJFm.png?1

We get a pretty decent amount of gold, thanks to all the enemies we took care of.

 

dy3zjNI.png?1

We also get a chance to show off a mechanic we haven't seen yet. Characters who defeat a significant number of enemies in a given fight (usually 5+ or so) will be called the MVP. Since we needed loads of exorcisms, Presance took home the gold.

 

bRNLGHP.png?1

This actually gives him a free level up, which puts him above everyone else in the party. From such humble beginnings!

 

Ft7arEJ.png?1

We also nab a very useful spell, Revivify. This is a Virtue spell that allows us to revive dead allies, so long as we cast it in the same battle the ally died in. There's only a couple classes that can cast this, though, and none of them are available to us yet, so for now it's just clutter in our inventory.

 

CYkk3ak.png?1bKtZ8DD.png?1

We'll be keeping both of these folks, I think. We just lost a Witch, so we could always use another one, and I've already made my feelings on Gremlins pretty clear.

 

RRoCcDP.png?1

Before we go back to the map, though, a cutscene plays.

 

yTwqzs8.png?1

Seems like things aren't going so hot for Lord Mistakenpath.

 

qZCTn41.png?1

Quote

Liberation Army Soldier: The Bacrum Army! The Bacrum Army is invading!

YhWRrRf.png?1

That's the most generic Evil Guy thing you could've said.

Quote

Liberation Army Soldier: It's true. Our army is fighting against the Bacrum Army in Rime.

Ronway: Has the city of Rime fallen?

Liberation Army Soldier: No, my lord. The Knights of Zenobia are stationed there. Thanks to them, the city is still holding. But it won't last for long. They need reinforcements.

Ronway: Call Leonard!

Liberation Army Soldier: Sir Leonard left for Amorika...

Ronway: Oh, that's right. Uh... then send a letter to Leonard! Dispatch a messenger to him and prepare the fastest and strongest horse for him!

Liberation Army Soldier: Yes, my lord.

FFEdPnt.png?1

The dutiful generic leaves the room, to be forgotten in a sea of identical little helmeted dudes.

 

zuZP8IL.png?1

Quote

Ronway: Now that Barbatos is gone, my work here is done. Did they think our treaty was to be terminated?

ky7ZPjR.png?1

Well, that was exciting. Next time, we get to the two-part finale of Chapter 2, try to save our sister from some familiar faces, and get yet another significant choice that you just might get to influence. Please lemme know what you're thinking so far!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I intended for the next update to be up tonight but Shit Has Happened so I'm gonna have to push it back a little bit. Delays seem to be my curse lol. I'm a liar and a fraud.

Edited by epilepsyduck
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We've finally made it to the end of Chapter 2, and from here we have another difficult decision to make. Before we can do that, though, we have to beat up an ugly old man one last time and get into an incredibly brief spat with our old best friend.

Chpter 2 Amorika Castle: "Rime-A-Way" would've been a better title for the update before the last one or even for this one but it's too late now oh well

Spoiler

HXdCk6B.png?1

The finale's right ahead of us, so let's not waste any more time!

 

8Ehy5NQ.png?1

Much like the last time we came here, this fight's a two-parter. This time, though, the second part's gonna be a bit different from the usual fights.

 

Domj5vn.png?1

The team. I forgot to bring our new Witch friend and her new spell, but that's okay, we did just fine regardless.

 

QtBi65e.png?1

Seems like Zapan's got quite a welcoming party for us.

 

IO08UrT.png?1

Quote

  Zapan: make it. I knew Ramidos was no match for you.

Denim: Zapan, where is Kachua!?

Zapan: She's in the castle. If you want her back, you're gonna have to do it the hard way.

SWdllq5.png?1kdaMo1y.png?1

Once more, Zapan actually just needs to be knocked to a very low HP percentage. Will we ever get to kill this old creep?

 

cCZWHqT.png?1

These Ninjas are the fastest boys on the battlefield, so they're pretty much guaranteed to go first.

 

lJYcLoc.png?1cEhHZSl.png?1

They don't leave a great impact, though.

 

mi7Mdbt.png?1nRODbus.png?1

Let's just get them out of the way.

 

lEdHIgf.png?1

I guess this is a good time to show off the Gremlin's version of CuteKiss. As I said, it's an offensive move instead of a support one.

 

KcVeFyY.png?1yZqTZD1.png?1

The Gremlin briefly transforms into a fairy and creates a heart, but then things change.

 

HX5UiRo.png?1

Overall, the move's a bit more reliable at inflicting Charm then the Charm spell, but it also lacks its AoE and range, so it balances out.

 

EYoXrGX.png?1

These Knights are kinda vicious. It's not so much any one of them as just how many there are in such a small area.

 

uaE81lY.png?1qxQMBGX.png?1

Two of them also have Crossbows, though they pick rather a rather inadequate target.

 

6nO0vRW.png?1

Not ideal, but at least it's just a Ghost. He'll be fine.

 

EtZfE1s.png?1

I wanna keep Denim's HP as full as possible, but sometimes he still needs to take risks.

 

24C2oqR.png?19XPOI06.png?1

Time to bring this old man down a peg. Almost there...

 

PIDpENW.png?1

Dammit!

 

rCfzpve.png?1mXneh0o.png?1

Alright, let's try this again.

 

MQGkVgb.png?1

There we go.

 

Tzg6zCn.png?12j5LrLK.png?1

You think Zapan would eventually learn to stop getting in our way.

 

u2E4QyW.png?1

Stop pulling out that cheater gem, you jerk! You don't even have it in your inventory!

