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


epilepsyduck
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Route Split  

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  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


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With the way to Heigm opened for us, it's time to completely ignore it so we can go putz around in a massive hole in the ground, learning magical secrets, gathering rare treasures, and eventually being bored to tears as the experience drags on into its 11th hour.

Chapter 4 Hell Gate: Scalie Magic

Spoiler

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Before we get to all that spooky stuff, we've got some animals to sell. The Cockatrices are obviously for more Wing Rings, but selling the Blue Dragon at Fiduc Castle gets us something a little different.

 

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Here's the Blue Claw, and it's... okay? It's okay. It's the first upgrade Claw weapons have gotten, but the one class that specializes in Claws is generally a little underwhelming at this point in the game, and while that doesn't matter that much it doesn't help when the weapon itself is kinda middling. It does decent damage and has a dragon-slaying effect, but doesn't have an elemental affinity or any other special powers. It's probably not worth acquiring unless you're a completionist.

 

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I did a little money and EXP grinding to get our levels up a little bit and to afford a lot of orbs. They'll be very useful in cheesing our way past some of the more annoying fights in Hell Gate. Holy Orbs in particular are hugely useful.

 

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With all that handled, let's go!

 

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Before we get there, though, there's a few battles to handle.

 

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All of them are fights with generic opponents, and all are "Kill all enemies" battles.

 

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Of the three, this dragon-filled one's probably the easiest. They're damaging and durable, but slow and inaccurate, and that's not a great combo.

 

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The next fight's got mostly human foes with a few extra new boys.

 

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The Cyclops is basically what Golem's try and fail to be, though they're still not great. They're faster and more durable and have the benefit of the Tiamat's Toxic breath, but they're still kinda inaccurate and not as powerful as their stats imply. Still, if you really wanted to use Golems, the Cyclops is at least a passable unit, and they even get the same bonus from Warlocks that Golems do (though having a Warlock so near melee combat is not a great idea). The PSP version actually made them kinda good, surprisingly, unlike their clay-based cousins.

 

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These Beast Tamers are possibly the most threatening foes here, doing surprising damage with their bows. Thankfully, we got through incident-free.

 

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Onward to the last obstacle.

 

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This one looks initially intimidating, with enemies attacking from two sides. But taking care of the bow-wielding Hawkmen should make it a lot easier.

 

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The Witch here has a Petrify spell. It's worth having multiple copies of this, in my opinion, so try to persuade her.

 

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And that's the end of that!

 

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Thanks for both the gear and the laughs at your terrible dialogue!

 

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Alright, here we go. We're gonna be here for a while, or at least I will, so let's give a quick rundown.

 

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The Hell Gate is a massive dungeon. I do mean massive, with 100 floors of mostly (but not exclusively) battles, often against creatures not found anywhere else. Getting through it is an ordeal since you don't heal between fights, and while you can retreat between floors, doing so sends you back to the first floor and forces you to fight your way back down again. Worse still, you can't save without retreating (though since I'm emulating it I can savestate, thankfully). There's a few story-based battles, but the vast majority are randomized fights, and once you've beaten a story battle it's replaced by a random one. It's honestly not a great time, and while the PSP version alleviates the frustrations somewhat it doesn't totally fix what a pain in the ass it is. With all that said, there's a lot of useful items and spells located exclusively in this dungeon, and there's even special techniques you can learn here that can give your melee fighters a little more oomph. It's probably not worth it, but we'll be doing it anyway just to be thorough.

 

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Here's our first team. Our Lich sure fits in with the surroundings.

 

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Quote

Falfadet: you here. Did you come here to find the Dragon Magic? Not good, not good. Now that I don't have the help of the Dark Knights, I'm not going to risk my life by giving you the Dragon Magic. If I kill you, then there will be no reason to hide in this filthy dungeon. This Hell Gate will be your grave, little boy.

Well, thanks for the text dump, lady. I dunno who you are though.

 

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Predictably, we've gotta deal with the boss. She's guaranteed to drop that Evil Robe of hers, and that's great thanks to the special MP-generating properties of the robe. Characters wearing it will get MP at double the rate, ensuring they'll never have MP troubles again. Aside from her gear, she's not especially notable.

 

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In terms of equipment, everyone here has Warp Rings, roughly equivalent in utility to our Wing Rings and thus a good bit of gear to grab, while the Warlock has another Petrify.

 

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Unfortunately, I impulsively murdered the boss without grabbing any of it. Oh well.

 

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Look buddy, this ain't my first rodeo, and I have an unnatural level of patience for stupid bullshit like this place.

 

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After everyone disappears, a secret door opens.

 

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We'll be getting a prompt like this after every fight. Let's head to the net level!

 

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This battle's got loads of undead, so Exorcism is a useful ability to bring. Though thanks to the way I handled things, I didn't end up needing it.

 

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You said it, Denim.

 

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Someone didn't properly prepare for this place, huh?

 

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Hey, those are just dragons. You can totally kill them without holy magic!

 

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Quote

Denim: to rescue him!

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Aside from the dragons, we've got tons of undead to deal with. Moreover, our Warlock friend over there is the most suicidal NPC yet, eagerly rushing towards the dragons and getting annihlated by them. Rescuing him isn't a super big deal, but it gets us slightly early access to a neat spell, and I don't like letting escorts die.

 

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For that reason, we're gonna cheat a bit. Orbs ahoy!

 

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Spells will do the rest.

 

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Quote

Radlum: I came to this Hell Gate to find the Dragon Magic. But it is too difficult to go any further alone. If you don't mind, can I join you? I know you. Aren't you the members of the Liberation Army fighting against the Dark Knights? If you allow me to join you, I can be of good use. How's that sound?

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While you get a chance to reject him, there's no reason to do so.

Quote

Denim: It's alright. Welcome to our troops, Radlum.

Radlum: Thank you for accepting me.

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Radlum himself lowkey kinda sucks, with iffy Intelligence compared to basically all of our other casters. What makes picking him up so useful is the new spell he has, Wipe Out. Wipe Out is our first Dragon spell, and these spells are pretty handy. The four damage-based Dragon spells hit the whole enemy party, doing less damage than the Forbidden spells but with the benefit of not hitting your own team in the process, and each carries a unique effect alongside the damage. In Wipe Out's case, it just burns the ground beneath enemies, which isn't so handy, but the damage it does is still good so it's worth grabbing it early. If you don't save Radlum, though, you can still get it later during battles. Dragon magic is mostly only equipped by Warlocks; even most special casters like the Shaman or Lich can't use it. The Princess, however, can, and that alone makes her one of the game's best casters. Since I've switch Byan to a Warlock, we've got two very strong options for Wipe Out, and they'll only get better once we get more Dragon spells.

 

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We'll be retreating for now to grind a bit more and stock up on more Orbs. We'll be back with more spooky undead stuff and learning the secrets to making melee combat not so boring anymore.

 

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Down to the toilet of the game we go. They're lucky it's cool to look at. 😛
At least the loot is cool too.

I love how the game is trying to stop you from reaching Hell Gate like 'Nooooo, don't go theeeeeeere'.

Gee, I wonder if you'll have dragon magic in there.
Radlum is literally just there for his spell or if your mages really really suck.

Edited by B.Leu
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 10/5/2019 at 8:29 PM, Starzilla said:

I just found this yesterday! Elated you're doing another LP, hilarious as usual!

Aw, thanks. I wouldn't do it if I didn't think people would like it!

Sorry about how insanely long it's been (and also that this particular update's kinda brief), but I'm back! We'll be going back in the Hell Hole to meet just some of the interesting new units that can be found there and grabbing some new trash with limited practical value in the process.

Chapter 4 Hell Gate Floor 3: Inequivalent Exchange

Spoiler

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With a stockpile of orbs saved up and a few levels under their belts, Denim and company are ready to brave the Hell Gate once more.

 

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Since we've already beaten the first battle, it's been replaced by a randomized "Kill all enemies" one. Most fights in Hell Gate are like this, to the point where it's a refreshing break on those rare occasions you get something different.

