Let's play Super Robot Wars V! (the world has been saved in 332 turns)

[Hasechi]

58 minutes ago, eclipse said:

The only ones with proper ports to PC (via Steam, assuming you're in the right region) are V and X, and none of the protagonists have green hair.  It sounds like you emulated an older game.

If you can remember some of the other characters that appeared with the protagonist, you should be able to narrow it down.  For example, the Gundam Wing gang shows up in X but not V.

55 minutes ago, Acacia Sgt said:

Sounds like it's A. Girl with green hair and eyes being Lamia, guy with red hair Axel.

A for GBA, AP for PSP... sounds like it was emulated.

V and X look very good. "It sounds like you emulated an older game." - Yes. I play the game on some emulator. So they are Lamia & Axel. 

 

Edited January 10, 2021 by Hasechi

[eclipse]

Chapter 34 - 6/207

Spoiler

What the hell did Nine do to the GranVang?  That thing ripped a hole through an enemy!

SR Point: Within 4 turns, defeat Blarmag (Ghuli) without Yamato taking any attacks

Chitose's route is by far the easier one, because the reinforcements pop up in more predictable places.  Send some units to the right side while bum-rushing the Blarmag.  The faster you take it out, the faster the map will transition, and the faster you can get rid of that point.  From there, feed kills to whoever needs it.  This map is an excuse to show off the GranVang/VangNext.  I went with the former because I like sniping.

Spoiler

"Efficient and straightforward.  It wasn't a bad strategy," Sousuke noted.

"This was one of the easier maps," I muttered.

"Aw, c'mon, the best part was the girls smiling at the end!" Saburouta said cheerfully.  Yamamoto rolled her eyes.

"We aren't here to judge the quality of the game's story," Sousuke chimed in flatly.

"Maybe you should invite Mr. Killjoy again when Kaname's featured," Saburouta whispered, elbowing me in the ribs while ignoring Sousuke's glare.

"Don't be a bad influence on the kids!" Yamamoto scolded.

Why was I the most mature one in the room?

Chapter 35 - 6/213

Spoiler

Just how many Axis Drops will we reenact?  If it wasn't for the Unicorn. . .I don't want to think about that!

SR Point: Defeat all enemies within 6 turns. (Starts 6, changes to 8, then back to 6)

Or in other words, beat the crap out of everyone before the map ends.  Which wouldn't be so bad if a certain silver-haired jackass didn't grace the map with his unwanted presence.  You've got several factions to deal with.  Neo Zeon's probably the least annoying of the bunch, followed by Gamillans.  The Ragna-Mails are fragile but dodgy, and Amalgam's the usual pain in the rear.  But the last faction melts when it's up against Destroy Mode, which is how I somehow won.  Also, Koji on Nine's Encouragement ruined Leonard's hair again.  The ladies kept attacking the Yamato, not realizing that Kodai's eyes were fixed firmly on them. . .wait, that came out wrong.  Erm, Bullseye made short work of them, with Fin Funnels assisting.  I dealt with Neo Zeon with whoever was handy, and then they transitioned over to wallop the Gamillans.  It was close, but I won!

Oh, right, I should mention something about the new people.  Marida's purpose is to donate her suit to Ple - if I drafted her, she'd stay in it, since she's a decent pilot (and the weakest out of the Unicorn series, because everyone else is some form of ridiculous - had she come from another series, she'd probably be above average).  Getting Fa to ace was painful, but she does just fine as a support thing in a non-combat mech.  Kamille's MO involves what most main series Gundam pilots do.  Then he uses his ultimate attack, which is "ram the enemy".  It's not the absolute strongest, but it's a refreshing change from the usual sword slashes and guns!

Spoiler

"Why are you so cheerful?" I asked grumpily.

"We're all alive, and it's thanks to the Unicorn!  Now, my turn!  Why does Tusk's face go red every time your dad asks him something?  And in that one ship-to-ship communication, Kodai kept stuttering.  Spill the beans!"  Banagher and Shinji showed up before everyone else.  I don't know what the latter told the former.

"I don't see why--" I started.

"Remember what we overheard?" Shinji asked.  "I figured it out."

"About Amuro disappointing a woman?"  Banagher burst out laughing.

"Did your dad REALLY say that?"  He held his sides.

"And what was so bad about that?" I snapped.

"Is Commander Bright your adopted father?" came the question between giggle fits.

"Uh, no?  Why would you ask that?"

"You can't be this dense," Shinji said dejectedly.

"It's not like my dad would. . ." I trailed off.  That kind of talk was absolutely NOT permitted between crew members!  I buried my head in my hands.

"Oh, so you know about the birds and the bees.  I was worried that I'd have to do it for your parents."  Shinji chuckled at the other boy's words.  Again, I resisted the urge to throw the nearest object at the idiot who said that.  One day, my willpower would break.  But not today.

"Someone needs a lesson on the birds and the bees?  Why?"  Tobia and Judau stood in the doorway.  The former looked confused, while the latter held back his laughter with his hands.

"NO!" I yelled.

"Are you talking about me?"  Harry joined us, his expression as utterly bewildered as Tobia's.

"There's more hope for you than him," Banagher gasped out, motioning towards me.

"What do the birds and the bees have to do with that game he's playing?" Harry asked innocently.

"Nothing!" I exclaimed.  Judau whispered something to Tobia.

"So that's what it's about?  I still feel like I'm missing something."

"You'll understand when you're older, Tobia," Judau said smugly.

Chapter 36 - 6/219

Spoiler

After the "presentation" on the Nadesico, I overheard something about Ruri in a bunny costume.  I don't want to know what that's supposed to mean.

SR Point: Defeat Byarlant Custom and Banshee within 4 turns in a single turn.

The first half is mainly chewing through a lot of enemies, then using the Focus you gained to beat up the bosses.  The transition's a lot rougher, since you're dealing with a familiar oversized red guy.  Ignore the fodder and go after the main enchilada, because he's dangerous.  If you get some incidental kills, all the better for you~!  In my case, most of the map survived because Perfect Cannon on Valor ripped the boss a new one.

Spoiler

"You're--" I started.  THIS was today's spectator?

"Forgive the intrusion.  I don't think I'll have another opportunity to see this odd game.  Does it really hold our thoughts?"  I quickly stood up and offered Mineva the seat at my desk.

"Y-yes, it does," I managed to answer.  It was a relief that Banagher was busy with the Unicorn's new modifications, or he'd talk the entire way through.

"I can't wait to see what it says!" another cheerful voice piped up.  It was that girl from the Yamato!  "Oh, hi Audrey!"

"It's good to see you, Bernadette!"  The two shared a giggle.  Before I could find another chair, Bernadette plopped down on my bed.  I silently hoped Tobia wasn't the final person slated to come.

"You're stuck with me again."  The commander's expression was pained.

"Stuck with you?  You're quiet and you don't make stupid jokes while I'm playing," I stated.

"If that's how you see it."  Amuro's gaze went from the bed back to me.  I shook my head.

"Why doesn't the writer say much about us?" Bernadette asked.

"This is a guide made for the game.  Neither of us have a role in the battles that play out," Mineva explained.  I silently thanked her.

"It may be for the best," Amuro said softly.

"She's really nice to Tobia!" Bernadette exclaimed.

"And she has quite a bit to say about Banagher," Mineva added.  "But she seems hostile towards Hathaway."

"I don't think so," Bernadette said quickly.  "I think she's worried about him."

"How so?"

"I'll explain it later."  Amuro shot me a look, and I shrugged.

"If her harsh reviews hide her worry, then she must be especially concerned about Commander Amuro," Mineva continued.  Bernadette peeked over her shoulder.

"Yeah, very worried.  She doesn't seem like the type that likes to hurt her own units, and Amuro's lack of dodging would complicate things."

"Really?"  The commander buried his head in his hands.  "This is confusing!"

"It's far too much to remember," I added.

"Understanding each other is important," Mineva said sweetly.

Her Highness was intimidating, indeed.

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by eclipse

[eclipse]

Chapter 37 - 7/226

Spoiler

I hope that's the last of G-Hound.  Dealing with them is a gigantic pain in the neck.

SR Point: In a single turn, defeat at least 2 out of Jerid, Yazan or Lane with a single pilot

And best of all?  Eight turns to pull everything off.  And I have less than half the deployment slots filled.  FUN TIMES!  General strategy revolves around killing things on EP.  Basically. pretend everyone is a Good Cavalier with unlimited Javelins, because you aren't going to have time otherwise.  Though you can cheat a bit with some well-placed MAP attacks.

Riddhe is a sucker for punishment, which is why the first two stages involves beating him up.  The last part is where that point kicks in.  It's not the worst, as Lane/Yazan are a bit squishier than Jerid.  Gotta agree wtih Judau's assessment of Yazan, even if he's extremely useful as a support pilot.  This map is great for buffering kill counts, and Tobia hit ace here.  Poor guy was not prepared for Nine!  Riddhe joins up here, and he's fairly strong.  The best part is that he's not married to Banshee Norn - he can pilot just about any combat Gundam and work well enough.  However, you'll want a good Newtype in Banshee Norn because Destroy Mode is a nice power boost.  Not as ridiculous as Unicorn's, but any additional power is welcome!

After this map, Ple permanently moves to Marida's machine.  It's a long-range specialist, and Ple's at her best when she's not in the thick of things.

New pilot:

Zinnerman - Get the customization bonus ASAP, so you have a roving Repair/Resupply ship.  Then get Hit & Run and the basic resupply skills, so he can passively level by keeping your army well-armed.  The ship features exactly one attack, and it's underwhelming.  Nor does it want to take a lot of hits.  But for the sake of utility, it's damn good.

Spoiler

With most of the pilots busy with the upcoming operation, today's session looked to be very quiet.  Until the door opened.

"You must be the guy that plays that cool game!"

"Yeah, can we watch?"  It was those redheaded girls that stuck to Judau like burrs!

"I'm curious, too."  Wasn't Marida supposed to be similar to them?

"I guess?"  Before I could mount any sort of objection, the two smaller girls seated themselves on my bed.  What was it with girls and my bed?  The oldest of the three was polite enough to use a proper chair.

"Oooh, look at what she says about Judau!"  They'd already started reading the unit evaluations.  Without asking.  I shouldn't have been surprised.

"Our units are represented on a grid, and everyone takes turns.  Far more orderly than what really happens," Marida remarked dryly.

"And no one's attacking from a weird angle!"  Which Ple was which?

"Why does the walkthrough have me, but not you?"  The one that spoke must be Ple.

"It's a restricted unit run, and for whatever reason you were chosen."

"Hey, no fair!" the other one piped up.  Ple Two, I guess.

"This is how Riddhe joined?  I'm glad he did."  Marida looked pleased with the game's story.

"Every turn is a minute?  That's really short!"

"Could the player control everyone in real time?"

