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Scintilla
Aug 24, 2010

I BEAT HIGHFORT
and all I got was this
jackass monkey

SSNeoman posted:

Man oh man. Those pairings sure are something. I'm glad this game ends on a somewhat high note, even though on the gran scheme of things very little was resolved.

There's only so much you can do with a side story, after all.

In other news I've finally managed to work out how to record video on my PCSX2 without the emulator making GBS threads itself, so after I'm done with this LP my next one will probably be Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter. Though it'll probably be a while before I get there since the alternate scenario doesn't have a convenient game script that I can copy the text from, meaning I'll have to transcribe everything manually. :v:

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FFKonoko
Jan 1, 2013

Olfacere violarum.
That was quite the sweet epilogue. Warren and Mebius (and the rest) getting a little orphan baby to look after, and Cage travelling the universe with his honey; about the best finish that could be expected of the game really.
Though a thought does occur, just how BIS and their motivations fit into the whole deal happening in ZoE2? Would they fight against the UNSF LeV army and Leo? Or against the BAHRAM hordes of unmanned orbital frames and Anubis? I'm thinking neither, but it's an interesting thought.

Dragon Quarter? Oh man. I'm already looking forward to that, there is a really 'fun' story of how I got it and how it broke me. Never completed it, never quite wrapped my head around the restart mechanic. I imagine that there might be sections of repetition being skimmed over in the LP format.

Scintilla
Aug 24, 2010

I BEAT HIGHFORT
and all I got was this
jackass monkey
Second Playthrough – Setup

I had some free time over the past week or so, so I decided to do a quick mini-update showing how to get onto the alternate story path. Last time we finished the first main story path of Zone of the Enders: Fist of Mars. It was a pretty interesting ride, and after a long hard slog everyone earned their happy endings.

But…

What if things had happened differently? There were a lot of variables that needed to turn out positively to allow the cast to achieve what they did. What if one tiny piece of the puzzle was never uncovered? The story might take a very different turn.

Let’s cast our minds back to the eleventh mission of the game, where BIS is competing against the Mars Angels to see who can take out the most unmanned enemies. What would have happened, I wonder, if we had failed to kill more than them?



:…Win?

: Digi, when were we competing?

: Hm? What do you mean? Oh, I guess I got carried away again as usual…

:…My channelling abilities are telling me that we have overstayed our visit.



: Mmm-hmm.

:…It’s unfortunate. You were so close to attracting good luck…

: Huh? What does that mean?

: Heh heh…you’ll see soon enough…



: We are the ‘Mars Angels’ of the Red Planet…We look forward to seeing you again somewhere. Until then…ta-ta!



The Mars Angels retreat – without giving us the crucial second version of the Bonaparte logs we needed to indict Zephyrs in the first playthrough.

From here on everything is the same up until the fourteenth mission of the game; Deckson decides to publicize the logs BIS do have using Yukito’s father’s broadcasting company. Mebius is captured, Bolozof uses her as a hostage to force BIS to surrender, then Twede releases everyone whilst Myona proceeds with the broadcast. All well and good…until Zephyrs is put on the phone line to debate with Myona at the studio.

Music: Tragedy



: Thank you!

: We meet again, Myona. Or what name do you go by now?

: It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Zephyrs. I don’t know who you are confusing me with, but I am Myona Alderan. Nobody else.

: Well excuse me. And what kind of evidence are you going to show us today? Did you find something within those records?



:…unscheduled crash landing on Mars. There were survivors from this accident. But you got rid of them and hid the very cause of the crash. This is because the Black Frame is the result of your demented experimentation…am I right?

:…You have a very vivid imagination, young lady. But it is not such a simple affair to experiment and invent weapons in secret. Surely you have evidence to support such an accusation?

: The datalog from the Bonaparte. This is undeniable evidence of what happened at the time of the accident. One can also uncover any discrepancies between the truth and the official announcements.

: Aha. So, let’s see the data.



:…the…?!?

: Heh heh…what’s happened? Is there something wrong? Something you can’t show us?

: Why…the data has disappeared…is it a time limit virus? Did they plan this from the very beginning?!

: I don’t know. Was that all the evidence you had? Who would believe a terrorist like you with no evidence?

:…



:…Not yet.

: Oh, really? You’ve done enough to confuse everyone. There’s nothing left for you to say.

: I AM the proof…

: What!? You little! You wouldn’t…!