 

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Among the generic Warlocks we can find a new class, the Gorgon. They're a demihuman class, so they can wear equipment, and they're statistically similar to the Archer class, just trading a bit of Dexterity for some extra Strength. The main draw of the class is their special Evil Eyes ability, which turns foes in the Gorgon's line of sight to stone, but it's got a ton of rules dictating who it does or doesn't work on so it's kinda inconsistent, though a lot of fun in those instances where you can hit lots of enemies with it. They're not too exceptional, but they get the job done. I may or may not pick one up eventually, since we're a little low on space for new party members and we're gonna need some space to grab other characters later.

 

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Anyway, there's not much to say about most random fights in Hell Gate, so we're just gonna cheese it a bit.

 

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Dragon spells aren't quite as strong as their Forbidden cousins, but they're still plenty powerful.

 

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And that ends that!

 

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Beating random fights in Hell Gate always nets you some treasure at the end. In this case, we get the dragon spell Entify, the worst spell in the game. It's basically a form of Revivify that kills the caster, and it even costs more MP to cast than Revivify too. Even the element-boosting spells have more utility than this thing.

 

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Floor 2 is replaced by a battle consisting of nothing but Faeries and Gremlins, and is super easy as a result.

 

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Battles containing Gremlins are highly desirable, though, as they net you Pumpkins, which can be sold to Deneb to recruit a new type of ally. They also help us when recruiting Deneb herself, but that's something we'll deal with later.

 

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Alright, Floor 3, another story battle at last.

 

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Quote

Denim: dungeon?

Denim isn't really feeling the Halloween season.

 

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This seems like a very odd place to meet random young ladies.

Quote

Denim: Why are you here?! ...Did you come here by yourself?


Young Girl: No. Everyone died. They turned into stone.


Denim: Stone?


Young Girl: Do you see those statues nearby?

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I appreciate the writer's brave attempt to convey fear phonetically in the text. It looks goofy, but they tried.

Quote

Young Girl: Yes. They were turned into statues. The guardian of the shrine put a curse on them which turned them into statues. Everyone here was once human.


Denim: Why have they been turned into stone?!


Young Girl: This shrine is a sacred place...only disciples of Asmodeus are allowed here.


Denim: Who are you......?

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TWIST

 

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I kinda spoiled this particular unit type a bit, huh?

Quote

Denim: What?! Are you the guardian of ths shrine?!


Zadova: Stupid human!! You have come to destroy the shrine! You shall be turned to stone!

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Zadova is the most threatening enemy here, purely because of her ability to turn our units to stone. Thankfully, her AI has unusual priorities and often won't try to petrify us if she can shoot us instead, and units who aren't facing her or are carrying some method of blocking the petrification will be safe regardless. She isn't a particularly dangerous foe outside of petrification.

 

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She's also brought some new enemies in the Goblin unit. These are yet another demihuman class that are basically just a glorified Soldier/Amazon, but at least these guys have the benefit of 6 spaces of movement, which is better than "can go in water" or "has really high Vitality and bad everything else". They aren't really worth picking up honestly, but I guess you can do worse. They do have an affinity for Hammers, for whatever that's worth.

 

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There's a lot of undead in this fight, and dealing with them can be annoying, so I suggest cheesing it a bit. Hit-all spells sure are broken when they don't smack your own team!

 

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Clearly, we are coming out a little bit ahead in the damage race.

 

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Shelley didn't quite have enough MP for any spells, but her Earth staff gave us our way out of here.

 

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Quote

Zadova: crave the power, the closer you are to following the dark side... Go ahead...step over my body and pursue the dark path...

Sure, thanks for being so understanding about it!

 

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Alright, let's grab the treasure and-

 

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Oh. Right. You have to do an extra step during the battle to keep going further into Hell Gate. Whoops.

Sorry this shit's so short, but I promise we'll be back with more Miserable Hole In The Ground action at least probably sooner than half a month from now.

 

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I like it. It' coherent. You are taking your time, to do a long ass part of the game. 😛

Pumpkin, eh...
It's sad how near-everything in Hell Gate is the definition of Awesome, but Impractical. Also, Goblins in this game are sorta strong, it's hilarious.
Didn't knew you know recruit them of Gorgon though.

The shrine is a sacred place, press X do doubt.
Asmodeus, ah that one make sense.

12 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

Miserable Hole In The Ground

That's not a innuendo, but I'll do as if it's one. 😛

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 10/15/2019 at 3:09 PM, B.Leu said:

I like it. It' coherent. You are taking your time, to do a long ass part of the game.

implying that my content usually isn't coherent smh

On 10/15/2019 at 3:09 PM, B.Leu said:

It's sad how near-everything in Hell Gate is the definition of Awesome, but Impractical. Also, Goblins in this game are sorta strong, it's hilarious.

Eh, most of the equipment options it provides are pretty good, and most of the spells and techniques learned here are honestly kinda overpowered. The only stuff that's really less useful than it sounds are most of the new units, and the only real impracticality for the rest of it is how random and/or difficult actually acquiring any of it is.

We'll be finishing off the initial string of story-related battles for the Hell Gate, including meeting a ghostly mentor that can hopefully make those melee fighters of ours suck just a little less.

Chapter 4 Hell Gate Floors 4-6: Pumpkin Pals

Spoiler

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Before we go back to Hell Gate, we've gotta visit our special witch friend.

 

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Remember those Pumpkins we picked up? You're supposed to sell them to her. They aren't worth much in terms of money value, but since we got them for free that's not such a big deal.

 

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This allows us to recruit a new kind of unit, though only as many as we had Pumpkins to sell.

 

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So, let's look at the Pumpkin Head. These fellas are something of a gimmick unit. They have high Vitality and Mentality, but poor everything else, including their HP, making their seemingly-tanky stats less impressive. They can at least equip armor and weapons, but they don't make great use of them. The main reason to use these little guys is their special abilities; Pumpkin (halves enemy HP, but damages user), YasaiWar (drains the MP of every enemy, also damages user), and Squash-X (kills the user and severely damages everyone around them). YasaiWar is actually pretty handy in some caster-heavy fights, but the other powers kinda suck unfortunately, making them rather niche. However, you should recruit some anyway, as recruiting 10 of them grants Deneb a bunch of extra equipment when you choose to recruit her.

 

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They don't need to be in your army all at the same time, thankfully. Merely recruiting and firing them will be enough.

 

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We won't be getting more Pumpkins by just sitting around here, though. Back to Hell!

 

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We fight through the first few floors again and get a few nice items. This Hammer's pretty strong, for example.

 

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Getting past the 3rd floor requires opening the way forward, which means placing someone on this specific space so the door opens. No, the game doesn't mention this, though the space is conspicuous enough that players would likely try to go there for treasure anyway.

 

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Alright, on to the next floor.

 

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Look who's back, it's that Necromancer guy from way back when! And he's got Leonard and Zaebos with him, though they're looking a bit purple-er than usual.

Quote

Nybbas: Hmmm. It's not complete. "Necro" will only turn the living into the undead... "Revivify" will only bring back life, but the aging process can't be stopped. My son was so close. I was able to regenerate his body cells. But I was unable to retrieve his memory... I am trying to achieve what you would call a soul recovery. It is very difficult. When one condition is met, another thing goes wrong... Sorry, I have failed again. Forgive me. Everlasting life and youth is the one thing that all human beings strive for.

The subplot with his son is actually brought up and resolved in the Neutral route, which has a different version of this scene as a result. We never meet him otherwise.

 

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Hey, when you have an item in your hands, you're supposed to hold it above your head so we can see it!

 

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Quote

Denim: Leonard!! How did you get here?!

Nybbas: You are the last person I expected to see here. Ah yes, I remember now. It's Denim, right? I'm so glad to see you again. What are you doing here? Why the Hell Gate? Are you seeking the Dragon Magic? ...Or are you seeking eternal life like me? Shall I show you the results of my research? Don't be shy, I'm so anxious to show you.