"It would be easy enough for me!"  I couldn't help but chuckle at the conversation between the girls.  I briefly imagined Shinji attempting to control the various Funnel attacks, only to accidentally hit his own suit.  Real-time control of all the units would be well outside of the range of a normal human!

"Not bad.  You finished well within the turn limit."

"That was fun!  Thanks!"

"Wanna get some ice cream?"  Much to my surprise, they were looking at me.

"I still have some work to do afterwards.  I'm sorry."  The younger girls briefly frowned.

"It's not merely a game, then.  It's almost like an extra duty," Marida commented.

"Indeed."  Everyone waved before leaving in an orderly fashion.  Between piloting and writing up my findings, I was getting less sleep than I cared for.  Perhaps I should make use of the "Suspend" function in the future.

Chapter 38 - 9/235

Spoiler

No, I haven't gotten over it yet, why do you ask?

SR Point: Defeat Dooben Wolf (Rakan), Rozen Zulu and Gundam X-2 Kai within 4 turns in a single turn

MAP attacks are great.  Judau + Soul is basically a grunt wipe.  Since several of those grunts have Support Defend, you'll want to get rid of them sooner than later.  On turn 2, the real reason why you're fighting shows up.  The only upside to Neo Zeong is that its MAP attack will most likely hit enemies.  You can either drain its EN and hope for the best, or just have Banagher hit it over the head repeatedly in Destroy Mode.  10 SP Flicker is a lifesaver here, as you'll need every last one of them!  Zinnerman had one job, and that was to keep Banagher's EN up.  I also netted myself an extra something.  I'm not making Hathaway pilot it.  Even I have standards!

Banagher, Chitose, and Shinji hit ace status here.  Well, Shinji pulled it off because of the route split.  Unfortunately, this is one of several spots where I don't get ace conversations.  Shinji's screaming match will have to wait.

Spoiler

Thanks.  I think.

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by eclipse

[eclipse]

Chapter 39 - 8/243

Spoiler

Unit upgrades include Shinji's EVA doing even weirder things, Koji gaining control of Mazinger Zero, and Tetsuya's Great Mazinger becoming something greater.  And what did I get?  Missile Pod, which merely annoyed the Angels.  We tried, I guess.

SR Point: Clear the map in 8 turns

I'm trying to be witty, but I feel like Ryoma ran me through his workout program.  At least the fever broke.  Pretty sure this is something unrelated to the virus that just won't go away, but we shall see~!

Once again, this one's a gigantic pain in the neck.  I had to leave out some lower-level units just so I'd have a chance of getting this point.  You have three extremely bulky bosses to take out, followed by some wannabe who would've been hard if y'all didn't give me the Mazinger pilots and Ryoma.  So, in parts:

Part 1: Uh, don't die.
Part 2: Punch a hole in the nearest Angel.  They regenerate, so don't take too long.  Use the cannon fodder to up Focus.  Sun Attack will speed things up considerably.
Part 3: SUN ATTACK IMMEDIATELY, then burn your SP to get rid of the new boss ASAP.  Once it hits half health, Tetsuya gets a huge upgrade.  Shinji's ideal for finishing the boss off, as Pseudo-Evolve is absolutely nuts in terms of damage.  Tetsuya can take exactly one attack from the boss without protection and live.
Part 4: Go punch a hole in the other Angel with Shinji, he'll understand.  Koji will return with full SP, so spam Valor on the boss and wipe the field.  If you need more than two solid hits from Zero to take out the boss, you've dun goofed.

Even then, it will be close.  And then you'll end the world.  Good job, Shinji and Koji!

New everything:

Joe - Just LOOK at those eyelashes!  They're so thick!  And the rest of him is easy on the eyes, too.  Oh, right, most of you aren't the type to drool over cute guys.  Goryu's size means that it'll do quite a bit more damage than your usual puny guys (my apologies to the Para-Mails).  He won't dodge, but he doesn't care - Persist is 10 SP.  In turn, he will dish out quite a bit of damage with his attacks.  He wants a bit of range extension, because once he's in the enemy's face, he's not moving.  He's not going to outstrip some of the main characters, but he'll definitely punch a hole through more things than most!

Koji - He'll start in Mazinger Z, and after a point, he'll be able to swap to Mazinger Zero.  Zero hits even harder than Z, which is quite the sight to behold.  But it doesn't solve Z's biggest issue, which is going through EN faster than the Ple sisters can eat a gallon of ice cream.

Tetsuya - Emperor lives up to its name.  Like Zero, it'll dish out far more damage.  But unlike Zero, you don't need to get his Focus up to reach the goodies.  Well, sort of, because Emperor Sword isn't going to be available ASAP.  Since he's back for good, I can have him wallop things right alongside his nephew.

Now that the Para-Mail ladies are (almost) all back, I can go into a bit more detail about the ones I'm not using.  Ersha is pure utility, being able to Repair by default and gaining Resupply as a customization bonus or something.  Chris and Rosalie try to be snipers, but they both need Hit and Run.  Chris can also resupply, making her the slightly more useful of the two.  Hilda tries to be a melee thing, but let's face it, her competition is Salia and Ange, and she can't even beat the former.  Salia gets a Commander aura and a half-decent replacement in Cleopatra.  But comparing her to Ange is like comparing Hathaway to Setsuna - the former can hold their own, but the latter have a lot more variety to their attacks and generally hit harder.  Had I gotten Jill, she would've been the Foresight bot, because Raziya's, uh, bad.

Spoiler

It's no good.  The game's refusing to boot.  I flopped on my bed and leafed through the current chapter's walkthrough.  A virus that won't go away?  My mind wandered back to the unit analysis.  I read through them from the beginning.  Luckily, the one of interest was before mine.  Maito's mentioned masks as something he'd recommend.

"Huh?  No game?"  Today's representative from the NCC dimension was another Yamato crew member.  Before he could introduce himself, someone else walked through the door.

"Hardly the time to be playing a video game."  Setsuna looked around.  "Shima?  You have time for this?"

"The Yamato isn't going anywhere."

"I can't get it to boot.  I'm reading the walkthrough instead."

"Anything interesting?"  Unlike my previous guests, these two didn't drape themselves on random furniture.  I grabbed a couple of chairs, and they both sat down.

"She previously mentioned a troubling political incident.  In this one, she mentions a virus."  Setsuna looked lost in thought, while Shima's leg bounced.

"What kind of virus?" Shima asked.

"Fever and I think that's supposed to be body aches?  Sounds like a flu."

"A few hundred years back, a flu turned into a pandemic."

"Huh, Shima, I didn't take you for a history buff," Setsuna commented.

"That portion of history was as interesting as it was horrifying.  The death toll was distressing, but so was the sentiment that wearing a mask was too inconvenient."

"Humans can't be that stupid!" I blurted out.

"It's true," Setsuna said glumly.  "Even if medical technology back then wasn't as advanced as it is now, the experts at the time said that a face mask and proper distance would slow the spread of the sickness.  But some felt that this was violating their personal freedom.  The death toll from the Spanish Flu was mind-boggling."  My history lessons slowly came back to me.  Didn't that happen in the early 1900's?

"This walkthrough was written in what would've been 020.  Surely they would've learned their lesson!" I insisted.

"Not everyone pays attention to history as closely as they should.  And when they don't. . ." Setsuna trailed off.

"Huh, she doesn't describe that political incident," Shima said slowly, his eyes on one of the pages next to me.

"Is it important?"

"I suspect that whoever supported that incident would be in the same group that didn't want to wear a face mask during a pandemic.  It takes a special kind of selfishness to put your own comfort over another person's health.  I think the government would've told everyone to wear a face mask, but I can't imagine anyone wanting to attack them for that."

"Are you okay?"  I blinked at Setsuna's words.

"How can anyone be so despicable?  Putting others in danger because it's more convenient for them, and then some sort of political unrest?  For what?"

Instead of the game, we tried to figure out what could possibly motivate individuals to devalue others so heavily.  A pandemic on top of political unrest.  People whose actions completely defied common decency and logic.  Just what kind of crazy world did the writer live in, where our supposedly fictional histories were better?

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by eclipse

[Punished Dayni]

11 hours ago, eclipse said:

Just what kind of crazy world did the writer live in, where our supposedly fictional histories were better?

One without giant mechs and interstellar combat, it's not that hard to understand.

[eclipse]

On 1/12/2021 at 6:41 AM, Dayni said:

One without giant mechs and interstellar combat, it's not that hard to understand.

Spoiler

"The more memes I see from this backwards place, the less I regret my decision to drop Axis," Char mumbled, from the Great Beyond.  "I should've aimed it at THIS Earth."

Ahem. . .

Secret Scenario 3 - 6/249

Spoiler

Game still won't turn on.  How infuriating.

No points for non-standard scenarios, like this one.  Just focus on killing stuff.

It starts out with three ladies in EVAs, then the rest of your team shows up.  They exist solely to help out with the "boss" rush.  As in, previous bosses, but they didn't scale with you.  It's a nifty trip down memory lane, and some nice character development for several people in that series.  And you get some goodies for the road!

If you're wondering what happened to the second secret scenario, it involved Sousuke's kill count.  It's hilarious, but the "reward" can be obtained later.

New stuff:

Kaworu - It's Kuja with a haircut and more modest clothing!  Well, not really, but still.  He'll drop a bunch of plot points, then bring along Unit-13.  It doesn't guzzle as much EN as Unit-01 on Positron Cannon, but it's nowhere near as powerful as Unit-01 when it transforms.  Kaworu is a co-pilot, and brings a bunch of utility and Zeal.  It's a toss-up as to what Shinji will pilot, as an additional Bonds will be helpful later on.  I kinda want to stay with Unit-13 just because this is the first time I got it.

Unit-02 - Beast Form 2nd Phase is your boss-killer.  It isn't quite as hard on your EN as Positron Cannon, but it's not going to be friendly to your EN gauge.  Thanks, Mari.

Mari - And she joins up here, specifically to piss off Asuka (and anyone else that happens to get in her way).  She's the sniper of the bunch, having innate Hit and Run and a very long-range attack.  She also gets Prospect for reasons that I don't quite get.  EVAs in general can take hits, but she wants to take hits the least.  Her best weapon is ammo-based and takes a bit to get online, but it's pretty funny once it's up and running.  She isn't going to have Shinji/Asuka damage numbers, but that's okay.

Spoiler

Kuja?  Who's that?

Special Scenario - 2/251

Spoiler

Maybe it was the proximity to Aura that caused the game to malfunction.  I have a lot of catching up to do!

You have the OTHER Banpresto originals here to raise hell.  Keep Lottie and Velt glued to each other, and have them dive.  Overkill things if you must, and the map should end on the second turn during enemy phase.  Lottie's machine is closer to a super robot, due to its raw power and tanking ability.  Velt's is what Hathaway should've gotten, because Black Hole Cannon rules.  They can swap machines, but why would you want Lottie to Support Defend in Velt's thing?