: What happened?

: Somebody overrode the broadcast controls at the TV station!

: Johnny, did you do it?

: Entwined destinies…this is the best I can do.

Without the additional pressure, Irving chooses to support Zephyrs instead of caving in like he did before.



Without the unaltered logs Zephyrs is able to keep his job. This has huge ramifications for the plot.

: But…I…

: For a little while the media will be on the lookout. But I doubt that there is anyone on Mars with the power or courage to come after you.

:…Sir.

: Still, there are those within the military who do not think highly of you. This would be an excellent time to get them on your side.



:…name! Please see the HarutMarut in action before you depart!

: Hm. Are you going to manoeuvre it? Is that such a good idea?

: It is a bold statement. However, I would like for you to recognize the fact that despite my many shortcomings, I have attempted to be the best I can be.

: Do as you like.

: (Now, who is going to act as my guinea pig? Wait a minute...they are still trying to lure me out! This could be fun. Vale…I’ll turn this around on you!)

Vale, of course, being Ares. The scene returns to the BIS members.



:…at the last minute…We weren’t able to get Zephyrs!

: But it was a good start.

: Dad…I’m sorry to have given you trouble…

: I’ve given you trouble too…you’ve been doing the right thing all along, and yet the only way I could make a public announcement was to call it a terrorist hijacking…forgive me, Tadamichi. You and your friends get out of here quickly. I’ll take care of the rest.

:…Okay.



Music: Tension



:…re-regular LEV!

: It’s Zephyrs.

: First off, let’s get out of here!



: It’s not a bad idea to have an escape route to use whenever the time is right…

: I’ll go get Myona. Vjaya is the fastest one. Please leave it to me.

: Yeah, okay. Be careful.



:…enough time?)

The game shifts back to the battlefield outside the TV station.

Music: Uncontrollable Fear



: Zephyrs…

: Too bad about the broadcast. You should have learned by now that no matter what you little people do, you’ll never be able to touch me.

: I agree, we may have failed this time…but your sins have not been forgotten!

: Heh heh…my sins? We’ll see about that, Vale.



: It’s useless to feign ignorance, I’ve finally figured it out. You’re the reason for all of these problems. You’re the one who took control of Iblis and sank the Bonaparte. You organized all of this out of revenge!

With his reputation and pride still intact Zephyrs is a hell of a lot more coherent than he was the first time around. Amusingly he’s right on the money on all counts except for the fact that Cage is not, in fact, Vale.

: Revenge? What are you talking about?

: Never mind! Come if you must – I’ll show you what the HarutMarut can do! But first, the girl…

Zephyrs gains 10 Spirit.



After this the mission resumes with the same objective as last time – stop Zephyrs from reaching the TV station.

After destroying the unmanned fodder and beating the first stage of the HarutMarut…



:…doing?! I am here!

: I do feel hatred towards you…but it’s not my goal to fight and destroy you like this. I want you to be judged in a court for your crimes!

: You! You are not Vale! How is that possible?! Then…how are you moving?! No…I get it. You took his place! Never mind, it’s all going to be over very soon. But Vale? I will never forgive you. NEVER!!!

Zephyrs moves down to the TV station!



: I’m detecting abnormal energy readings! It is dangerous!

: He’s going to self-destruct? Oh, no! Myona!

: Go away! All the things that get in my way go up in flames! Everything! Ha ha ha!!



But then…all of a sudden…



Ares shows up! In the Ib…lis…? Huh?



: Ares? What’s that machine?

: Cage! Take Myona and run! Hurry!

: O-okay!



: (…Vale?)

: Zephyrs, it’s been too long! Now I am going to destroy you!

: Heh heh, I knew it was you…you just couldn’t stay out of the picture any more! This is exactly what I’ve been waiting for!





Uh-oh, we know what that spirally thing means…



: Ha ha! Stupid boy! You came all the way out here just to get caught. None of you can disobey me, I’ve forced it into you!

: What? What’s that supposed to mean?! Ares can’t disobey you? What?!

: Hmm, so he hasn’t told you anything, huh. You’ve merely been a pawn from the very beginning. You didn’t know that he is the sole culprit behind the sinking of the Bonaparte?



:…trouble! Stop lying! You don’t know the first thing about Ares!

: Best friend? Ha! That’s funny, kid. I haven’t heard that one in a long time. Unfortunately you’re the one who doesn’t know the first thing about Ares.