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In addition to two familiar faces, he also summons a bunch of other undead. The normal-looking classes are actually "zombies" and qualify as undead for exorcism purposes.

Quote

Nybbas: You took real good care of me in Kadoriga. So this time, why don't I pay you back?

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Predictably, we gotta deal with Nybbas. Thankfully, he's kind of a weakling and doesn't have much in the way of abilities to screw us over, and the undead he's surrounded by aren't too strong either. Note the Undead ring he's got, it'll be important later.

 

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Zaebos and Leonard have some unique drops and dialogue, so killing them first is worth it.

 

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Quote

Zaebos: What is this body...?

Denim: Zaebos!

Zaebos: Nybbas? What am I doing here...?

Nybbas: Good job...hee, hee, hee.

F

 

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Quote

Leonard: .........

Nybbas: It's no use. He doesn't remember anything, because his soul is missing. Do you know why the undead love to fight? Because they are in constant agony to be dead. They envy life and hate those that possess it. To ease their pain, they will try to make you just like them!

Denim: If I cannot save Leonard...then I will turn you into one of the living dead!!

Don't worry, Denim he'll be handling that bit himself.

 

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Anyway, let's kill an old pal.

 

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Quote

Denim: Leonard!

Leonard: Denim...? I was dead...

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Denim got so upset at killing Leonard that he immediately sneezed.

 

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He then cleaved Nybbas in half.

 

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Quote

Nybbas: King of Darkness Demunza, give me the power of darkness which has been sealed within this ring... May the seal be broken!!

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Who could've seen THIS coming?

 

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Eh, my Lich looks cooler tbh.

Quote

Nybbas: Hee, hee, hee... If you are craving for the ability to become an undead, it can only be achieved by using the knowledge. But you have to give up being a human being. Hee, hee, hee. I may see you again...so long...

Denim: Wait, Nybbas!!

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He turns into a birb again, while everyone else just winks out of existence.

 

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Leonard and Zaebos drop the Hero and Earth spears, water and earth elemental weapons that provide decent damage and a slight elemental boost. The Earth spear is a little stronger than the generic Balder spear, but the Hero one's actually a bit weaker and heavier for whatever reason.

 

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The next fight's just a random one, so we'll be brief.

 

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Starting above the enemy makes battles like this super easy.

 

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Isn't it nice when the way forward opens on its own, without us having to do anything?

 

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The next floor's a bit special, at least on the first visit.

 

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It'd be a kinda boring battle with such flat terrain, anyway.

 

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Suddenly, ghost!

 

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Quote

Denim: Who are you?!

Ghost: My name is Roderick. I used to be the King of Brigantes...

Denim: Roderick, you were the loser in the Unity War against King Dolgare?

Roderick: Yes......are you the man who battles against Vesinian?

Denim: Vesinian? You mean the Bacrum Army?

Roderick: The man who fights against Vesinian is my friend. I shall share my power with you...

Denim: Power?

Roderick: Yes. I will teach you the secret technique of Brigantes which has been preserved for generations... There are 10 kinds of secret techniques...but I can only teach you one...that has been the rule and... besides, humans are not capable of learning more than one... First, I'll give you the ability in which you will be able to change your inner power into an energy sword. Whoever has a sword may achieve the secret technique. Who wants to have this?

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So, like Ghost King Guy said, we now have the chance to learn a special power. These are mostly tied to melee-weapons (either swords or axes/hammers/spears/claws, plus one that requires the user to not have a melee weapon), and they offer unique powers to classes and characters that normally don't have much going for them this late in the game. You can only learn each one time, though, and once you learned all 10 there's no more chances to learn any. Passing on one makes it impossible to learn it ever again, as well.

 

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Fudo is based on the user's Dexterity, dealing damage directly equal to the user's Dexterity. Only sword-wielders can use it, and it has a range of 2 like all the other powers Roderick teaches. My personal favorite options for it are Guildus and Haborym. Guildus has superior durability that makes it easier for him to get in range for it and it at least gives him something unique, but Haborym usually deals more damage, and it helps get around his iffier durability in melee combat. Plus it gives him something to do when he's not casting Petrify.

 

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This time around, we'll be doing Haborym. These abilities are always on the bottom of the ability list, even if the character doesn't have a full list.

 

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After this encounter, Roderick's gonna show up more or less randomly to teach us additional powers. I'll try to get all of them, but no promises. Most of them aren't quite as useful as Fudo anyway.

 

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After that, we could charge on into another random fight. The next story encounter isn't until Floor 25 though, so we'd be here a while.

 

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So we're gonna do a little more prep work instead. Next update will likely be greatly summarized as we plumb the depths of the Hell Gate yet again to gather as much power as we can from it.

 

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Well, I must've used them really poorly, or not noticed their potencial. I have a hard time thinking "correctly" for FFT and it's kind.
...I never knew Pumpkin Head existed as a recruit.

Now that I look at it, Denim's face makes me think of something else. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
What gives ? Why does they still all have skins while our Liches and undead are Spooky Scary Skeletons ? Unfair. And I like how the guy talk about cells, their movements and lack of thereof, how can they even look at them without the necessary tools ?

Plot wise, it was pretty cool to make the dead guys do a quick come back like that. It would sure be cool if we could do that. >_>
It would also pretty cool if those things were useful for the ending. >_>

Earth Spear, that looks like an Axe, not a spear. 😛

Fudo, Fudo's pretty cool yeah.

Edited by B.Leu
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  • 3 weeks later...

I've got a lot of shit happening in my life rn, so this is gonna have to stay on the back burner for a bit. Should probably have something a bit after Thanksgiving, maybe earlier if we're lucky.

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  • 3 weeks later...

My schedule hasn't entirely cleared, but I've got a bit further into Hell Gate so I figured it's time to post again to prove I'm not abandoning this thread.

Chapter 4 Hell Gate Floors 7-25: Heaven Let Your Light Shine Down

Spoiler

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We're still in the Heck Door dungeon, and unfortunately we've lost a pumpkin pal in the process.

 

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To make up for it, we can learn a few new techniques. FireWave (rendered as "ZanFire" here for some reason) is a fire-based technique that does damage based on the user's Mentality stat, and is generally a bit worse than Fudo since fewer classes have great Mentality, though it's still worth learning. DevilCry, meanwhile, is a move that does damage based on your current HP, but also drains you by that amount in the process, making it potentially powerful but also quite dangerous, and generally inferior to Fudo for that reason. They both can only be used by a wielder of axes, spears, claws or hammers.

 

6V7rirY.png?1ZEtPJpx.png?1

Anyway, I kinda made some bad choices unfortunately. Kachua might at least get some utility out of FireWave provided I'm willing to move her into melee range and give her a melee weapon, but Forcas is kinda bad at this point and likely to die if I ever use DevilCry.

 

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Anyway, let's skip past all these generic battles...

 

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And get straight to a fight with some actual design to it.

 

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Here's our folks.

 

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Seems like we're not the only regular ol' humans going this far into hell.

 

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Quote

Vepar: How did you get here!? I was so close to solving the mystery of the FireSeal! Everyone! You can't allow him to proceed any further! Kill him!

Denim's so famous now that even random crones living in hell know his name.

Notably, she mentions the "FireSeal", which refers to a special item appearing both in this game and March of the Black Queen. In this particular game, there is a lengthy and convoluted sidequest involved in getting it, and this is one of only two hints you get that it's even a thing at all. It was also tied to a real-life contest to see who could get it first, winning some sort of cool prize. We won't be doing it, since it's a pain and involves running through the entire Hell Gate a second time, and the item itself isn't powerful enough to make it worthwhile.

 

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Predictably, we've gotta kill the boss to move on. She's got a powerful hit-all spell called Starion, the Holy version of the forbidden spells, and probably the best attack spell in the game since it doesn't hit your own allies and also exorcises undead, all while costing less MP than Wipe Out and the other dragon spells. This spell makes her rather dangerous, but thankfully her other spell is Light Bow, and it's easy to trick her into wasting MP casting that instead so she never gets a chance to blow your shit up.