Even more cutscenes happen.  This was the second check for two different pilots.  I managed to get them both, so it's time to formally introduce them!  As for the third wheel, Jerid's literally filler, but he survived the final chapter somehow when I used him.

New pilots:

Yazan - This guy looks like he'd sell you your own kidney in a back alley.  He's not a Newtype, which locks him out of the weapons of several machines.  He'll function in his own thing, but it looks like a giant blue Roomba.  He's an okay filler pilot, and for now he gets Kai Kai.  Even when the game gets to the point where his damage tanks, he'll still be able to pitch in with 10 SP Foresee.  This will be a godsend on certain chapters, and IMO it's his biggest selling point.  Unless you genuinely like the guy, in which case, you'll need to sit me down and tell me his redeeming qualities as a character.

Lane - Someone needs to tell him about the wonderful device known as a "comb".  Hair aside, his biggest drawback is being a level 4 Newtype.  This puts a damper on my plans, as a certain machine requires level 5 Newtype to draw out its potential.  Penelope somehow manages to be the worse of the two extreme speedster Gundams, and I'm not heartless enough to kick Hathaway out of his own machine (even if he's relegated to the bench).  It's not a good comparison when MISSILE PODS is what makes the difference.  For now, he's going to open someone's existing trauma and ride around on that giant thing Loni dropped off with us.  At least he has the Newtype level to operate those Funnels!

Spoiler

Too many people, too many voices.  Hilda complained every time I used Ange, much to Salamandinay's amusement.  Chitose chatted with Sala's retainers, who had elected to come with her.  Sayaka told me that I was a good person for using Koji.  Asuka kept leaning on me, her elbows into my shoulders. Worst of all, Sala and Hilda had taken over my bed!

"Do you MIND?" I snapped, glaring at Asuka.  "Your elbows hurt!"

"How else am I supposed to see the screen?  I was out during that battle, and I want to know what happened!"

"We won.  What else do you need to know?" Sala said calmly.

"Everything leading up to it, of course!  Taking out Angels is my job!"

"Can't argue with her there," Hilda said, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.  "I still haven't fully wrapped my head around outsiders blowing up dragons."  That statement earned a dark look from the two that accompanied Sala.  "W-well, before I knew the truth!" she continued hastily.

"Or asking you guys for help with the Gamillans," Chitose added.

"We're all friends, right?  If we can help each other out, then we should!" Sayaka stated firmly.

"Shouldn't you guys apologize for beating up her boyfriend?" Asuka said flatly.

"M-my what?" Sayaka stuttered.

"You certainly keep a close eye on him," Chitose noted.  Sayaka's face turned red.

"W-well, someone has to!  Otherwise, he'll skip dinner!"

"Aww, he has a girlfriend and he doesn't even appreciate her!" Hilda chimed in, a grin plastered across her face.

"Wouldn't Ange be in the same boat?" Chitose asked, her eyes dancing.

"S-shut up!" Hilda sputtered.  "A-at least I don't do THAT to her!"  Why was she pointing at me?  I looked down, and saw hands that weren't my own on my chest.

"Really?" I said flatly.

"You're the one that said my elbows hurt!" Asuka grumbled.  Why did Hilda and Sayaka look at each other like that?  Before I could raise any more objections, the door opened, and my father poked his head in.  Asuka untangled herself from me.  Slowly.

"It seems the game is working again, but your room is. . .crowded."

"I doubt that a bigger screen would fit in here," I said.

"I'll keep a conference room open for you.  The screens are bigger, and there should be more than enough chairs for everyone."  He looked directly at Asuka.

"Now?" I asked.

"I believe the game has a 'Suspend' option?" came the pointed reply.  I sighed.

"Conference Room 2 is open."  He turned and left.

"Guess we're moving," Hilda grumbled.

"I'll catch up to you later.  I have to unplug everything first."  Everyone filed out, one by one.  Silence, at last.  My bed was a mess again!  I made note of which plugs went where, then slowly collected everything.  As I walked towards the door, I heard two familiar voices.

"A conference room?  That's a good compromise."  What was Captain Otto doing on this ship?!

"I'm curious to see how this game's journey ends, but his room wasn't designed to hold seven people."

"Worried that they were all girls?"

"Perhaps.  The boy won't remain oblivious forever, and I'm far too young to be a grandfather."

H-hey, I have better judgment than that!  Asuka was just being her usual self.  Right?

Chapter 40 - 5/256

Spoiler

Now that Lane's here, I've been reassigned to my own unit - namely, to figure out the odd game and equally odd walkthrough.  How did Nine wind up with data from an unknown world?  Were they linked to our world?  What kind of world was it?  Amuro left me with his own theories - a veritable stack of papers.  If I was short on sleep, how the hell did he manage to stay awake?

SR Point: Defeat Shin Getter Dragon in 3 turns while defeating no more than 10 enemies. Shin Getter Dragon counts as one of the 10.

Welcome to the era of "getting the point means draining your SP".  You'll want to off some of the enemies, so you'll be able to use stuff like Funnels.  Spirit/Rouse are great, as they'll allow the usage of better things, like Sun Attack.  Watch the literal bugs, as they'll sap your SP on hit.  Even with Sun Attack on turn 3, this was close - I barely scraped by with Ange using Ability Unlock with Love active.  Once Shin Getter Dragon goes down, the map becomes significantly easier.  Use the time to feed everyone kills!

Ple and Maito hit ace here.  Then Ple decided that ace wasn't good enough.  Someone stop this girl before she locks me out of the true ending!

New unit:

Shin Getter Dragon - The battleship that's designed to fight back, it'll hit HARD.  It's fully offensive, with its support abilities being limited to whatever spirits are available and Support Defend.  With no aura, it's one of the candidates for the Commander's Terminal.  A barrier on this ship is a mixed blessing - you'll take less damage, but EN becomes an issue.  Lastly, this ship can outright dodge because Kei has Intuition and is really good at her job.

Spoiler

"Why weren't WE allowed to go out there?!" Ryoma fumed.

"We were backup, in case they couldn't bring down the Shin Getter Dragon," Hayato reminded him.

"Glad that we weren't needed," Benkei continued.

"Yeah!  That's my mom!" Vivian yelled.  The conference room was friendlier to louder voices, and I managed to keep my objections to myself.

"I suppose the Tuatha would've had a hard time navigating this map," Mao said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Now that we're in space, she'll have more chances to shine," I reminded her.

"WHAT?!  Now that we have the Shin Getter Dragon, you should use that!" Ryoma demanded.

"Doesn't the Eternal deserve a chance?" Kira asked, finally looking up from the paper in his face.  Unlike most of the room, he had his nose buried in the walkthrough.

"It should be the Ptolemaios!"  Vivian giggled, probably unaware of just how serious this discussion was.

"You're all related to the ships you named," I grumbled.

"So let's ask someone who's sort of neutral."  Mao turned her attention to the three boys in the other corner, who were doing anything but paying attention.  "HEY!"

"Y-yes?"  The one called Boss turned towards us.

"Which battleship is the best?"  Wait, that wasn't the original question!

"They're all great!" the other two yelled simultaneously.  Mao's glare said otherwise.

"W-well, if we're going with the story, shouldn't it be the Yamato?  They should be strong enough to fight their own battles!"

"You were paying attention?"  Kira arched an eyebrow at Boss.

"W-well, yeah!  Maybe they'll introduce another cute girl!"

"But there's plenty of cute girls already!" Vivian said cheerily.

"Or are you implying that we're not pretty enough?" Mao growled.

"Eeep!"

"Huh, you did that to yourselves," Ryoma said smugly.

"You should be taking notes.  I won't be here to rescue you every time you put your foot in your mouth," Hayato taunted.

"C'mon you two," Benkei muttered.

"Would you go out on a date with any of them?" Kira said absentmindedly.

"NO!" Mao screeched.

"Well, uh, I'm not interested in dating anyone right now.  Maybe later?"  A gentle swish of papers answered Vivian, as Kira stared at her, his mouth open.

"You're going to give them the wrong idea!" he shouted.

"Quiz time: Who will I be interested in three years from now?  I don't know, either!  So I'm not going to write anyone off right now."

"This girl is so positive."

"Yeah, she'd go nicely with Boss."

"H-hey, I'm not asking her out now!  She's just gonna say no!"

"With an attitude like that, you'll have a happy life," Benkei told Vivian.

"Thanks!"

Once everyone had left, my mind wandered back to Vivian's words.  How could she face an uncertain future with such optimism?  She'd been ripped from her parents, yet she didn't let the past weigh her down.  Could I. . .move on like that, one day?

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by eclipse

[eclipse]

Chapter 41 - 6/262

Spoiler

Shinji's avoiding me.  What's gotten into him?  Banagher says not to worry, but that just makes me worry more.  I'm so sleepy all of a sudden. . .

SR Point: Within 4 turns defeat all enemies and lower HP for Domelaze III below 15000

Sorry about the delay, but I wasn't in the mood for fun after seeing my state Capitol barricaded.  It's normally an open lobby, and people were welcome to walk through it.

You should have more than enough firepower for this, but a bit of Valor/Soul may be necessary on the Domelaze.  If the generic enemy battleships try to chicken out, chase them down and beat them into submission.  Once the Domelaze retreats, the second bit of the map starts - it isn't right to call it a "half".  Use them to feed kills to your weaker members, even if it's a Defeat Boss mission - if done right, it'll take an extra turn at most.  In this case, the extra turn helped - Lane hits level 5 Newtype at level 42.

Got Vivian, Tetsuya, and Ryoko to ace.  But no conversations because story stuff!  Gah!

Spoiler

"My eyelashes.  Of all the things she could highlight, she chose that."  Joe sounded as amused as I felt.

"C'mon, a compliment from a pretty lady is a compliment!" Kurz said, far too casually.

"You're awfully quick to presume that she's pretty," Ryoko snapped.

"She probably has glasses, if she's played this game as much as she says she did," Hikaru added.

"Izumi, you're awfully quiet," Ryoko pointed out.  At least one of those ladies had sense!

"I want to see if the reaper chooses him," Izumi said quietly, pointing to Yazan's unit on screen.

"Hey, I'm right here," the victim in question snapped.

"Oooh, you didn't dodge.  She has a problem with units who make her worry," Kurz teased.

"She ain't gonna care about the likes of me.  Just read my analysis!"  I couldn't argue that point.  For all that she complained about me, she didn't flat-out say that she couldn't see my redeeming qualities.

"Sounds like the type of lady that's harshest on the ones she loves," Izumi said with a giggle.

"If that's your idea of love, then I want none of it," Yazan grumbled.

"Which means I'm just eye candy," Joe growled.

"Sorry I'm late!  Why does everyone look so mad?"  Nanbu looked as confused as I felt.  Why did this horrible woman's opinions matter?  It's not like she was on board with us!

"Have a seat.  It's, uh, better if you don't ask," Hikaru said quickly.