:…Vale? Is…that…you…?



: On to the real thing…

: Don’t do it!

: Cage…take care…of…Myo…na!

: Eeeeeeeek!!

An enormous explosion turns the screen white!





: Zephyrs’ frame…was it only the exterior that exploded?

: I’m okay…where’s Ares?



A buzzer goes off in Zephyrs’ cockpit.

: (Tsk! Is this the best it can do? I suppose I did hurry the attacks…Ah well.)

: You’re very lucky. But once I have you marked, there’s no getting away from me. You had better get used to that…

Zephyrs retreats.



Mission 14 ends here. Just a quick checklist of the differences so far:

1. Zephyrs keeps his position in the UNSF due to the Mars Angels never giving BIS the unaltered Bonaparte logs.
2. The reveal that Ares was behind the Bonaparte incident comes much, much sooner, whilst Ares himself is still with BIS.
3. Zephyrs, rather than Jimmer is the one who takes out Ares, who piloted the Iblis rather than the Vjaya like he did before.

The next mission shares a lot of similarities with the previous playthrough’s Mission 15, but it’s divergent enough that it makes a good starting point for the first true update of the second story path, which will be coming sometime after new year.

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


Scintilla posted:

In other news I've finally managed to work out how to record video on my PCSX2 without the emulator making GBS threads itself, so after I'm done with this LP my next one will probably be Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter. Though it'll probably be a while before I get there since the alternate scenario doesn't have a convenient game script that I can copy the text from, meaning I'll have to transcribe everything manually. :v:

Looking to go for a hat trick as the LP-curse killer?

Scintilla
Aug 24, 2010

I BEAT HIGHFORT
and all I got was this
jackass monkey
Funnily enough I was also considering doing Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney after seeing HelloWinter's heroic attempt, so perhaps it's going to become a theme. :v:

GilliamYaeger
Jan 10, 2012

Call Gespenst!
Scintilla: Professional LP Exorcist.

Glazius
Jul 22, 2007

Hail all those who are able,
any mouse can,
any mouse will,
but the Guard prevail.

Clapping Larry
drat. That is a pretty significant plot swerve... I wonder what else is going to be different now that Zephyrs is around?

MechaX
Nov 19, 2011

"Let's be positive! Let's start a fire!"
You know, with all of this craziness going on across Mars, I am slightly surprised that Nohman didn't just swing down on Anubis and see what the racket is all about.

Hell, he pretty much does exactly this when he has Zakat raze Mars for no real reason.

FFKonoko
Jan 1, 2013

Olfacere violarum.
Zone of Enders is in 2172
Fist of Mars is in 2173
Zone of Enders 2 is in 2174.

I tried to look up what good ol' Ridley 'Nohman' Hardiman was up to during the intervening time of ZoE 1 and 2, and other that presumably playing around with Anubis, optimizing/enhancing it as much as possible and coming up with that silly suit and generally going nuts with metatron...apparently he was busy dealing with an assassination attempt by someone from this game that wants to head up BAHRAM. Jimmy Jims is terribly ambitious.

FFKonoko fucked around with this message at 08:42 on Jan 3, 2014

Scintilla
Aug 24, 2010

I BEAT HIGHFORT
and all I got was this
jackass monkey
There's slightly more mention of Nohman in this route. Don't worry, he's definitely doing something.

In other news the next couple of missions are pretty much the same as the ones we already saw in the first playthrough, only with different enemy placements. I'll probably cut back on the combat screens for the time being since it's nothing we haven't seen before.

Scintilla
Aug 24, 2010

I BEAT HIGHFORT
and all I got was this
jackass monkey
Chapter Fifteen: Cracks

Music: Intermission



Welcome to the first proper mission of the alternate path. From here on out I’ll be skipping the unit upgrade screens. Just like The Darkness That Came From Light, this chapter will see the introduction of the armed civilian rioters. I’ve reused some screenshots from that mission in places where the dialogue is the same, but if there’s a horrible discrepancy I’ve missed then please let me know.

Music: Sadness



: He’s still unconscious, but he’s stabilizing.

: Okay. How are things going on your end?

: The media is all over it. Well, it concerns the bigwigs on Earth…It’s probably just a harmless ratings strategy.

: Unfortunately, because of their trickery we weren’t able to catch Zephyrs…but I know that what we did has reached the Martian people in some way. We’ve surely succeeded in making Zephyrs’ footing at least a little shaky.