 

AHe1qnP.png?1

Before we get to that, though, let's look at some equipment to grab. This Cleric should be a prime target purely for her healing abilities, but she also drops the Holy robe, a Holy counterpart to the Dark-aligned Evil robe we received before, and thus sharing its MP-boosting effects. I'm fairly certain this particular item is unique, so make sure to get it.

 

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Some other gear is the Light helmet, a decent-but-not-exceptional bit of armor, and the Wind staff, a staff that gives good stat boosts and allows the caster to cast Wind Shot. Neither is quite as vital, but you may as well grab them.

 

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The MP cost of Wipe Out might make it a bit tricky to use, but the Charge spell largely solves that concern.

 

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Agh, enemy healers are the worst.

 

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The enemy Witch decides to use her fancy staff ability instead of something that might actually help her team.

 

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That's one bit of treasure.

 

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And another.

 

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And now we're done!

 

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Trust me, lady, it's probably not worth solving.

 

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Well, that was something.

 

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Stuff get. These two things are likely going to the same person, probably one of the Shamans since they're among the few who can equip Starion.

 

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I'll be continuing down into this very tedious dungeon, but thankfully the content ahead should only take up a couple more updates before we're ready to take on the final missions!

 

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Time is... an annoying ressource to manage. But we, we can wait.

I don't even know what the heck the FireSeal is. 😄
It's legit the first time I heard of it.

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  • 5 months later...

Woof, this has been quite the schedule slip, eh? I'd like to say I have an excuse, but the truth is I kinda got bored playing through Hellhole Dungeon again and ended up repeatedly putting off playing the game because the experience was just that tedious. Probably not helped by me starting the dungeon over again after reaching Floor 30 so I could grind for items.

So to get things moving again, we're just skipping over that nonsense and heading straight for the endgame. Truth is, there's still a fair bit of game left, and it should be infinitely more interesting than my billionth battle with some generic undead.

So for any of you who still care, here we go:

Chapter 4 Path to Heigm: Knights Of The Rainbow

Spoiler

sFt3OKv.png?1

I don't really have much footage of my time in the Terrible Place That Was Bad outside of what I've previously shown, so let's just skip straight to at least one bit of payoff for all that suffering.

 

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So, here's the trick with recruiting Deneb. All you've gotta do is purchase a significant number of items from her, and she'll eventually offer to join. Notably, she seems to care more about the quantity of items than the price, so buying shitty Cure and Magi leaves until you're full up and then selling them back so you can buy them again is the best strategy. However, in order to get all these nifty spells and equipment options, you have to recruit 10 of her Pumpkin allies before letting her join, which takes some immensely tedious grinding for Pumpkin items that I won't bother showing.

As for Deneb herself, well, she's a Siren/Witch hybrid, basically. She has all the spells off both of their spell lists, and has the Witch's Fast movement type, but she has no special abilities to speak of, and has the misfortune of copying the Witch's inferior stat growths instead of the Siren's. Unlike other games (including the remake), where she usually gets some cool special ability all to herself, here the most exciting thing about her is her gear. At least her unique Witch palette is cute.

Her Nova spell is an instant death spell, by the way. It's okay, but at the point you get it the Summon spells, Dragon spells and Starion are usually better options. Her equipment and her second copy of MagmaGod are the most exciting reasons to go through the trouble of getting all those Pumpkins.

Also, do note that recruiting Deneb removes her shop from the game. I hope you got all the Pumpkin Heads and Orbs you need, because you won't be getting many more of them from here on out.

 

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With that out of the way, there's nothing to stop us from marching to Heigm and stomping in Branta's stupid face.

 

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Well, aside from that.

 

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Here's the squad. I feel like Deneb probably doesn't appreciate having Aloser copying her look.

 

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I don't even know who you are or how I betrayed you, buddy. Seems like I'm a traitor to damn near everyone these days.

 

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Predictably, we gotta kill the boss. The massive water feature and his little fuck-you Orb trick make this battle a pain in the ass, but thankfully with two hit-all spells we can just sit back and weather the damage while slowly wearing them down.

 

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Having a bunch of units that can fly makes a lot of fights significantly less daunting.

 

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Dunno if we've ever seen the Water one of these, so let's take a peek at that now.

 

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Goddess lady comes down and sprays ice everywhere, much like my freezer door did last week.

 

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Due to his crappy stats, though, the orb didn't do much of anything.

 

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Also, I figured I'd show off that magic ring Deneb has. It casts an ability when used.

 

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But you shouldn't bother.

 

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Olivia casting Starion ends things once and for all. I'm still not sure what this guy is talking about.

 

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Expect to see this a lot from now on. Hit-all spells are honestly kinda broken.

 

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The boss drops his Float ring, which lets you float on water. Great, I guess.

 

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One more battle stands between us and the actual plot.

 

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Quote

Hanzo:  Hero of Griate!

I see even Overwatch characters have heard of Denim's accomplishments.

 

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... thank you? I don't think Denim's ready for a relationship though. He's already got a lot on his plate.

 

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I really hope this sounded cooler in Japanese. This sounds like a class kit in Baldur's Gate.

 

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This fight is pretty generic, honestly. The most interesting things about it are the 3 Knights with Wing boots, which you can persuade them for or hope they drop. Hanzo himself left his bow at home and decided to mimic his brother's combat techniques instead.

 

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Sadly for him, I'm a cheater cheater pumpkin eater.

 

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At this point, all that anyone not named Kachua or Olivia is accomplishing is picking off stragglers or giving all their MP to one of those two. Or casting Petrify, if they're Aloser or Haborym.

 

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Anyway, we're done here.

 

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Good dialogue, buddy.

 

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If Olivia doesn't get MVP, odds are that it went to Kachua instead. Or no one.

 

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I forgot to take screencap of the map, but oh well. Next time, we'll bring these rotten pears and throw them at Branta, and also kill him or something I guess.

This was in the works for a week and I got lazy again and then someone @'d me and I felt bad lol.

Edited by epilepsyduck
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Good to have you back ! 😄

It's as if the Hell Gate was hell itself wait I already did that joke.
10 Pumpkins ?! For a barely good character ? And her shop close, I don't even...

Hanzo is also a popular ninja but shhhhhh 😛

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It's time to bust down the gates of Heigm and finally unite Valeria, via a string of battles we're going to fight through with honor and courage.

Chapter 4 Heigm: Scion of Mustafa

Spoiler

8G1il4c.png?1

We've been putting off dealing with these assholes for long enough. It's time to finish things.

 

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We have a choice between two entrances, which lead further to two different battles afterwards before reaching the throne room. They're not super different, so pick whichever you want.

 

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Here's the team.

 

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Halphas understands what castle defense is all about.

 

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Same old song and dance as usual. Not much to this battle, aside from the rather nice axe the boss drops.


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Not that axes are super useful anymore.


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The few survivors of our magic nuclear assault are effortlessly picked off.


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Don't worry, you won't have to wait long to apologize to him directly.


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Good on you, Gucci.

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If you're not like me and just cheating with magic orbs and superspells, you can give this to any dragons your using to make them stronger. That's nice, I guess.


8vJvRZ2.png?1VXH4fVn.png?1

Quote

Branta: Damn! What a mess!! This is all the Dark Knights fault! I should never have trusted them! They not only have the queen, but now they are trying to take Heigm! Draw your swords, men! Fight! Show them your power!

A Familiar Voice: Your highness, calm down.

Everyone is continuously surprised they can't trust an organization literally called "The Dark Knights".

tos2Clz.png?1

Ah, you assholes are still here.

Quote

Branta: There you are, you bastards!!

Lans Tartare: Its been a while, your highness.

Branta: If you dont want to be the laughing stalk of the whole continent, you better get your ass out there and fight!!

Lans Tartare: Im not here to talk about strategy I came here to say good-bye, your highness.

Branta: What!? Are you abandoning me!?