"We're trying to figure out the motives of a beautiful and mysterious lady," Kurz said, his voice a little too light for my tastes.

"Don't listen to him!" Ryoko yelled.

"I'd LIKE to finish this without accidentally blowing most of you up!" I said loudly.

"Now why would a barricaded building be of any concern to her?" Nanbu mused.  Fortunately, no one answered that.

Chapter 42 - 5/267

Spoiler

"Are you Hathaway?"  It was the pale girl that hung around Shinji.

"Yes.  Can I help you?"

"Something's wrong with Shinji, but he won't tell me what it is."  If she was willing to talk to someone outside of her usual group, it must be bad.

"He's not telling me, either.  I'll let you know if I figure it out."

"Thanks."  She shot me a shy smile and walked off.  I turned around, just in time to see Shinji glare at me.

What was going on?

SR Point: Defeat all other enemies within 5 turns. Then defeat Zoelguut II

It's actually "beat up all enemies and the Zoelguut in five turns".  Don't let the numbers scare you - the enemies will melt to MAP attacks.  I had Maito and Judau for this.  You're supposed to help pilots hit ace here, but everything insisted on dying to Judau or the Yamato on enemy phase.  As a result, Judau has the most kills.  The boss turns into paper if you can hit him with an armor shred and Analyze.  Lane in Banshee Norn was able to finish him off.

. . .oh, right, the reason why I cared about Lane's Newtype level.  Because I want Destroy Mode Junior along with Actual Destroy Mode.  Had to shove a lot of CQB Up down Lane's throat, since he's a ranged guy.

Spoiler

"I guess we're starting late.  Again," I complained.

"Seems like the ship captains are worried about something, if they called all of their senior staff together," Banagher added.  "Where's Shinji?"

"Not coming," I said flatly.

"That's odd.  Didn't he talk to you?"

"No.  He glared and walked away."

"Gossip among boys?"  It was the other girl that piloted an EVA.  Whoever she was.

"Hi Mari, we're talking about Shinji.  You interested?"  For a split second, she looked a bit too happy with the thought.

"I don't see the harm."

"We're trying to figure out why he's so moody," I grumbled.

"He's been unusually short with Asuka lately.  Did you have something to do with that?"  The grin she wore reminded me of a cat who was about to pounce on a mouse.

"How should I know?  That girl does what she wants."

"She's been talking about you a lot," the other girl continued, leaning closer to me.

"Why should I care?"

"I overheard Hilda gossiping with the rest of her team about that last run in your room.  Said that your father looked absolutely horrified before he ordered you into this room."  What was this girl getting at?

"Er, Hathaway, who else was with Hilda?"  Banagher asked.

"Uh. . .Hilda, Sala and her retinue, Chitose, Sayaka, and Asuka.  Why?"

"How the hell did everyone fit in there?!"

"Hilda and Sala sat on the bed, Sala's retainers and Chitose stood in a corner, Sayaka sat on a spare chair, and Asuka thought that I was a piece of furniture."

"So that's what happened," Mari purred, inching closer to me.  "No wonder your dear father was so worried, having his innocent son surrounded like that."

"I DON'T LIKE HAVING MY PERSONAL SPACE INVADED BY THE LIKES OF YOU!"  Mari recoiled.

"Wait, really?"  Shinji stood in the doorway.

"Of course not!  I can't concentrate if someone sinks her elbows into my shoulders!"  Mari waved, a too-big smile on her face.

"Told you he's too dense for that," Banagher said.

"You're unbelievable," Shinji muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"I guess I was mad at you for nothing.  Sorry."

"Go apologize to Rei.  She was extremely worried about you."

"Do tell," Mari said with a light giggle.  I glared at her.

"She asked me what was wrong with you, Shinji.  And she's never so much as said hi to me in the hallway!"

"What are you doing with that notepad?" Banagher asked.

"What else?  I can use this in the future," Mari replied.  "Oh, is this the walkthrough I've heard so much about?  Hmm. . .yes, this will be helpful.  What do you know of the author?"

"NOTHING!"

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by eclipse

[eclipse]

Best Secret Scenario - 4/271

Spoiler

Didn't we have an arc about how the means don't justify the ends?  How did we get here?  Why is Tobia grinning like that?

And yes, the Crossbones theme plays throughout this map.

Like all other secret scenarios, this one's short, good for racking up kills, and even better for your funds/power part supply.  Many of them will be "well I couldn't think of anything better to use" pile, but there's one part that's worth it.  Along with a nice pile of TAC points and a funny scene.  Like Shinn's ace conversation.

Spoiler

I guess I should thank the mechanics for what they do.  Later.

Chapter 43 - 6/277

Spoiler

Now that we're floating miles away from Earth and its political nonsense, my mind kept going back to my alternate history.  The one that those from NCC still refuse to talk about.  I am NOT the same person as the one executed a hundred years ago in their timeline!  It wasn't a pretty time in their history, but we can't learn from it if we refuse to study it!

SR Point: Within 5 turns , defeat at least 4 enemy units at same time with a MAP weapon

Judau to the rescue!  Though even if you somehow managed to NOT level him, the Ra Cailum is forced.  The enemies aren't much tougher than the last proper scenario's ones, and The Money Scenario was the last one.  The first wave of enemies crumpled by turn 4.

Second part is where a different type of enemy is introduced - one that drains Focus when they land a hit.  And unlike the Gamillans, they don't down a bottle of booze before they take their shots.  Yazan's decent here, as Foresight will keep other people's Focus intact.  Otherwise, introduce them to your favorite MAP weapon and melt them.

Lane hit ace here.  And. . .rant incoming. . .WHY.  Maybe someone really didn't want to break away from Hathaway's canon, because Hathaway's conversation is "wow your past sucked good luck with that future of yours" while Lane's is "hey you're future's bright".  Just. . .why?!

Spoiler

"You were pulled from combat just to play a video game?  Because of me?" Lane asked me flatly.

"Yes."  What else was there to say?

"And you're fine with this?!"  I turned and looked at the redhead, who really could use a comb.  And maybe some tape over his mouth.

"If you want to spend your time researching two hundred year old conspiracy theories and dead languages over three different dimensions, you are free to take over for me," I replied testily.

"The language thing makes sense, but conspiracy theories?  What do they have to do with this walkthrough?" Kincade asked.

"Nine mentioned some other extraneous data that came through with the game.  The contents were so 'damaging to a person's rational mind,' as she put it, that she's stored it deep in her memory banks, under heavy encryption.  She thinks that this insanity was used to fuel the political unrest mentioned by the author in her walkthrough.  In the meantime, she's trying to figure out the logical leaps that brought humanity to that point."

"She can try all she wants, she's not going to find it," Jerid grumbled.

"But trying can't hurt," Kamille added.

"I'm sure that's what several people said before buying into that nonsense," Jerid snapped.

"Are you saying I'm one of those?" Kamille yelled.

"HEY!"  Kincade rarely raised his voice, but it had the desired effect.

"Jerid has a point.  I can easily write off all of the older theories as 'garbage' because they've been proven false.  But having information twisted around in real-time means that people are more easily misled."

"Didn't take you for the philosophical type, Hathaway," Lane taunted.  I reminded myself that punching his smug mug might make him more attractive.

"Is there anything good that came out of the author's timeline?" Kincade asked.

"Some sort of bread recipe?  The measurement system makes no sense."  I handed a loose sheet of paper to him.

"I'm not sure how much a 'cup' is, but both the sugar and the flour are measured in that.  With that much sugar, this sounds more like a dessert bread."

"It would be a nice change of pace from what we're served," Jerid mused.

"Oh, NOW you're interested in the things out of the author's timeline?" Kamille noted.

"I'm curious, too," Lane added.  "Hey, can I borrow that walkthrough?"

"I can make a copy for you.  Why?"

"Maybe she hid another recipe in there."

---

Whatever Banagher was busy with ended right before my latest session did.  An extra pair of hands to clean up made it faster!  It also meant that I didn't have to take as many trips back to my room.

"A comb?!  HOW ABOUT YOU ACQUIRE SOME PERSONAL DECENCY?!"  Though muffled by the door, the voice was familiar.  My companion managed to stifle his laugh behind his hand.

Revenge was a dish best served cold.

Chapter 44 - 6/283

Spoiler

Being with others and keeping busy meant that I didn't have to think about what happened to me in another dimension.  Haven't I seen enough?  Perhaps it was my own unease about what kind of world the author lives in?  Or the various forms of insanity that reading too many conspiracy theories will inflict on someone?  I swore that I'd never do the things that were attributed to someone who happened to have the same name and history as me.

What was I worried about?

SR Point: Defeat Guipellon-class Shudelg and Guipellon-class Balgrey within 5 turns in a single turn

This point is a bit deceptive.  You'll need to split your forces, and then deal with a third force from ANOTHER end of the map.  Fun times!  Oh, and those named battleships?  Maybe there's something that'll trigger an attack, but they just ignored me.  Even though this was the game's equivalent to Echoes' poison swamp of doom, minus the flying units being immune to it.  Luckily, the damage isn't too bad, so as long as you're not playing chicken with your battleships, it can (mostly) be ignored.

Spoiler

The recipe translation had been a success.  Celestial Being quickly identified the mystery bread, and the loaves were demolished in short order.  It went well with a pat of butter and coffee, and Okita promised that he'd allow Kincade to bake it again once we reunited with the Nadesico.  I guess good things existed in the author's world, even if she wasn't one of them.

"Did you just blow Judau up?!"  Elle stood from her seat, a very unpleasant look on her face.

"Not at all.  I just got rid of his armor.  See?"  I pointed to the screen, where Judau's unit still stood.

"Whew, you gave us a scare there!"  Unlike Elle, Roux had stayed seated.  She leaned back in her chair.

"Even if I mess up, the units retreat.  They'll be back next map."

"Aw, man," Beecha complained.

"Did you have something in mind?"  I mentally slapped myself after the words left my mouth.

"W-well, maybe we could send all the people we didn't like out there--"

"Absolutely NOT!  We're better people than that!" Fa screeched.

"How does Kamille live with a scary girl like you?"  The sound of knuckles cracking came from behind me.  Beecha backed into a corner, with Fa's death glare following him.

"Should we save him?" Conroy asked.

"He'll live," Daguza replied.  "I want to see how the rest of the map plays out."

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by eclipse

[eclipse]

Chapter 45 - 6/289

Spoiler

What would a world with Zabine in charge look like?  What if someone shared his views?  Perhaps that's the kind of world she's talking about.

SR Point: Before map clear, defeat at least 4 enemy units in a single turn with a single battleship captain.

Fortunately, it isn't at the same time.  Two of your battleships have MAP attacks, so make use of them!  A bit of Multi Attack goes a long way for this point.  As soon as one target goes down, the second half of the map starts.  Unfortunately, Ryoma isn't around to take out the trash, so Banagher's gonna have to rep the exercise squad for that!