 

NpmTzwS.png?1H5ZArjc.png?1

Even Denim's sick of all this teleporting around.

 

4OAtdph.png?1IqDr9fH.png?1

Not much in the way of rewards, I'm afraid.

 

tLlBrVc.png?1

Denim's still at full health, thankfully. His HP is the only one that matters here.

 

esO7ns8.png?1

Let's go save Kachua!

 

k6Mpe5X.png?1

Seems like Zapan didn't go too far. And look who's back!

Quote

Denim: Zapan! Vice what are you...!?

Zapan: Y-you... traitor! What are you doing!?

Isdyw5y.png?10lVX5nw.png?1

Classy, translators. Real classy.

 

OJpbqpZ.png?1ch5brOp.png?1

Well, goodbye Zapan.

 

TzN2yZi.png?1

Quote

Denim: Vice, where is my sister!?

3sxfrrd.png?1

There she is.

 

LKkD98V.png?1

Folks keep pushing her around like she's a statue in a Golden Sun puzzle. Rude.

 

25bUxgG.png?1

Quote

Vice: I will. After I split your body in half!

Denim: Are you serious, Vice? We were fr...

Vice: Shut up and fight me! One on one!

 

s4p2bIF.png?1G0Dfqh9.png?1

Not sure who he's "leading" here, but sure.

 

jFYxMPz.png?1RhnL0og.png?1

This fight is kinda luck-based, being either very easy or very hard, though not as bad as some 1-on-1 fights in strategy RPGs. Training Denim as a fighter will make things a lot easier than training him as a mage, but he still needs to get lucky and land all his hits to pull it off.

 

VZCJB56.png?1

Quote

Vice: Why you? Why does everyone like you? Since we were kids, everyone liked you, but not me. I was always the outcast! Do you know why? Damn it! It's because of my father! Your father was a respected priest, but my father was just a scrubby alcoholic. Plus, he used to always beat me! Still, everyone just hated me! I'm nothing like my father, nor do I want to be... You always had it easier!

Denim: But I still treated you like my own brother!

This is such, such a clumsy and inorganic way to reveal this information. It's a shame, too, since it does kind of explain Chaotic!Vice's motivations. The PSP version makes this a lot more natural, even though it's revealing all the same information, just by being much more naturally written.

 

ztSgC6S.png?1

There's supposed to be a second  and third conversation after this, but I kill him a little too fast. Here's those conversations anyway:

Quote

Denim: We were best friends! What has happened to us?

Vice: That's what you thought! I hate you! It's not fair... People loved you. You had a great father and a beautiful sister...

Denim: She thinks of you as family as well!

Vice: No, she doesn't! You don't know anything!! She only has you on her mind. She doesn't care about me! Can't you see!? Kachua didn't even love your father. She only loves you!

Quote

Denim: It's not too late to fix everything. Let's be friends like we used to be!

Vice: Don't try to bend the truth! You're a traitor! I have my own comrades now. Even Duke Ronway and Leonard believe in me.

Denim: That is not true! They are taking advantage of you! Once they are done with you, they will kill you!

Vice: You're such a baby!! They're not taking advantage of me! I'm the one who is taking advantage of them! I'm the one using them for my own benefit!

Nv98w6x.png?1LY4BshY.png?1

Leonard interrupts our little duel, perhaps a bit late for Vice's health.

 

dSVq8Gs.png?1

Quote

Vice: Leonard, why are you stopping me!?

Leonard: Don't you know what's going on!? Relax Vice!

Vice: You were the one who said to kill him! Why did you stop...

Leonard: Listen to me! Denim, you too!

lqNuXFC.png?1

Oh, that's not good.

Quote

Leonard: The Bacrum Army is coming this way!

Denim: No!!! What happened to Sir Lans? This can't be happening...!

Leonard: We don't know what happened to the Holy Knight! He is either dead or he could have escaped. Anyway, this is not the time to fight between our own people. Let me explain... Denim, obey the Duke. We will forget about the past! Come fight with us against Bacrum!

ezCu59C.png?1bgLfdmP.png?1

Vice throws a tantrum, as usual. Some things truly never change.

Quote

Leonard: Quit acting like a baby, Vice. Why can't you listen to me!? Denim, what do you plan to do? No, you don't have to tell me... No matter how sacred the ideal may be, if it is not achieved, then it is meaningless. Do you want your ideals to end up as a dream? Weren't you supposed to avenge your father's death? Come, join us.

TE32SXB.png?1

Here we come to the game's second route split, the Neutral-Chaos route split. Option 1 sees us teaming up with Duke Ronway and company to deal with the invading Bacrum and Lodis forces, while Option 2 has us rejecting this offer and running off to do our own thing. The Lawful route doesn't actually have any such split, making this unique the the Chaotic one. To be honest, the Neutral route kinda sucks for a variety of (mostly gameplay related) reasons, not the least of which being the departure of some of the party members we've picked up in Chapter 2, but if y'all wanna go the pragmatic route I won't say no. Please vote and we'll see whether Denim can set aside his morals to make The Hard Choices this time or if he's still ever the idealist.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Vice has been such a first-draft Delita so far, but it's beyond outrageous in this part. Chaos the heck outta this choice.

Quote

I'm nothing like my father, nor do I want to be...

"That's why I killed a bunch of our own civilians and threatened to cut my old friend in half!"

Quote

Vice: You're such a baby!! They're not taking advantage of me! I'm the one who is taking advantage of them! I'm the one using them for my own benefit!

He's like the "unreasonable opposing character" trope from political cartoons, but louder and with more middle-school insults.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...