Lans Tartare: Choose your words carefully, your highness. Had you listened to us, you would never be in this situation. If you gave up your position to the queen, you could have reduced your peoples desire to revolt.

Branta: Is that your excuse!?

Lans Tartare: Dont you understand!? Your highness, its over! You have lost the war.

NQC3LCV.png?1

Quote

Branta: Im not defeated yet! Youre the loser!!

9NcbPEF.png?1

Uh oh, seems like some betrayal is happening.


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Gotta love this Evil vs. Evil stuff.

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Especially since it's happening literally minutes before we get there.


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The new team.


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Quote

Velmado: We might lose! I will not force you to fight. Whoever does not want to die may leave now!

CLW4IHu.png?1

Quote

Velmado: Go ahead! Now!

eNT7sI8.png?1

Can't believe IntSys ripped off Matsuno like this smh.

Quote

Velmado: Very good! The Bacrum Knights are honorable. We will protect this castle! Show them what the Bacrum Knights are made of!

oNxi8BD.png?1F3n88Tt.png?1

With such an inspiring display of loyalty and honor, we should try to spare as many of these people as po-


mggeqY2.png?1EYbC583.png?1

Oh, nevermind.


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I'll be sure to remember you, Vemlado.


NUXEXSP.png?1

Enough of that, we have more drama to see.

Quote

Martym: You wont be needing this where youre going...

Balzepho: You... traitor...!

5iOYhCf.png?1

Geez, that seems kinda unnecessary.


sN9ctew.png?1

I wish the translators had maybe looked up some synonyms for "traitor", and maybe considered not having literally everyone accuse everyone else of being one.

Quote

Martym: You have betrayed Lodis.

Volac: What!?

Martym: We should now be able to open the seal without the queen. As long as we have Brunhild!

Volac: What do you mean!?

Martym: This Holy Sword is able to break any magic seal. He had the key all along, but our stupid leader had us look for a dead woman and a whiny queen for nothing!

Volac: Is that true, sir!?

Martym: Im not gonna let you keep Dolgares treasure all to your yourselves!

ypJdjgj.png?1

I'm sure tying you up was just a prelude to letting you go.

Quote

Martym: Calm down. Im not going to kill you. Although when the Liberation Army takes over, they might. Theres nothing I can do about that.

Volac: Balzepho, are you alright!?

gH85HEY.png?1

I kinda messed up screencapping this scene, but Martym left.

Quote

Volac:Andoras! Are you also a part of these traitors!?

IDyw8bN.png?1bBr2XH4.png?1

Oof, sounds like some bad blood. I'd leave these fellas to die too.


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Well what do you think, idiot!? That's not the kind of thing people let go of, and he literally just said you'd pay for it!


UziNGNO.png?1

Quote

Lans: anyway.

What can't they handle? Who knows.


G5HXypf.png?1

We'll have to come back to deal with Branta himself later. Afterwards, we march to the game's true finale, a massive multi-battle ordeal that's still far less of a waste of time than the Hell Gate.

 

Edited by epilepsyduck
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Eh ? Terror Knight Denim, I think I missed/forgot something.

Ahaha, dragon magic make people go poof, it's hilarious.
"Why would you hate me for killing your family ? Geez !" 😛

Oh gosh, that throne room... 😕

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On 5/13/2020 at 5:42 PM, B.Leu said:

Ahaha, dragon magic make people go poof, it's hilarious.

Can you believe they arguably did an even worse job balancing it in the remake

It's time for the climactic final showdown with Branta, bringing our war with Bacrum to an end with flair and panache. Afterwards, we meet an old friend long since forgotten, and proceed to forget about him again as we get a cool sword.

Chapter 4 Heigm Throne Room: The Lament of Lans

Spoiler

aAJ0ajW.png?1

Welp, not much left to say. Let's unite Valeria!

 

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Here we go.

 

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Seems like our traitorous traitors are ready for us.

 

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Quote

Martym: The old fart Balzepho had it!

Andoras: Things are gettting wrong...

WgDgry6.png?1

Yeah, Denim has that effect on people.

Quote

Branta: They're here! Do something!

Barbas: We'll go to the Eden, as we had planned.

Branta: What are you guys up to!?

Barbas: Are you telling us what to do, you imbecile?

Branta: What!? How dare you talk to me like that!!

Denim: Branta! This is the end!!

Martym: Damn, they're already here!

 

EmEtxTD.png?1CNKkDdY.png?1

Sick of y'all running away with your magic cheater gems.

 

1B3h6tD.png?1

A little slow on the uptake, Branta?

Quote

Barbas: We're done listening to you. Your time is over. You were the one who started this war. It's your problem now! We're not going to stick around and clean up!

iavLOeF.png?1

Folks keep being really surprised when an organization called "The Dark Knights" betray them.

 

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When has asking them to wait actually worked, Denim?

 

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If you go into this fight unprepared, this is an exceptionally tough battle. Most of the enemies here are Terror Knights, and their attack-decreasing aura stacks, making melee fighters completely ineffective. Branta himself isn't that tough a fighter, but he can summon Angel Knights as you kill his Terror Knights, and these Angel Knights have higher stats than the ones you can make yourself (though at least it makes a good recruiting opportunity for them). Going into this battle playing fair is a tricky business.

 

dOiQMdW.png?1qMc0p3n.png?1HURmDrW.png?1ZQwMmIU.png?1

I actually intended to farm him for Angel Knights, but then I impulsively decided to nuke him instead. Oh well.

 

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At long last, Bacrum has fallen!

 

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Branta drops his sword. It's alright, I guess, but not meaningfully better than stuff we've had for ages by now.

 

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Time to talk with what's left of the Bacrumese forces.

 

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Quote


Kachua: they fight back! The Dark Knights are the enemy, not the Bacrum soldiers. Send a messenger first and tell them of our intentions. Do not provoke them in any manner.

Former Bacrum Army Knight: As you wish.

Kachua: I want to tell them the same thing to the Liberation Army. Do not fight the Bacrum soldiers. If that happens, punish them very harshly.

Denim: I understand.

 

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Quote

Kachua: We are not Bacrumese nor Walstanian. We are Valeria. We will forgive each other for what we have done in the past. If you have any ill will, bury it deep within yourselves. Because now is the time we have to unite and establish the new nation of Valeria.

Former Bacrum Army Knight: All the knights that stand before you, vow to be your loyal servants until they die, Queen Bersalia.

Kachua: Thank you.

Kachua said Stop Racism.

 

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Quote

Denim: the Roslolians have fled to! This will be the final battle!!

Indeed, Eden's a point of no return, so make sure you're done with everything before you head there!

 

52jvf1Y.png?1

Now we cut to a dingy room, presumably somewhere in Heigm.

 

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After the failure of his titular game, the Ultimate Lifeform had to get a second job as a generic NPC in other games.

 

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Quote

Shadow: Is something wrong?

Denim: No... Nothing...

0Qb4zIn.png?1

Looks like we might've found our old pal Lans at last.

 

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This girl's got a completely unique sprite and portrait, despite not having a name.

 

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After so long apart, Denim and his old friend here can finally reunite.

 

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Ouch, Lans. You're looking pretty rough, and the artstyle already wasn't doing you any favors.

 

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Quote

Denim: This is Sir Lans' music box?

I obviously can't show this, but the musicbox plays the same little chime as before.

 

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Lans Tartar Sauce has really done a number on our Paladin friend.

 

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Yeah, it's pretty sad to see him like this.

 

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At least he's got this random girl looking after him.

 

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Kachua gets very upset seeing what's become of poor Lans, and runs out of the room. Pretty sure we haven't seen this particular portrait of hers before.

 

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You could say that.

Quote

Young Girl: Im sorry... I didnt mean to startle you...

Denim: ...No, its alright. I just...

Young Girl: ...Please wait a moment.

EmGITxI.png?1

Quote

Young Girl: carrying.

Denim: This is the Zenobia Sword...

Who cares what happened to that glorified tutorial character. Stuff!