: We have been able to recover the Vjaya, but have not managed to find Mr. Ares…Do you think Mr. Ares is the perpetrator of the crime, like Zephyrs said?

Nice one, Phil, but we already know from the other route that you know Ares really did it.

: Of course not! That’s…a load of crap!

:…

The door hisses open and Robin enters.



: Oh! Ms. Robin!

Just like before, the scene shifts to Cage’s room here.

Music: Every Day



She enters Cage’s room anyway.



:…

: Come on, say something…I thought you weren’t here, with your lights off and everything.

:…

: Hey, aren’t you hungry? It just so happens that I have some of my special multi-vitamin soup…



: Cage…about Ares…

: You know, my plan was to defeat Zephyrs…and after everyone had been avenged…I was going to follow Ares. I don’t have anything I want to do. I can’t even think of anything I might potentially want to do. I was born in space, on a ship. I don’t really feel like settling down on the ground somewhere.

: But…Ares…I feel totally lost right now…I’m all alone again…Ares…What am I supposed to do? Tell me, Ares…Have you been lying to me? Have you been deceiving me, all this time?



: Well, er…

: I know. I have Pharsti too.



: Whether or not Ares is here, nothing can change the fact that you protected tons of innocent lives. This place is sure to become more peaceful because of you. You should have more confidence.

:…Confidence. I guess so…

: Absolutely. What’s the hurry? Let’s find our goals together. I’ll help…oh!

:…Okay.



: What?

: My…memory…

Unfortunately, just like before the scene is interrupted by Phil.



: No. No, no, no, it’s not like that. We weren’t doing anything, were we Cage?

:…(So it is like that…There’s no chance for me.)

: What happened? You came here for a reason, right?

: Please just come to the strategy room!

There are a number of differences between this scene and the one we’ve seen before. Cage never asks for his Button back, his woe-is-me spiel includes a bit about Ares’ deception that wasn’t there before and Myona has apparently regained at least some of her memory. Phil’s reaction is also different, being more sad than angry, perhaps because Myona and Cage aren’t in a compromising position when he walks in.

Music: Tension



: You couldn’t hear? I said ‘fight together with them’.

: What happened? Is everything all right?

: There are riots erupting all over Mars right now.

: Riots?



:…hope – but at the same time it unleashed all the anger that’s been accumulating over the years.

: I don’t see the Earthlings doing any investigations or making any official comments, probably to protect Zephyrs. That’s a major problem too.

: I understand how they must feel, but…riots…



: That won’t be necessary.

: H-hey, that’s not funny.

: Thanks to you, these anti-Earth sentiments have spread beyond the confines of this county, and have infected all of Mars.



:…join them, it will add more fuel to the fire. It is our chance.

: And the fire will turn into a catastrophe which will burn the entire planet to ashes. Robin, are you serious?

: Yes.



: Unlike me? What do you know? I’m…I’m…

: Let’s go.

: Razma!

: Sticking around here and arguing is pointless. There’s nothing to debate about. We’re going to stop them, right?

: I agree. We’re the only ones who CAN stop them. I understand how they feel, but rioting is not going to help matters at all.



: Robin, I’m sorry, but I know that Deckson would have said the same. So I can’t obey you.

: Deckson...that's true. He would have said so...

: We are indebted to you. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be here right now. But individual strength never wins against the strength of an organization. If we let this go, the flower will be picked before it has a chance to bloom. The same thing almost happened to us before...You were the one who taught us that.

:...



:...Okay...

Once again BIS abandons Robin’s plan, leaving her and Twede alone.

: Are you crying, Dana?

:...That'll be the end of them. Are you satisfied?

:...This is work. To me, it's nothing more, and nothing less.



: There was no reason to get in their way. In fact, that was a complete misappropriation.

:...I knew I should have just left then and there...

: What do you mean?

:...

: Twede!



: Twede, you...

:...I am in a state of shock myself. Until now, I would never question any command. But I could not abandon you. Even if it meant that I had to disobey orders...

: Then...why?

: Tying up loose ends. With the company...

: What are you...You wouldn't...

Twede knocks Robin out.

: Egh! T-Twede...I...can't...



This scene was pretty much the same as it was in the other route. The mission itself is a little bit different, however.



This should read, ‘Cracks’.

Music: Uncontrollable Fear



:...We came to stop you....!