If possible, have Amuro fight a Bio Brain.  The pre-battle conversation is hilarious.

Thanks to the point requirements and other stuff, Amuro, Athrun, Bright, and Otto hit Ace.  After the reunion, Banjo and Ange did, too.  Ange's conversation is great for her character.  Amuro/Athrun's is great if you're a sadist.

Spoiler

"Is this how our commanders act when no one's looking?" Riddhe mumbled.

"They're human, too," Nigel pointed out.  "Isn't your father in a similar position, Riddhe?"

"W-well, he wasn't as casual with me!" the younger man said quickly.

"Your father's the captain of this ship," Iino mentioned.  Why did he have to open his mouth?

"Yeah, how was he when he was off duty?" Mondo followed up.

"I didn't see him that often," I muttered.

"Perhaps it's for the best," Riddhe replied cryptically.  Before anyone else could say something idiotic, he turned and left.

"What's his problem?" Mondo whispered.  Iino shrugged.

"Not everyone wants to talk about their family," Nigel explained.  "Especially to people they aren't close to."

"Family's what you make of it!"  Mondo and Iino waved before leaving.

"They aren't wrong, but they could be more diplomatic," Nigel said with a sigh.  "Looks like you're done for the day.  Do you need help cleaning up?"

"I'll be fine."  Nigel nodded and ran straight into my father.  "S-sir?"

"Don't mind me."  My father took a seat near the back of the room.

"Sorry for bothering you.  I read a bit of the walkthrough.  Something about a funny conversation if Amuro fights another version of himself."

"I suspended right before that!  Aren't you busy with other things?"

"Those reports can wait.  I could use a break anyway."

"W-well, okay."  I turned everything back on.

The color commentary on the second run was well worth the time.

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by eclipse

[eclipse]

Chapter 46 - 8/297

Spoiler

"You look worried."  Nine didn't mince words.

"I have a lot on my mind."  And neither did I.

"Your data has been more than sufficient.  I should be able to finish the analysis of conspiracy theories on my own.  Thank you."

"My what?"

"Your data.  I needed to study someone who was exposed to various conspiracy theories.  You've become more paranoid, short-tempered, and introspective."

"Aren't you supposed to get my consent before doing such things?" I snapped.

"This isn't the type of research that I could've done with your permission.  If you started to show any signs of believing what you read, I would've intervened sooner."

"That doesn't make me feel any better."

"The paranoia is what I expected.  Yet you reflected on what you read, which is contrary to blind belief that a conspiracy demands.  Why was it different for you?"

"Because I knew it was nonsense!"

"Why would you bother with something that was clearly false?"  She's an AI, she's probably going to outthink you, I reminded myself.

"W-well. . .something happened. . ." was all I managed to get out.

"Your history in the NCC dimension.  Something caused your mind to shift from rational thinking to irrational thinking.  I should've remembered that.  Please accept my apologies."

"It's a bit late for that," I grumbled.

"If the feelings of paranoia and unease persist, I've arranged for Lt. Niimi to speak with you.  She's promised to keep everything confidential.  This is all I can do for you.  I'm sorry."

"Thanks?"  I guess Nine knew something about consequences.  I walked past the android, then waited just beyond the corner, out of sight.

"I don't think he'll take you up on that offer."  That was probably Lt. Niimi, but i couldn't put her name and face together.

"I should've accounted for his age and possible future when I ran this experiment.  He was able to resist the conspiracies.  Yet so many others in the author's world fell to them - the count is in the millions.  How could they have believed something that is clearly illogical and false?"

"Humans aren't always rational."

"I pushed him to his breaking point.  If those conspiracies that have been proven false were able to do that to someone, then I shall delete the ones in my memory bank.  They are far too dangerous."

Millions?  Believing in the nonsense I read, but a worse version of it?  Just what kind of world did the game and walkthrough come from?!

SR Point: Defeat all enemies in 5 turns. A battleship captain must defeat 2 out of Darldo, Lanbare, Balgrey and Shudelg

Yes, you can use the same battleship captain, or two different ones not named Okita.  Why not Okita?  Because the Yamato will be stuck in place from turn 2 until the next part of the map begins.  In my case, it was Go and Lacus that blew up Balgrey and Shudelg, respectively.  The deployment limit is respectable, so it shouldn't be too hard to field someone with armor shred.  The bigger ships like to snipe you, so if possible, have a battleship drop Joe off in the middle of everything (otherwise they target him and all he can do is pout).  There's four battleships, so getting the Unicorn out of its armor shouldn't be too much of an issue.  You won't get confirmation of the point until after some cutscenes play out - it's long.  Once the second part of the map begins, it's target practice, BUT leave some units near the top of the map.  The third part gets underway once the map is clear of enemies, and it's defeat the boss.  Some of the enemies are stupidly bulky, so I opted to murder all but two of them before ending things for once and for all.

Thanks to the enemy density on this map, I was able to get Yazan, Asuka, and Koji up to ace.  Go, Lacus, Mari, and Joe are really close (about five kills off).  Yazan's kinda rude to Nine, Koji's is expected but still amusing, and Asuka gets a really good conversation.

(disclaimer: I probably should've done a lot more research before writing this part.  I'm positive I butchered damn near everyone in here.  However, I'm rather miffed that the game could've gone there, but chose not to.  Especially since Judau was the one that filled in Nine way back when, so half of it wasn't a big secret.  So if you notice any inconsistencies, please chalk it up to me being overly ambitious, and my apologies if I've offended anyone)

Spoiler

Unlike most sessions, the sound of rustling papers was the most prevalent.  I had no idea what kind of data Celestial Being wanted from me, but Lockon said that he had to study certain long-range units.  Not that I minded - Ple's battle quotes were consistent with her personality, Mari was in dire need of kills, and Judau was exceptionally good at punching through things that didn't want to die.  Niimi introduced herself, then took her own share of notes.  She referred to the walkthrough, though what she was looking for was beyond me.  Shinji was a surprise - all I managed to get out of him was "Kaworu asked me".  Asuka didn't even bother, and instead took to pestering me from a distance - well, a greater distance than when she was in my room.  Still too close for my liking.

"It looks like the long-range units are used to chip at enemies, possibly to avoid counterattacks.  I wish I was a part of this run," Lockon said forlornly.

"Be careful what you wish for," I said testily.

"I can outrange most of your units, and I'd look cool while doing it," he added smugly.

"Cooler than us?!"  Asuka stood up and leaned across the table, directly in my view.

"Hey, get out of the way!" I protested.

"A-Asuka, what are you doing?!" Shinji yelled, horror in his voice.

"Not until that idiot over there apologizes!" she yelled back.  Laughter from the back of the room interrupted the argument.

"Is that really why you're leaning over like that?" Niimi asked lightly.

"W-why else would I do this?"

"You're giving those two boys quite the view," came the sly reply.  Asuka's head whipped around before she hastily sat down, her face as read as her EVA.

"She was?  I didn't notice," I grumbled.

"You're worse than Stupid Shinji!"  Asuka stormed out of the room.

"Huh?  Asuka, wait!"  Shinji followed.

"What was her problem?  I honestly didn't notice."

"I thought it was pretty obvious," Lockon said.

"He has no issues socializing with his male counterparts and most female ones.  But he's unusually unresponsive under certain circumstances.  Almost as if it's intentional," Niimi observed.

"That's none of your business!" I snapped.

"I was curious to how the figures of the UC dimension fit in with our historical NCC ones.  Many of them are similar, including you.  Unlike the NCC dimension, it was the Axis Drop that saved you from committing a far graver sin.  Perhaps that's why you're diverging from the records we have."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Perhaps.  Your future is uncertain.  I hope your existing trauma doesn't drive you down a similar path."

"What trauma?"

"Wait, that's him?!"  Lockon blinked in shock.

"Yes.  If anyone can reach him, it's you."  It was the sniper's turn to look horrified.

"H-how did you know about that?"

"A certain Hallelujah was more than happy to tell me."  Lockon buried his face in his hands.

"That jerk," he muttered.

"What are you talking about?"  I was certain that they were talking about me.  To my face, and behind my back at the same time.

"What do you think of the author of the walkthrough you're using?" Niimi asked.  What did this have to do with anything?

"She's a horrible woman," I said flatly.

"She's quite fond of you," Lockon countered.

"No she's not!"  The lone woman in the room chuckled.

"You have a lot of work in front of you, Lockon.  Good luck."  Niimi gracefully rose and left the room.  I stared awkwardly at Lockon.

"That woman doesn't play around," he grumbled.

"I don't get anything about this."

"How long before the map's over?" Lockon asked.

"Uh, kind of a lot.  I can stop here."  While I waited for the game to suspend, I saw Lockon take several deep breaths.

"I think I'm ready," he said.  "I. . .also lost the woman I loved.  She was shot down in front of me. . .by Setsuna."

Oh.  This wasn't going to be easy at all.

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by eclipse

[eclipse]

Chapter 47 - 6/303

Spoiler

I don't know where to begin.  Both on this map and in my head.  Too many things going on at once.

SR Point: Defeat 20 enemies within 3 turns

And this point is another deceptive one. Not because it's hard, but because hitting it triggers the second part of the map, and there's a turn limit on the second half of the map.  If you're grinding for money/TAC for NG+, feel free to murder the boss repeatedly until you get a Game Over.  But if you're not, then you need to defeat every other enemy before killing the boss.  The Yamato gets a temporary upgrade here, which I won't disclose because it's not the last time we'll see it.  In order to get the ending I want, I had to use it, so, uh, RIP several enemies that just so happen to be in range.  The boss has a MAP attack which is moderately painful, so don't leave anything that's half-dead nearby (or just put Banagher in range when he's half-dead, because it'll do wonders to his damage output).

Once the second half of the map begins, the default theme changes for the better.

Tusk, Tessa and Mari hit ace here.  Unfortunately, this is the dry spell where I don't get any conversations for a couple of chapters.

Spoiler

"H-hey, don't kill Ryoma!" Kappei yelled.

"He'll be fine!  He's really strong!" Keiko scolded.

"He survived!"  Uchuta sounded happy.

"It would've been a Game Over if Ryoma had been defeated," Banjo told the kids.

"That guy over there's reckless, but he knows which units to keep alive," Banagher said, no doubt motioning towards me.

"Huh?  The game tells you?" Kappei asked.

"It's on the Objectives screen," Uchuta explained.

"It might be too much for him to read," Keiko said softly.

"I heard that!"

"Idiots."  Ruri's voice was barely audible.  I turned around.  She wore a big grin.

"Hey, that enemy has a 100% hit rate against me!  What are you doing?!"  I ignored the complaints and let the Unicorn do its thing against the boss.

"Revenge," I said coldly.

"For what?"

"Having to field you with that stupid armor on."

"No fair!  I don't wanna die!"

"You didn't die, you big baby.  See?  You're still there!"  Kappei motioned towards the screen.