 

NxC5Xfq.png?1

The finale is basically all we have left to do. We'll get to starting the sizable gauntlet ahead soon!

 

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Branta Claus and his elves, and his magical throne are gone, with their sponsor running aways.

This last scene, man, it hit the kokoro. 😞

5 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

Who cares what happened to that glorified tutorial character. Stuff!

"I'm stuff !" "OMG Sword no !"

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With Valeria united, we finally have time to deal with these Dark Knights who've been running around. The endgame awaits, with a strange mini-maze finale that I prove only somewhat successful at navigating.

Chapter 4 Eden: A Honeymoon in Eden

Spoiler

mvVTo8c.png?1

There's a couple optional things we could still do, but they aren't really worth the time. Let's just head for the endgame!

 

BAWqJEQ.png?1

Eden is a multi-battle gauntlet, like the Hell Gate. It's significantly smaller (18 battles, as opposed to 100), and you don't even have to fight every battle if you know what to do, but it's still longer than any non-Hell Gate battle we've seen. Past the entrance, each battle also has increasingly-ridiculous names that show just how little the translators still cared by this point.

 

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These ten folks will be our team for the rest of the game.

 

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Sure seems like it.

 

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Quote

Denim: This is it, Martym! There's no way out!!
Martym: Don't be so over-confident, kid! We are capable of sending 100,000 troops over to this island! But you will die here in the Eden, way before that happens.
Denim: Is that a threat or a promise?
Martym: You don't believe me, do you?! (to his troops)I will let you guys handle it! Take care of them for me.
Dark Knight: Yes, sir.

q0YT07r.png?1

I guess just cause it hasn't worked before doesn't mean we can't keep trying.

 

atUFEi2.png?1

Most of these battles are Kill All Enemies, the only exception being the final one. The main gimmick is trying to find the secret exits in the battlefield, allowing you to ascend the tower more quickly and skip certain battles.

 

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For that reason, my typical Nuclear Options aren't so viable for now. Instead, we go for a different kind of cheese.

 

KnzoKqU.png?1

These guys are oddly nonthreatening compared to some of our previous foes, cheese or no.

 

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There's actually a few secret doors that lead to different floors here, but this one's the one that gets you farthest in.

 

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And away we go!

 

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None of the battles between us and the top mean much of anything, so don't feel bad for skipping them. Let's head out!

For fun, though, let's look at some of the enthralling battle names we missed, and some we may never see:

Quote

1F: Entrance
2F: Water Snake Spine
3F: Fisted Man
4F: Stomping Woman
5F: Jewel Tear
6F: Blue Loop
7F: Hair in the Wind
8F: Orgasmic Dream
9F: Wine Altar
10F: Honeymoon
11F: Growling Bastard
12F: Red Loop
13F: Color of Time
14F: Loyal Room
15F: Star Gazer
16F: Black Loop
17F: White Loop
18F: Heaven and Hell

Some of these are truly wonderful in the absolute worst way. Who let "Orgasmic Dream" and "Fisted Man" through?

uZK55E4.png?1

The enemies here are oddly stationary for some reason, making it even easier than previous fights.

 

VtE2aah.png?1

The door that gets us farthest in is here, right next to the entrance. You can just barely make it out.

 

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Anyway, no need to dawdle here.

 

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This particular battle has some enemies I originally intended to encounter in the Hell Gate. One last class introduction for the road!

 

6ahJXxW.png?1Q1zUvx3.png?1

Here's the Hydra. While it's a dragon class, it can't be accessed by dragons you level yourself, it can only be recruited, either here or (preferably) in the Hell Gate. It's got huge stats in all the areas dragons usually do, but even lower stats in areas where dragons tend to suffer. Their main gimmick is having all four elemental breaths, which is... something, I guess? Even if I was still using dragons by now, the only breath weapons that matter are Thunder and Ice, and they're practically interchangeable. The idea of flexibility is nice, but the game mechanics let it down a bit.

 

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Please enjoy their adorably goofy damage sprite, though.

 

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There is a secret entrance here, but I forgot to find it. Oops.

 

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How romantic.

 

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This battle has less-exciting Holy Dragons, so I have less to say about it.

 

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It also doesn't have a secret exit, so zap away!

 

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HP Lovecraft would hate this floor.

 

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The dragons here are a special enemy-only dragon, but I didn't get their stats. They have the Gorgon's petrify-everything ability, but they tend to miss.

 

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Here's the exit, right next to the "normal" one.

 

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And now we're done!

 

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One more fight between us and the top!

 

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More unique enemy recolors, and once again I didn't get their stats. They didn't do much in the fight anyway.

 

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The secret exit is right behind where you start. How clever.

 

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Anyway, we're out of here.

 

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On to the final(?) showdown.

 

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Quote

Denim: Don't you have any pride as a Knight of Lodis? You don't have the guts to fight me!
Martym:  What did you say?!

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Quote

Andoras: Let me take care of him! You have to go to Barbas!!
Martym: Damn you!! You're lucky, kid!

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With one more cry of "Wait, (insert bad guy)!", Martym once again warps away like the wimp he is. That won't work forever, pal!

 

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Let's take these fellas on. This isn't too hard a fight if played legit, though notably Andoras is a dual-wielder and can put out some real pain as a result. Still, he and his knights are ultimately fairly manageable.

 

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Quote

Canopus: are a Bolmarkan.

Hairiness? Don't go talking like some "race realist" blogger now, Canopus.

 

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Quote

Canopus: The Bolmarkans were made slaves by Lodis. Yet, you became a commander in the ranks of the Dark Knights! I'd even bet that you are a member of the Nirdums, the royal family that was destroyed by Lodis. I'm right, aren't I? And you serve the country which massacred and destroyed yours? Why are you working with them? Why didn't you fight against them? You are no different than them!
Andoras: You don't understand! How can you possibly understand?! There are a lot of people from Nirdum in Lodis! They have been taken hostage! At least that's how I see it!
Canopus: Why are you trying to throw Valeria into the same situation?
Andoras: Then kill me! And then stop Barbas!
Canopus: Stubborn bastard!

Can't believe these P O L I T I C S in my videogames smfh

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While we could totally take on Andoras legit, instead let's cheat with orbs and look at Andoras's unsettling lamprey mouth in his damage sprite. Maybe the distinct lips were a bad idea, y'all.

 

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Quote

Denim: Where is Barbas?
Andoras: At the grave of Dolgare...they must be there...
Denim: They found the grave? Where is it? Where is the tomb? Tell me!
Andoras: The grave...it's underneath the Eden... The entire tower itself is Dolgare's tombstone... Barbas should be...opening up the seal...by now...
Denim: How can that be?! Without Kachua, that's impossible!
Andoras: The sword...we stole from Zenobia... With the sword, any seal can be broken...
Denim: ...We have to hurry! To the underground!
Andoras: Denim...listen... The reason why Nirdum was defeated was...the people were not united...like the people of...Valeria... Now that...the situation is such...Lodis may...invade Valeria... Before that happens...you have to unite Valeria...make it...solid...as a rock...

Don't worry, Andoras. We've done plenty of uniting already.

 

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As expected.

 

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Andoras drops his claw. It might've been nice if it'd dropped, say, a chapter ago, and it's actually pretty good in the remake, but here it's just mediocre.

 

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Just the game warning you that you've crossed the point of no return. Hope you're ready for the true final battle(s)!

 

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We'll get to that stuff next time. Maybe it'll all fit in one update this time!

 

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Dragon Magic go kaboom. The ennemy must be both in despair, and in awe because of the pretty colors.

It's funny, I don't remember Eden at all, the joy of playing it as a kid with subpar result.

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On 5/22/2020 at 11:14 PM, epilepsyduck said:

6ahJXxW.png?1Q1zUvx3.png?1

Here's the Hydra. While it's a dragon class, it can't be accessed by dragons you level yourself, it can only be recruited, either here or (preferably) in the Hell Gate. It's got huge stats in all the areas dragons usually do, but even lower stats in areas where dragons tend to suffer. Their main gimmick is having all four elemental breaths, which is... something, I guess? Even if I was still using dragons by now, the only breath weapons that matter are Thunder and Ice, and they're practically interchangeable. The idea of flexibility is nice, but the game mechanics let it down a bit.