: Now you shall see our anger that has been building during all these years of exploitation and tyranny! Freedom for Mars!

: Stop! There have been casualties! Wake up! Stop this at once!

: Stay out of this, you Earthling dog! We will never rely on you for anything again! Take this!



: Ughggghhh!



: Haaaahahahahah! That's what happens!

: P-please stop! Our city is going to be destroyed!

: Shut your mouth! Are you siding with the Earthlings too?



: Hmph! If you're going to say things to dampen our determination.....

: Whah?! What are you doing?!



: Aaaarrrghhhhhhhh!



: How...how could you...?!

: Ha ha ha! Another piece of trash gone from Mars!! Haaa ha ha ha!!



Once again, Task Force Acemos shows up to make things more complicated. This time though they show up to the north and south rather than the west.



: Hunh?! It's not possible!! Ugghghgh!



: *Snicker* We were doing you Enders a favour by running this place! What a laugh...It's not your place to pretend to have power! Hah! Who's next?

: *Gasp* Run!

: If we let them go, it'll just lead to an increase in Enders.... Make an example of them. I want each and every one of them shot!



BIS units spawn in to the west this time.

: Hm?? Is that...

: It's B-BIS!

: drat! There have already been casualties!

: Perfect timing! You guys are on our side, right? Hurry up, fight with us!



: What? Wait, I get it...BIS is wussing out just like those Earth-folk. Pathetic! We'll clean both of you out!

:...Why? Why are you doing this? Why do you have to fight? Ares didn't die for this! And I didn't struggle every day until today so that I could....see THIS! But still...Why?!

: Cage...your mental condition is in a state of disarray. Please calm down. I am sure that if you would talk with them...

:...



: He-Helppp! Somebody stop them before everyone...The town...!

: The first thing is to get people out of here! We'll take the construction LEVs and approach the civilians, and lead the way out of danger...As for the other LEVs, well, never mind. Just destroy them! Let's get going!

:...

: Cage, can you hear me?

: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time...I got it.



The game gives us control here.

Player Phase Music: Sortie
Enemy Phase Music: Sudden Assault

Mission Map:



The aim in this mission is the same as it was in the main route’s mission fifteen. However there are a few key differences. Enemy placement is one of them – instead of going head to head with the rioters Acemos have chosen to go with a pincer movement, attacking from both the north and south. There are also far more Acemos units and far fewer rioters, probably because BIS failed to topple Zephyrs. Regardless, our goal is still to take down anyone who isn’t in a Construction LEV. I won’t spend too long on this mission since we’ve done it once before.





Warren grabs the Server, then everyone moves east.





The rioters attack the Acemos units but fail to make an impact.





Razma and Warren take out the Missile LEV above, then Yukito and Mebius destroy the first Armed Civilian LEV.





Cage damages a Beam Gun LEV, then Phil and Semyl shuffle up a bit.







Mebius is damaged by a Laser Blade and Beam Gun hit, but manages to evade several more Beam Guns and a Missile strike.



Acemos also manage to damage the remaining rioter with a Beam Gun hit despite having only 27% accuracy.



The rioter’s counterattack is less than effective, however. Now it’s our turn again.





Cage and Semyl take out the Machinegun LEV, whilst Mebius and Warren tag-team one of the northern Beam Gun LEV’s.



Meanwhile Yukito eliminates the final rioter. I move Phil up and the turn ends.



Phil manages to evade two Beam Gun shots.





Mebius suffers another hit from a Laser Blade, then a follow up from a Beam Gun pushes her into the danger zone.





Cage also gets winged by a Beam Gun, but manages to evade a melee attack directly afterwards.



Our turn again, and first thing’s first – heal Orcrist.





Second thing – take out the Missile LEV with Yukito’s grenade. Mebius then shoots down the damaged Beam Gun LEV with her Elfin Bow.



Warren now has access to Avelcaine, so things around him start spontaneously exploding.



Razma and Cage take out another enemy LEV, Semyl moves up and then it’s the AI’s turn.





Phil escapes harm from the Beam Gun LEV, but the Machinegun LEV manages to land a hit.



The Caliburnus also takes a hit but it’s so heavily armoured it doesn’t matter much.



Cage and Semyl take out the southern LEV.



Mebius and Razma destroy the penultimate enemy.



Finally, Yukito and Phil finish off the Acemos forces.