"I hate it when that happens," Banagher whined.

"Aren't you the same age as Captain Ruri?" Uchuta asked.

"Yeah.  She's so cool, and you're--" Keiko started.

"In need of Banjo's training!" Kappei finished.

"I'm too old for that!"

"You're never too old to learn, Banagher," Banjo said with a laugh.

"Uh, Hathaway, a little help here please?"

"You should listen to good advice," I teased.

"Combining the Unicorn's armor-stripping with Banagher's excitement right after he goes into Destroy Mode is an interesting strategy," Ruri commented.  Why would she say something like that?  Was she going to say something else?  Why did I even bother thinking about this?  I shook my head.  All eyes in the room were on me.

"Uh, thanks," I said hastily.

"Aww, he's blushing!" Kappei announced.

"Kappei, it's not nice to tease others when they're doing something good," Banjo said sternly.

"Oh, right.  Sorry!"

"It's, uh, okay."  Uchuta and Keiko shrugged.

"Wait, why'd you use Ryoko to defeat the boss?" Banagher asked.

"Three hearts as one, right?" I replied sarcastically.

"I see."  Ruri stood up.

"Wait, you're leaving?" Keiko asked.

"Of course.  Someone needs to tell Ryoko that she has a future as a Getter pilot."

"Hathaway, what have you done?" Banagher whispered.  I grinned in response.

---

"Did you get all of that?" Ruri asked.

"Yes, we did!" Harry said enthusiastically.  "I'm glad we were able to borrow the Ra Cailum's cameras!"

"Once we've done our own analysis, we'll send the data over."

"Who would've thought that a random pilot would've found something this big?" Akito mused.

"We women can sense a man's love and anguish!  Right, Akito?" Yurika said, emphasizing it with a hug.

"Ooof, you win."

Chapter 48 - 5/308

Spoiler

It's easier to push people away than to get to know them, love them. . .then lose them.  Yet here we are, attempting to contact a species that owes us nothing.

SR Point: Defeat all Gamillas units within 5 turns and also defeat Large ELS. Do not let Gamillas units defeat any ELS units.

So, here's how this works: Gamillas and the ELS are squaring off.  Your job is to figure out how to wipe the Gamillans while making sure that the ELS don't die to the Gamillans.  You're free to murder the space dandruff, of course.  Meanwhile, the Gardim will randomly warp in, and you'll want to clean up one specific unit.  This map is lovely, and by that, I mean there's way too many things to do in way too little time.

The ELS are sort-of far away - you'll need to figure out how to get to them by turn 2.  You can either create a buffer by murdering the small ones, or off as many Gamillan enemies in the vicinity as possible, while getting rid of the nearly-dead ELS.  I went with the former, and convinced the Gamillans to attack Tobia instead (he's white and kinda small, and Gamillans down a bottle of VP fuel vodka before they start their mission so the confusion is understandable).  I suspended at the beginning of turns 2 and 3, and had to reset a few times because some ELS-or-other had a death wish.  MAP attacks are handy, and Ange/Maito had fun eliminating stuff.  It'll also bypass their Support Defend, or make it so that they'll die when defending (which is another kill for you).  They'll unlock a power part if they manage to focus drain an enemy ship to the point where it has to retreat.

Run from the Gardim, they'll chase you.  Have the protagonist get the final shot on the weirdly-colored suit if you care about optional things, or just play chicken with them - they'll annoy you but they aren't your mission.

Your goal is that flashing tile - it has an absurd amount of HP, but dodges about as well as Koji in a miniskirt and heels, tied up.  And you have to blow it up by the end of turn 5, while dealing with every last green enemy.  I dealt as much damage as I could on turn 4 (as in, I saw numbers instead of question marks), then finished the job on turn 5.  Soul/Love is a huge help here, along with Smash Hit - you'll deal 20k damage at once.

Worst of all?  This isn't the most irritating point in the game.   That's a later chapter.  Have fun.

Spoiler

"I didn't need to read that," Koji whimpered.

"I warned you," Tetsuya said merrily.

"My people don't partake alcohol before a mission," Melda added, confusion in her voice.

"Full Cloth isn't the smallest white mech out there.  The Villkiss is," Tobia piped up.

"There's no way anyone could mistake the Villkiss for any sort of ELS!" Ange insisted.

"The author is horribly sarcastic, and I wouldn't take anything she says seriously," I told the befuddled group.

"She had good things to say about Ange!"  I suppose even the author knew better than to get on Momoka's bad side.

"And mostly everyone else.  Why are you so hostile towards the author, Hathaway?"  From anyone else, that question would've left me seeing red.  Melda sounded sincere.

"She has a terrible sense of humor."

"Yes, she does.  That's what makes the walkthrough so enjoyable."  I didn't care for the look in Ange's eye.  Or the smile on Momoka's face.

"That's because you're not on the other end of it!" I complained.

"Ever try teasing them back?" Tetsuya asked.

"Why would you encourage them?"  I silently thanked Koji for asking that question.

"Because they can't take their own medicine!" Tobia exclaimed.

Huh.  I wasn't sure if I'd get an opportunity to try that on anyone, but it was worth a shot!

Chapter 49 - 5/313

Spoiler

And the theme of heavy objects falling from the sky continues!

SR Point: Within 3 turns, defeat all enemies and lower HP of Desura II below 20000

It looks scary, but they fall fast enough.  After that, it's a timed race to the other end of the map.  The enemies in the second half are a bit dodgier, but it's nothing that Bullseye can't handle.  The boss isn't particularly bulky, and should go down to some competent Soul-powered attacks.  Ignore everything else, we're on a schedule!

Assuming you did that optional thing last chapter, the other protagonist will be available in the VangRay II.  They're passable and I wouldn't complain if they had been picked for my team!

So when all was said and done with ace conversations, I had Ryoma, Benkei, and Go added to the giant pile.  With that, I had more than enough pilots to get to the true ending.  So here we go~!

Like a certain other chapter, I really should've stopped sooner, but I felt that concluding things on Gamillas was fitting on this day.  I don't know how much damage can be repaired in four years, and I fear for everything once our newly-inaugurated president leaves.  But just for a bit, I'll relax.  There will be plenty of time to remind people that apathy is the biggest threat to democracy.

Spoiler

"A recipe?"  Ersha tore her eyes from the game and eyed the paper I gave her.

"Kincade said that this was up your alley," I explained.

"It looks like some sort of chocolate cake.  Quite a few people on board like sweets.  They'll enjoy this!"  She shot me a warm smile.

"Oh, can I see?"  Sally peeked over Ersha's shoulder.  "This looks like something my relatives make!"

"Really?"  No matter what the task, Sally was somehow good at it.  Which included identifying mystery recipes.

"Between the bread recipe and this, I think I know where the author is from!"  Sally pointed to an unexpected place on the map.

"She's from Arzenal?" Ersha asked hesitantly.

"Oh, I get it."  Of course she'd be from the least likely place on Earth.  Or at least my Earth.

"Of all the times I've been there, I've never had anything like those recipes," Maito said.  When did he arrive?

"There's places for tourists and places for locals.  These recipes are for the locals."

"Well, Sally, you'll have to show me around.  I hear the food is great!"  Maito and Sally shared a giggle.

"Why do you look so sad?" Ersha whispered.

"I do?"

"You're not a bad guy.  I'm sure there's a sweet girl out there for you somewhere."  She shot me a motherly smile.

"W-what makes you think that?"  Her smile got bigger.

"Just the expression on your face."  Why was I blushing?  And why was Sally giggling?

"Are we disturbing something?" Maito asked, grinning.

"I-it's not what you think!"

"Just some friendly encouragement," Ersha continued.  "Hiding a sensitive heart behind a grouchy exterior.  You remind me of Asuka."

What did I do to deserve THIS?!

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by eclipse

[eclipse]

Chapter 50 (fierce battles) - 4/317

Spoiler

Pieces to a puzzle.  Niimi's odd interest in me.  Lockon's words.  Asuka's strange actions.  Ersha's observations.  Even Ruri's odd smiles on the few occasions that I saw her.  As I pondered these interactions, an odd question popped into mind.

Could I love another?

Logically, I should.  I wasn't the first person to lose someone that I love.  Yet I didn't want to let go.

Quess. . .can you forgive me?

SR Point: Clear the map in 5 turns.

This is the biggest bait and switch.  No you're not fighting the initial enemies, you're beating the crap out of Embryo - which, quite frankly, is more satisfying.  This is where an extra pilot in Kai Kai is helpful - Barrier Buster is damn good on this map.  After the boss goes down the first time, it's THAT scene - someone has it out for a certain girl.  Then comes THAT glorious montage, followed by the exact same win condition.  So go back to town, ignore the other guys, and finish this!

Oh, right, if you failed to get Yazan, Jerid, and/or Lane earlier, they'll show up here alongside Full Frontal.  Otherwise, you get the giant red thing here.  The MAP attack is good, assuming you can get everyone else out of the way.  Otherwise, Frontal's an otherwise overpowered filler unit.

Hayato got his ace bonus here.  Now THAT'S how to troll!

Spoiler

She was right where I thought she'd be - doing something to Unit-02.  I ignored Mari's stupid grin.  Rei waved shyly at me, which I returned.  Shinji looked annoyed, but this didn't concern him.

"Hey Asuka, can I talk to you for a bit?"  Mari's face was begging to be rearranged.  Misato turned to Asuka and nodded.

"What did you want?"  Hopefully none of the others wouldn't follow us.  Or try to eavesdrop.

"All those things you did to distract me - they weren't accidents, were they?" I asked.

"W-why are you asking such weird things?"  Her flushed face was all the answer I needed.

"I'm sorry for pushing you away so roughly.  I was too absorbed in my own thoughts to pay attention to what you were trying to say."

"I-it's not what you think," she said softly.

"Do tell," I said as lightly as I could.  "I'm an utter idiot when it comes to women."

"You're such a mood killer!  Always going off about some dead girl.  Why can't you grow up and move on?!  She's not coming back!"  Harsh, but not wrong.  I chuckled.

"I can't fault you for that.  'Moving on' will come when I'm ready."

"Just how long will you mope?  It's pathetic!"

"Maybe I'll get over it tomorrow.  Or twenty years from now."  She turned her nose away from me.  Perfect.  "Did you want to fill the void in my heart?"

"W-wha. . ." was all she could manage to get out.  I took a step towards her.  She didn't move.

"I can't imagine a girl like you being satisfied with second place.  Especially in a man's heart."

"You're wrong!  What makes you think that I'd want anything to do with you?"  A tear escaped from the corner of her eye.  I gently wiped it away.  The shock on her face was the answer that she wanted to say, but couldn't.

"If you want to talk after the Earths are restored, Shinji has my number.  The next time you like a guy, just tell him that you like him.  Not everyone can tell the difference between what you say and what you mean."  My cheek stung.  I pushed her a little too hard.  Yet I didn't regret it at all.