Their having only two legs is goofy.

On 5/22/2020 at 11:14 PM, epilepsyduck said:

arm0Dfg.png?1

While we could totally take on Andoras legit, instead let's cheat with orbs and look at Andoras's unsettling lamprey mouth in his damage sprite. Maybe the distinct lips were a bad idea, y'all.

It really looks like he's half-squid.

And yes I have been reading, don't think that I just poofed out of existence.

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It's time for the grand finale, in typical fantasy-game fashion, against an unholy monstrosity only briefly hinted at before. Can we survive his feeble onslaught and see the ending I did a very poor job of recording?

Tactics Ogre Finale: Sequel Unhook

Spoiler

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Not much sense in wasting time. Let's head towards destiny!

 

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Here's the team once again, though I eventually chose to replace Byan with our Faerie buddy from before. Please take a moment to appreciate Healbot the Generic Priest, slaving tirelessly to keep the team healed and alive.

 

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I screenshotted this wrong, but it's a kill-all battle against an army of undead.

 

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That means Starion wipes them all out in one hit. Easy!

 

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A well earned level.

 

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On to the next level!

 

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Quote

Martym: coming any minute!

Barbas: Relax! It seems that there are different seals.

Martym: Barbas, we are the only ones left! I don't want to set off any traps!

Barbas: Shut up, before I beat the living crap out of you!

 

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Martym is so frustrated he had to swear twice.

 

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Quote

Denim: escape for you now!

Martym: Damn it!! He killed Andoras!

Barbas: This is it! This is the spell to break the seal!
 

 

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Quote

Martym: Hurry up, Barbas! They're here!

Barbas: Belrowda Onnu Barinda Fyzanla Lenne Filaha... Now your lord Filaha will allow you to break the seal!

Barbas: Good!

Martym: Stop them!

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Well, so much for "no escape". I'm getting tired of villains just leaving all the time!

 

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These Templar enemies are honestly a bit of a joke, so forgive me for being brief here.

 

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It's not like I employed a lot of creative strategies anyway.

 

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The final room of this entire game. Are you ready?

 

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Quote

Barbas: Sword Brunhild which was given by a Holy Angel. In the name of the Holy Gods... let the seal be broken where the cursed demons are imprisoned!

Synonyms for "Holy" do exist, Barbas. You should use them.

 

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Quote

Martym: That's it? Nothing is happening.

Barbas: You're right.

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Quote

Martym: He just won't give up, will he?

Barbas: Welcome, Denim! What do you think of Dolgare's treasure?

Denim: Treasure?

Barbas: You don't know...? Then I will tell you... A long time ago, there was once a man who visited here...

Denim: Long time ago?

Barbas: The man was a courageous warrior. And he got everything. But even with that power, he couldn't do one thing, "Resurrection". One day, the man lost his beloved son in an incident. Followed by his wife... He desperately prayed to the Gods to get his son and wife back. But his prayers were never answered. The man became angry and lost faith in the Gods. He decided to use the demons' power instead... So his journey into the Dark World began. To the world where demons reside.

Love this Storytime With Barbas we have tonight.

 

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Does this count as a title drop? I guess it's the best they could do, since it's hard to organically use the word "Tactics" in a conversation.

Quote

Denim: Ogre Battle...? It's about the epic battle between humans and ogres which occurred in a time of legend.

Barbas: That's right. Long ago, humans and ogres fought over the earth. The humans asked the Gods to support them and the ogres asked the Demons...

Denim: What about it?

Barbas: Do you know what happened?

Denim: ...The humans won and the ogres were sent to the underworld...

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Denim's getting sassy again.

Quote

Barbas: Ha, ha, ha, ha.

Denim: What's so funny!?

Barbas: What would you say if I was telling the truth?

Denim: Truth?

Barbas: The place where you are standing right now is the gate to the Dark World. This is a Chaos Gate!

Denim: !!

Barbas: ...And the man who went to the Dark World was Dolgare! Yes, the man you guys respect so much. The former King Dolgare himself!

Martym: The Chaos Gate is moving.

Barbas: Come on! Let's go into the underworld and get the Forbidden Power.

Denim: Oh, no! I won't let you.

Barbas: Sure, we all don't have to go. Because you guys will die here!!

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Both Martym and Barbas count as the "leader" of this fight and must both die, and they have no underlings since we just killed them all. This fight's honestly even easier than the last one.

 

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In fact, while I did use Wipe Out once, other people who aren't Kachua or Olivia actually got to participate this time!

 

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Martym calls out to Barbas in his final moments, leading to Barbas insulting... someone. Me? Martym? Himself? Who knows.

 

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Anyway, I've had enough of this dude.

 

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Finally, that's everything squared away.

 

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We finally get our hands on that cool sword Brunhild, which is the strongest sword in the game... and we get it for one battle, and it's one that can be beaten pretty easily without it. Oh well. At least the time-travel shenanigans give it a chance to shine in the remake.

 

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Seems like things aren't as done as we'd hoped.

 

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An ugly octopus man emerges from the gate. Well, he emerges from the top of the gate.

 

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He somehow isn't the ugliest portrait in the game, for an abomination.

Quote

Dolgare: Lower beings who belong on earth... get on your knees and show me respect...

Denim: You're a God...?

Dolgare: Give me the Brunhild... Then I shall be able to return to earth...

Denim: I understand now... He's still bound to the Chaos Gate...

Dolgare: Everyone rejoice! I have returned...!

Denim: King Dolgare...! I shall release your soul and send you to where your son and wife await.

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You get one last chance to reorganize. Better make it count!

 

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At the start of the fight, Dolgare summons some mooks to help him out. Ignore them, just focus on bringing their boss down.

 

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Nuking them is actually not that viable a strategy: most are highly resistant to damage, and two are immune to magic, though not to orbs.

 

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Dolgare himself is not all that impressive an opponent. Some of his attacks do some nasty damage, and he himself takes little damage from most attacks, but his AI is rather scatterbrained and likes to waste time using LifeSuck or just dawdling around. He has a gimmick of changing his element, but frankly it hardly matters when the best element for damaging him is one he can't switch to.

 

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That Fudo technique is one of the few that can hurt Dolgare for an impressive amount, since it does fixed damage. Hope you went to Hell Gate and got it!

 

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And with a Faerie's help, we can finish him off.

 

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The screen flashes and he explodes in a cloud of sparkles.

 

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Quote

Denim: is still opening!! Something has to be done, or we'll be pulled down into the underworld!!

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Is that a threat, Familiar Voice?

 

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No, I guess not. Whoever it is, they're teleporting the party to safety.

 

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Oh, it's Warren! How ya doing, buddy?

 

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I just said that, Denim.

Quote

Warren: Gasp... This place is collapsing down... Once it collapses, the Chaos Gate should be buried...

Denim: Warren, stop! You can't do that in your condition!

Warren: Thank you, Denim... This is goodbye... By the power of the Wind Spirit, I shall take you high into heaven!

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Our old pal Warren nobly sacrificed himself for us, causing Denim to develop allergies.

 

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I'm sure he'll be fine.

 

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I kinda fucked up capturing this part, but now it's time for the ending!

Quote

Anointer: Under the name of our glorious father Filaha... We anoint Bersalia Overis as the queen of Valeria... And here we give you the name of Valeria...

6Me22ji.png?2

Look who's all fancy in her queenly regalia.

 

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Quote

Bersalia: I'm not saying forget about the past. We have to think what to tell our children why this war happened and what we gained and lost from the war. But we should not carry any ill feelings. We have to leave the past behind. For our children, our future, we have to repent our past and change. We are capable of that. Let's live as residents of Valeria. Let's live as one people for the future of this island. Glory to Valeria!
 

This is slightly out of order, but here's her whole speech.

 

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There's also some flashbacks to previous scenes.

 

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Quote

Denim:  You have a mission to accomplish. It is your responsability.

Kachua': Thank you, Denim.

And what I'm pretty sure is a conversation between the siblings entirely in text.

 

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We also see Olivia leaving the castle.

 

0G7ZH3Z.png?2

Before cutting to another flashback, this one being a scene we haven't seen before.

Quote

Moruba: I understand how you feel, my dear. You have done a lot for me and your other sisters. But your troubles are over... From now on, I will take care of things. You are free now, Olivia.

Olivia: Father...

Moruba: Don't worry about us anymore. We'll be fine. Follow him.

iyal7vd.png?1

Aw.

 

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Quote

Denim: I promised you. ...I will leave the rest of the work to Kachua... She is fine now. She can keep going without me... I bet Kachua is about to be crowned in Heigm. She has become the Queen of Valeria.

vZSz0Rg.png?1

Quote

Denim: Everyone is moving on their own path, Father. There are some comrades who have left Heigm...

This next couple bits depends on your route and which characters are still around.

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Another flashback!

Quote

Canopus: Thank you Denim, for everything.

Denim: Thank you. Without your help, we would have not accomplished this.

Canopus: Ha, ha, ha. Thanks, kid. If Lans and Warren were with us, they would be happy too.

Denim: ......

Mildain: Canopus, we don't know for sure yet. Don't worry Denim... You don't have to feel responsible for what happened to them. It was our choice to come here.

Guildus: Yeah, it was our decision to fight with you.

Canopus: That's right. If Lans and Warren were here, they would be saying the same thing. Okay, let's get going!

Mildain: Goodbye, Denim. I will be looking forward to see you again.

Guildus: So long, kiddo! Give the queen our regards!

Denim: C-Canopus! Sir Lans is...!

Canopus: It's okay, Denim. It's okay... Hey come and visit Zenobia when things settle down. We'll be waiting for you. It's the land where Lans was born. I want you to see Zenobia with your own eyes. Promise me.

Denim: Canopus...

Canopus: What's with that sad look! That's not how a man should look! Smile, Denim. Smile.

Guildus: Ha, ha, ha. I heard that before.

Canopus: Shut up. You're the one who nearly got killed by Martym!

Guildus: What, you red-haired duck! I'm gonna roast you!

Canopus: Duck!? Watch your mouth, you hairy ape!

Denim: Ha, ha, ha.

UqozlYY.png?1

And another.

Quote

Denim: The crowning ceremony is next week.

Byan: I regret I cannot attend the ceremony for my body needs to rest. And if I stay in Heigm, people will keep asking if I am going to teach in the academy. It's too noisy. I would rather stay in the country side. I will go to this girl's village and open a school with Forcas.

Aloser: I'm sorry, Denim. I know I should stay in Heigm and work to build up a new order, but I want to go back home. Now that the war is over, I suddenly have a longing to go back home. So for now, I will go back with Byan and Forcas and think for awhile... and figure out what to do next.

Forcas: You have helped me a lot. Thank you very much. And forgive me for not joining the knight order. I thought it through and this is my decision. Althought the war is over, a lot of people still hold a grudge about the past. Their trauma has not yet healed. That is why I wanted to heal those hearts by talking and not by using a sword.

Byan: Give Kachua our regards.

Denim: Take care of yourselves.

Aloser: When things settle down, I will write to you.

Forcas: I'm looking forward to see you again.

7czOUUg.png?2

This isn't the start of this scene but I screwed up.

Quote

Denim: Father... I will be leaving now. Before Lodis attacks us again, I want to do one thing... I want to see the country Sir Lans protected. The country where Sir Lans came from... I will be back, father. Don't worry...

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After that, we get no more dialogue. Just snippets of different scenes.

 

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Before ending on this one. A rather sad note to close on.

 

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Quote

After the War of Heigm... Until the Hittites invade, the land of Valeria has flourished... It has remained in the front line of history for thousands of years... as an independent country...

Well, good for them. 1000 years is pretty impressive.

 

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After that we get credits.

 

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And after that, we get a tantalizing sequel hook for a sequel that will probably never happen.

 

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And now we're finally done! I hope you enjoyed this little trip through one of my favorite games. I don't know when we'll be returning to this setting, but hopefully we will right now, as it turns out!

I do have one final little update planned, but it'll have to wait just a bit.

Edited by epilepsyduck
my plans were dashed so it's PREQUEL TIME
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34 minutes ago, epilepsyduck said:

ewN9WTu.png?1

Here's the team once again, though I eventually chose to replace Byan with our Faerie buddy from before. Please take a moment to appreciate Healbot the Generic Priest, slaving tirelessly to keep the team healed and alive.

Healbot has been there for longer than most, right?

Good job. He's not Canopus, but at least we can be glad he healed.

38 minutes ago, epilepsyduck said:

t9xURQz.png?1

An ugly octopus man emerges from the gate. Well, he emerges from the top of the gate.

So my finding poor Andoras to be squid-like could have been building up to this? Awkward

39 minutes ago, epilepsyduck said:

Oh, it's Warren! How ya doing, buddy?

 

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I forgot him too!

43 minutes ago, epilepsyduck said:

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Quote

After the War of Heigm... Until the Hittites invade, the land of Valeria has flourished... It has remained in the front line of history for thousands of years... as an independent country...

Well, good for them. 1000 years is pretty impressive.

It held for multiple thousands.

So more impressive. Good job Valeria, you lasted many multiples longer than Valyria.

And with I presume way less slavery, incest and sacrifice.

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6 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

And now we're finally done! I hope you enjoyed this little trip through one of my favorite games. I don't know when we'll be returning to this setting, but hopefully we will!

What about the Lawful and Chaotic routes?

(Actually, i don't even remember if this was the Neutral or Chaotic one)

(Also, i'd mention that "Knight of Lodis" LP that Rapphlesia abandoned long ago, but then again you aren't exactly clean either on that front...)

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On 6/1/2020 at 3:56 PM, Daysi said:

Healbot has been there for longer than most, right?

She was actually recruited immediately before we entered Eden, but she ended up being pretty helpful since it gave Kachua more turns to spam Wipe Out instead or having to heal. Certainly better than my attempts to turn a generic Archer into a Cleric...

On 6/1/2020 at 9:43 PM, Golb89 said:

What about the Lawful and Chaotic Neutral routes?

My bias against the Lawful and (especially) Neutral routes aside, showing those routes would involve playing the game two more times, and not only would Chapters 1 and 4 only be very slightly different each time, Chapter 2 would be nearly identical for the Neutral route as it was for Chaos. The game already took a long time to finish, and I'd rather mix it up a little bit instead of just doing the same thing again.

I do plan to return to a version of this game, eventually, so they may get their day in the sun. But for now, we're done with LUCT.

Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed this LP. Unfortunately, even with the other routes, there's only so much game for us here. But what if we could have something similar? Something in the same series? Something that at least tries to expand on the story of LUCT? Something that, frankly, is a bit worse overall?

12836_front.jpg

Knight of Lodis has us covered. Off to Ovis we go!

Press F for my planned World of Horror LP, slain by technical problems that stopped me from being able to record the game.

Edited by epilepsyduck
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6 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

My bias against the Lawful and (especially) Neutral routes aside, showing those routes would involve playing the game two more times, and not only would Chapters 1 and 4 only be very slightly different each time, Chapter 2 would be nearly identical for the Neutral route as it was for Chaos.

Err... pretty sure you just need to load the saves you made right before the lawful/chaotic and chaotic/neutral route splits though: because you DID keep those saves, right?

311b5783-cf15-4959-bb48-91f856cb6653.jpg

(And chapters being nearly identical just means you can skip most of their stuff)

 

6 hours ago, epilepsyduck said:

Knight of Lodis has us covered. Off to Ovis we go!

Route B, please.

And you can just skip to the route split, as we already saw everything that happened before that (and the beginning of route A too)

On 6/4/2017 at 1:53 AM, Parrhesia said:

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