"I'LL choose who I like.  Not you, or any other idiot who thinks he knows me better than I do!"  She stalked off.

I wonder how long it would take before she found someone else to fall in love with?

---

Sniping had its advantages.  Like spying on people through the scope of a rifle under the pretext of focusing it.  Shinji and Rei talked about something, while Misato's back was to the scope.  Perfect.

Words were unnecessary.  Those two spoke volumes with their body language.  She made no effort to move when he got close to her.  The slap to the face came much later than expected.  He smiled while rubbing his cheek.  The aftermath would most likely be a vehement denial that she'd ever liked him.

Regardless, that distraction had been taken care of.  Asuka would no longer focus her attention on a dead end.  Shinji could sort his emotions at his leisure.  And maybe that guy would think a bit before taking his issues out on other girls.  Misato liked beer - obtaining some would be difficult, but after all the help that had been enlisted to resolve this incident, it was the least that could be done.  After all, a lowly pilot wouldn't have been able to enlist a ship's captain and a psychologist for such an issue.

Mission accomplished.

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by eclipse

[eclipse]

Chapter 51 - 7/324

Spoiler

Is Black Noir supposed to be the author?

SR Point: Defeat all Giant Kedoras within 2 turns and also defeat Great General of Darkness.

Maybe this is the "break the fourth wall" chapter, but Black Noir is nowhere near as good-looking as I am in a swimsuit!

Spoiler

I don't want to imagine that!

Ahem. . .this point is annoying because many of the stronger weapons are tied to Focus.  You'll need to spend SP on Spirit/Rouse/Drive, as well as the usual evasion/damage amps to get this one in time.  Or just wipe the little guys with a MAP attack, since you'll want to up your Focus anyway.

Once the Great General of Nonsense is out of your way, you get two really irritating bosses.  Both have a 10-radius aura that debilitates you, and they'll come from different directions.  Your job is to kill both of them - or take out the other baddies if you're low on funds.  Once you start turn 6 or so, you'll get a story scene that replenishes your HP/EN/ammo/Focus/SP, which should be enough to stomp these guys into oblivion.  Overall, a headache of a map, but this isn't the end.

Note that if you don't use a single unit to bait, you may end up eating a MAP attack - one that will wipe your frailer units off the field.  And by "frail", I mean most Gundams.  So have someone take the heat, and don't let Black Noir hit!  Unless you like sitting in the middle of a map, unable to do anything!

Lacus and Zinnerman got their ace bonuses.  Two sweet conversations to close them all out!

Spoiler

"This isn't what 'break a leg' means, and we both know it," I said crossly.

"Stuff it."  With the alarms going off, there was no way Lane would recover in time.

"There you are.  You're filling in for Lane."

"SIR?!" Lane exclaimed.

"He was on the squad before you showed up, and he's smart enough to figure out how Banshee Norn works.  You're in no shape to pilot anything."  Lane's indignation was no match for my father's will.  Once he took that tone of voice, objections were thrown out the window.

"Yes sir," I said softly.

"Don't screw up out there," Lane growled.

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by eclipse

[eclipse]

Chapter 52 - 8/332

Spoiler

"You're piloting again?"

"Yeah.  Who's that kid with the white hair?"  The game had given Shinji's new copilot a name, but I figured that it was more polite to ask.

"Oh, that's Kaworu.  Unit-13 requires two pilots."

"Nice to meet you."  Much to my surprise, he took my hand and shook it.  At least someone on their team knew their manners!

"I look forward to seeing your skills. Shinji has told me good things about you."

"He has?"  The boy in question looked utterly lost, as usual.

"Of course.  That's what friends are for, right?"

No points in the final chapter.  Just kick butt!

The first bit is easy enough - if you haven't figured out how to completely ruin three-way battles, I have no idea what to tell you.  The bosses are a bit tanky, but otherwise manageable.  However, you'll want to prep for the second part - whether you cheese it or play legit is up to you.  "Legit" takes longer, is harder on your SP, and generally sucks.  So here's the cheese strategy:

0. Choose the Nahel Argama and Eternal as the battleships to bring, and make sure Otto gets his ace.  Nahel's Commander aura reduces damage, and Eternal's customization bonus reduces damage.  Shove as many Concentrate onto Okita as you can.  Any spares go on Ruri.  Make sure the Yamato has either a Propellant Tank or Super Repairkit handy, a Palladium Reactor, as well as full customization - that ship needs all the tank stats it can get.  So do the rest of your battleships.  Give the Eternal the Commander's Terminal (you DID unlock in the Factory, right?).

1. Get as much ExC on your battleships as possible.  Your goal is to max it out on all of them.  Meanwhile, use Ruri's SP sparingly while keeping Sanada's SP as high as possible.  Also make sure someone has Resupply ready at a moment's notice.

2. When the final enemy is almost dead, load up everyone.  The fewer targets, the better.

3. Activate Iron Wall on all of your battleships.  Make sure the Eternal and the Nahel Argama are directly adjacent to each other (in other words, I should've had the Nahel over one tile, but eh).  Ideally, the Yamato is closest to the left edge of the screen (default view), and everyone is within everyone else's aura.  That should reduce the damage you take to manageable levels.  Try for something like this:

Spoiler

4. Once enemy phase begins. . .well, be patient.  It's 75 actions.  Sit back and relax, and by that, I mean try not to tear your hair out.  Ruri/Sanada will need to trigger Bonds as necessary, and Otto may need to use Grit because he takes the most damage out of everyone.  Eventually, it'll be over.  You'll live.  RIP your EN.

5. Take note of where the enemies are clustered - they should be all around the Yamato.

6. Slowly chew through those enemies.  If you're into fun conversations, do not use the "main" character of each series.  DO NOT USE THE YAMATO, FULL STOP.  Your goal is to advance to the next phase here.  Use the non-Yamato battleship's MAP attacks as necessary (with the appropriate damage amp), and Forsee your way out of friendly fire.  Then, have your non-main characters clean up.  If you kill enough of them, it'll trigger the final phase.

7. And welcome to the reason why I prepped the Yamato as much as I did - the Wave Motion Cannon.  Activate Smash Hit and Multi Action (and Bless if you're still short on money for the Gold Emblem), then Soul.  As a single attack, it can outright nuke an enemy with Soul.  But that's not what's going to win the day.  Observe:

Spoiler

7. Reposition the Yamato (that's why it got Hit and Run way back when) and continue to thin out the enemies.  2-3 applications should get their numbers down to 4-5, which is manageable.

8. Clean up the rest of the enemies.  You'll get some amusing conversations with the main characters.  Like so:

Spoiler

9. And the reason for that last-minute pilot switch?  It was the only way I could get this:

Spoiler

That's right, it was all for Lane's sake.

10. Enjoy the ending!  It's long~!

Story finale/unit evaluations in the next post.  Just as their world is off to a (hopefully) bright future, here's hoping ours does the same.  It looks like the darkness is lifting. . .

Edited January 25, 2021 by eclipse

[eclipse]

First, unit evaluations:

Protagonist - VangRay will hold its own until its upgrade.  I go with the GranVang because I like one-shotting things for 70 SP.  Its Repair means that it'll keep up with experience no matter what.  Overall a solid unit, but that's Protagonist Power for you.

Yamato - This ship fights with Judau for most kills.  It'll quietly gain attacks, with the Wave Motion Cannon being available for two maps - of which, I think one is unnecessary.  The Shock Cannon will be your bread and butter, and it's great for weakening big things.  Thanks to its insane spirit list, it doesn't fall off.  Ever.

Tobia - Being a close-range thing makes some of the endgame bosses a pain, but he's scrappy enough to keep up.  Full Cloth hits wonderfully hard as well.  His Ace bonus brings Valor's cost down, so he'll dish out plenty of damage.  Plus, he gets cool music.

Ryoma - Is actually three pilots in one mech (as opposed to a pilot and a bunch of sub-pilots).  As Black Getter, he's good at dishing out damage at close range and eating through his EN.  Once Shin Getter shows up, you'll have a bit more variety to your attacks.  Ryoma continues to be the hard hitter, Hayato busts barriers and takes potshots, and Benkei protects others.  Which also reflects their personalities.

Tetsuya - The first half of the Mazinger damage absorption crew, he'll need some EN equipment if Thunder Break is used more than twice a turn.  He comes and goes, which is kinda irritating.  But he'll be your bait for as long as he's around.

Ruri - She's okay with Gravity Blast, but Phase-Transition Cannon is where she shines.  She's not quite as versatile as the Yamato, but she/Harry/Yurika will cover most things.  She wants an early ace for her best weapon.

Ryoko - Falls off later, but will murder damn near everything before then.  Large Rail Cannon is not acceptable as a long-range substitute for bulky long-range late units.  But until then, she'll rip through cannon fodder so your big guys don't have to waste resources on them.

Maito - While he doesn't hit as hard as Ryoma, or take hits as well as a Mazinger, he'll have enough variety where he can function.  He also gives you extra resources, and those are always welcome.  Plus his villains are more silly than world-ending (well, the initial ones, at least).  Half the time I forget that Gaine exists.  Sorry!

Sumeragi - I skipped all the routes where she gets to be a badass.  Sorry!  Her ship can Repair others, but she really needs to shoot things down.  TRANS-AM is far too short IMO.  And her Ace ability makes me sad - it means sacrificing power part slots for it!

Allelujah - The close-range specialist of the bunch, he can hold his own and then some.  However, he had to fight over his spot with Shinn and Tobia, which meant he didn't quite shine as much as he normally does.  Still a cool guy, and Hallelujah crashing his party every now and then was well worth it!

Tessa - Not being around on regular air maps kinda sucked, but she was quite funny in space.  I don't know what genius gave Mardukas Snipe, but that person has my eternal thanks.  Her ace bonus is less effective as the game goes on.

Hathaway - Why is his machine so damn lackluster towards the end?  I shoved him in Banshee Norn for the final map, and he lay waste to anyone dumb enough to challenge him.  Even if he doesn't get the combo attack, he hits so hard in Destroy Mode that he doesn't need it.  With Bravery/Soul (yay ace bonus?), he'll absolutely need Concentrate to make sure he doesn't bleed himself dry.  I swear someone doesn't like his series, because who makes a main character's Gundam flop around on the later maps?!  And my RNG didn't care for him at first, because he ate a lot of ~30% attacks when he first joined up.

Judau - This guy, on the other hand, has one job, and that's to hose everything that stands against him.  His attacks never go out of style, and the additional armor means that you can either use Soul-powered MAP attacks or have him bait and murder things.  He's a prime candidate for the Hyper Generator, since his final attack eats 100 EN.  His story scenes amuse me, too.  My mom saw how busted he was and wanted to make my life easier.  Thanks, mom~!

Vivian - For a not-main series non-utility character (Agitate nonwithstanding), she's really good at not being hit while dishing out decent damage.  She'll keep your funds and TAC up.  Perhaps the most mystifying part of her as a character is Mercy in her spirit list.  I know she wants to be friends and all but. . .why?

Ange - She's like Est, if Est showed up early, got you a lot of money, and wound up strip naked multiple times (the inappropriate bits censored out, of course).  Unlike the others, her damage output keeps up because she gets new attacks.  Love as her final spirit means that she'll end up overleveled if you feed her boss kills.  Which is not a bad thing!

Banjo - He joins up somewhere around here.  He strips armor, hits hard, gives more resources, has a wonky theme, and is at his best with the Zambot kids.  He also takes the cake for best dodging, as he's avoided multiple 85%+ attacks.  I think he's absolutely necessary for certain SR points.

Athrun - Thanks to decent range on his attacks, he doesn't need as much pampering as Shinn.  Instead, he has to worry about being hit by stupid hit rates.  I think it's a curse among men who suck at interacting with women.  His ace bonus means that SEED kicks in earlier, which is great for your SP.

Shinn - Is dodgier than Athrun if you're willing to gamble on his customization bonus.  He needs a bit more range extension, but doesn't need the Eternal for his final attack (instead he needs his girlfriend, which is another issue altogether).  He's plenty amusing, especially when it comes to the Para-Mail riders.  I have no pity on him!

Amuro - After I had Bright embarrass him, he murdered everything with Fin Funnels and stopped being hit by stupid percentages.  Hey, if you're reading over my shoulder, put your height to good use and help my mom and grandma pick tangerines!  I hope I don't have to write an entire fanfic just to get him to behave the next time. . .

Banagher - Not to be outdone by any other white Gundam, he figured out how to make Destroy Mode work.  Between him and Banjo, I managed to secure some otherwise dicey SR points.  Insta-Zeal when Destroy Mode is active is one of the best ace bonuses in the game (but IMO someone else on my team has a more generically useful one).

Otto and Friends - Because THIS guy relies on the rest of his crew to get things done.  The Nahel is weirdly glassy, and Liam is the one wearing the pants.  Still, it has a better MAP attack than the other Londo Bell affiliate, and his lines are slightly more amusing.

Ple - Sniper girl does a lot better in a mech that's designed for sniping.  Her Qubley is, but IMO it's merely decent.  Her spirits are a weird combination of offensive and supportive, and she's a sad panda if she has to Beam Saber things to death.  But she's pretty good filler, and I'm not going to argue against free Zero-In after she hits ace and 130 Focus!

Bright - He'll never tell his son how proud he is of him, but his thoughts say a lot.  He's better than Otto at blowing things up with his main cannon.  However, he's settled down from his younger days, and no one is slapped.

Koji - The other Mazinger, and the one that will absolutely demolish his EN.  His attacks are either "up in your face" or "at a distance", and the latter is expensive.  Once he gets Mazinger Zero, his damage output will be quite impressive.  As long as Zero doesn't eat him, of course.

Shinji - In the end, he stayed with his BFF Kaworu.  Unit-13's Spear animation was worth it.  Unit-01 is scary in its own right, but I like having more spirit options.  Like Bonds.  Bonds is good.

Asuka - She's nicer to Unit-02 than most of the cast.  Gotta thank Mari for Beast Mode, which hurts when applied properly.  She's a bit better than your average melee super robot, thanks to her range.  Even if she doesn't hit as hard with non-Beast Mode things.

Tusk - Somewhere between utility and murder, he'll hit decently hard, dodge a lot, repair and resupply, AND do it all in pink.  He's a busy guy, but so very useful and funny!  Thanks mom (again).

Eternal - Takes hits and names, but good luck getting it to kill things.  It's telling when Shin Getter Dragon hit ace before she did!

Zinnerman - THIS is the pure utility ship.  Its cannon looks like someone in a mobile armor who shoots things with a rocket launcher.  A prime candidate for Proud Ace, because no one has time for that!

a Azieru - Gets a mention due to its unlock conditions.  And because Lane would rather be in this than Penelope.  Hathaway has better things to do with his time.

Joe - There's times where dodging is preferable.  For all other things, have Joe flatten them.  Give him a bit of range and watch him steamroll everything within reach.  Valor's just icing on the cake.

Mari - Ever heard of an EVA that's allergic to hits?  Yeah.  But she'll soften things up, or just steal kills outright with Support Attack.  She confuses Nine, who IMO shouldn't analyze her when she's saying unimportant things.  Which is mostly everything that comes out of her mouth during that ace conversation.

Yazan - Cheap Foresee is so helpful.  Even if he's a total jerk as a character.  For whatever reason, he stacks Focus like he's Shinji.  If he was a Newtype, he'd be a force to contend with, since his RNG is pretty good, and Funnels are so very common.

Lane - This guy manages to be better and worse than Hathaway.  Worse stats and starting Gundam, better spirit list and ace bonus.  Insta-Persist on every turn means that he can double as bait and not worry about being hit in the face by stupid percentages.  Of the two, he's more likely to be the type that yells at a piece of paper.

Shin Getter Dragon - The battleship that fights back!  It should get its ace bonus fairly quickly, and then it'll eat everything that gets in its way.  Except the last battle is one of attrition.  Yeah.

Y'all drafted me a pretty solid team.  Thanks~!  And now, the story conclusion.

Spoiler

Once again, my venue was moved - this time, to the Yamato's briefing room?!  Many pilots, both those that had fought and those in reserve cheered as I recreated our victory in-game.  The same thing was broadcast to all ships, and I heard equal amounts of celebration over their comms.

"Did you have to trigger THAT conversation?" Amuro whimpered.

"It's a well-known fact that you're wishy-washy with your fan club," I said with a grin.  Chan grimaced.

"Aw yeah, we've got a good one!" Ange yelled.  High fives went around the Arzenal girls and Tusk.  I wasn't sure if he was the luckiest guy among us, or the unluckiest.

"STUPID SHINJI!"  Asuka had her hands on her hips.

"What are you doing, Shinji?" Rei asked quietly.

"W-well. . ." he began, shrinking away from the withering glares of his teammates.

"Good luck, Shinji," Mari and I said at the same time.  I glared at her.  She winked at me.

"I wish Audrey had been there to say something about love," Banagher muttered.

"Hoping that she declares her undying love of you?" Kurz said, clapping the unfortunate idiot on his back.

"Don't corrupt the kids!" Mao snapped, pulling Kurz away.

"T-thanks," Banagher stuttered.

"A bit wasteful at the end, but all's well that ends well," Sanada concluded.

"We mopped up most of them with the Wave Motion Cannon!" Nanbu said excitedly.

"Some people never learn," Kato grumbled.

"That's, uh, cheesy," I said to myself, as my own conversation played.

"Aww, you're growing up!"  Ryoko stood over me.

"You were so angry when we first met you, and now look!" Hikaru said with a giggle.

"I think the three of you would make WONDERFUL Getter pilots," I said between gritted teeth.

"He's blushing.  How cute."  Why did Izumi have to point that out?

"Someone's a hit among the ladies," came a familiar smug voice.

"Tobia, stop grinning like that and help me!"

"You're doing fine!" Bernadette insisted.

"I'd best keep Berah away.  She'd start teasing you," Kincade mused.

"While he is attracted to girls slightly younger than him, older women find him irresistible.  Chitose, what do you think?"  NINE?!

"Not my type," Chitose said flatly.  Finally, someone with sense!

"I have concluded that the author of the walkthrough is an older woman, which supports my hypothesis," Nine continued.

"What do you mean?" Niimi asked.

"It's clear she cares about the younger pilots, but saves her attraction for Joe, who is older than them.  The wording she uses, as well as the events she talk about point to someone who pays attention to both the details and the bigger picture."  Nine wore a big grin.

"What else?" I snapped.

"Do you still despise her?"  I blinked.  After rereading everything, her words didn't hurt as much.

"I don't hate her, but she's annoying," I grumbled.

"Would you say she reminds you of a big sister that won't leave you alone?" Nine asked.  I wasn't like that to my little sister!  I think.

"I guess?"

"She reminds me of Chitose.  Overly doting and harsh at times, but cares deeply.  She knew your future in NCC, and knew that you had another chance here in UC.  I feel like she wanted to tell you something, but just couldn't bring herself to say it outright."

"I am NOT harsh!" Chitose protested.

"Which is?"

"May your future be bright."

"BEECHA, YOU SAID WHAT?!"

"ELLE, DON'T KILL ME!"

"Kids," I grumbled.  A bright future, huh?  Why not just say that?

---

If "bright" meant "overworked", then here I am.  I wound up walking two paths - the botanist I always wanted to be, intertwined with the Federation.  Someone had to tell the bigwigs that their policies would wreck the Earth's delicate environment further!  Many of us lost contact, with our own lives to live.  Asuka held out for all of two months before she nicked my number from Shinji.  I was even more surprised when Rei called, but she wanted advice on how to keep Shinji and Asuka from fighting all the time.  Relationships were weird, and it was a good thing that I had taken as long as I did to get over Quess.  Perhaps that was my first love's final act - to keep me away from someone who was an awful match for me!

I have no idea what drove Banagher to work with children, but he wound up with a whole bunch of messed-up families.  Social work was often thankless, but it never dampened his spirits.  Even after he had his own kids.

As for me?  It took more than a day and less than twenty years for me to get over Quess.  I didn't notice it until I was stranded in a storm with a camper.  After a night of talking and a year of dating, I found someone to share my life with.  As a testament to her insanity, she asked Asuka to be one of her bridesmaids.  Shinji was less than pleased about that.  I was equally displeased, as Mari invited herself into the bride's retinue.

I'm more than double the age that I was when I met my end in NCC.  My daughter is the same age that I was when I lost Quess.  She talks about the dumb kids in her school.  If that's what she complains about, then maybe all the fighting my generation did was worth it.  Except for the part where she has a crush on Banagher's son.

The odd game became popular after Tessa talked a bit too much about it at school.  Thanks to her connections, the game and system were mass-produced, and the walkthrough went from a sheaf of papers to a small book - with the bits from the other world cut out, of course.  Once the conflict between the three dimensions was resolved, Nine received no new data from that odd world.  Did the author's worst fears come to pass?  Or did they disappear like a bad dream?  Part of me hopes that her world knows peace, and that the pandemic is contained before long.

The other part of me hopes that she steps on a thumb tack.

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by eclipse

[Punished Dayni]

2 hours ago, eclipse said:

The other part of me hopes that she steps on a thumb tack.

At least it wasn't a sharp lego brick

Good job on another clear.

[eclipse]

15 hours ago, Dayni said:

At least it wasn't a sharp lego brick

Good job on another clear.

The issues with using a Lego:

1. I have no idea if they exist in that universe.  Maybe they do, but it's under another name.
2. Stepping on a Lego doesn't require a tetanus booster if I haven't had one recently.  😛

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!  Even if I had no idea what I was doing, writing-wise.