:…

The Construction LEV’s retreat.

:…There is no response from the surroundings. Switching over to cautionary mode.

:…

:…Much of the city had burned, hasn’t it?

:…Heh…

: Cage?



: What happened, Cage?!

: I should have left Zephyrs alone! I did my best to protect everyone, and stubbornly stuck to what I thought was right – and this is the result? What a joke!



:…then I met Ares, and I started to understand that there were things I wanted to do, and that it was possible for me to do them…I was able to believe that! And then it turns out that it’s not possible after all…Ares is gone. I can’t do anything right! Ares, can you see me right now? Pretty funny, huh?



:…don’t you? Or were you not programmed to laugh?

: It’s an order! Laugh! Now!

:…



The end scene is exactly the same as before. The screen fades out here.

Music: Every Day



: Hey, everything’s fine! We can’t sit and watch if there’s a group of people who think standing up for Mars means making a random ruckus! They need to be educated!

: Ditto. Even if it’s comin’ from you, I gotta agree with that one.

: But…Mr. Cage didn’t seem to think so today…



:…controlled. Of course, that’s not everyone, but Cage can’t see it that way yet.

: It must be tough for him. He just lost his best friend, and no longer has a clear idea of what he wants to protect.

: Hmm. Where’s Miss Myona?



:…Oh, I see…

Interestingly Phil’s reaction here is slightly different. Whilst he says the same thing as before, here he looks sad rather than neutral. The next scene is also different – it’s greatly truncated and takes place in a hallway rather than the hangar.



:…

: Cage!!

: I want to be alone…I’m going back to my room. Don’t come after me!

:…Sorry.

:…

Cage walks away, and there is the sound of a door closing behind him.



The next scene is entirely new.

Music: Tension



:…well, which is wonderful.

: Of course. It is my design.

: Is that right? I have heard something quite different…

: What is your point?



NUT. Who, as we know from the last route, have supplied BAHRAM with weapons in the past, presumably including the Tempest that Zephyrs plagiarised.

:…

: Ah, well, it’s just as well. I am here today because of the new model we have been discussing. I am starting to grow weary of waiting for you to have it retrieved. Please keep in mind that there are limits to our patience.

:…Because of those forces who have been acting against me, unfortunately I am calling the project off.

Ryan smacks Zephyrs in the face and seizes him by the throat!



:…You should learn to be very careful what you joke about. I can imagine that you are in a very undesirable situation right about now. But making me angry is not going to make your situation any less undesirable. HarutMarut is important in business, yes. But even if it is mass-produced it will not make any impact on NUT. In order to break up their monopoly on the Martian market…no, the entire industry everywhere in the world…we need the Mindflow System. You should know this by now, but I know many men in the government. They would be more than happy to hear all about your colourful past.

: J-just a minute! I know the location of their hideout! The new model must be there. I-I’ll send my men over there immediately!



:…used to be. Do not be disillusioned.

:…

The scene fades out…

Music: Mystery



:…Miss Myona? Is something the matter?

: Can we talk for a little while? Do you mind if I take a seat?

: This is the second time you have visited me in such a way. Please, come in.

:…

The chime that sounds whenever the Mindflow System activates rings out!



:…interference waves, and I remember now…

: Myona?! Your memory? Ugggg…My control panel…what…is…this? What are you…trying to do? The force…who ARE you?!

: Who am I…?



: Just like…me?

Testament lifts off and the mission ends!





We’re starting to see the butterfly effect take hold here. Whilst the mission itself is pretty much the same the end scenes spun off in a completely different direction, with Zephyrs and Ryan still in the game and Myona flying off on her own rather than being kidnapped. The next update is also similar to its previous incarnation, so it’ll probably be another short one. Until then…

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


So in this route Myona takes Pharsti without mind control? I can't imagine why, unless she's planning on saying "hello" to Zephyrs.

GilliamYaeger
Jan 10, 2012

Call Gespenst!

SSNeoman posted:

So in this route Myona takes Pharsti without mind control? I can't imagine why, unless she's planning on saying "hello" to Zephyrs.

Have you forgotten about the little revenge plot she's got going on with her brother?

Ardeem
Sep 16, 2010

There is no problem that cannot be solved through sufficient application of lasers and friendship.
Huh, with everybody else being miserable, I wonder if Phil will stick around this time.

Scintilla
Aug 24, 2010

I BEAT HIGHFORT
and all I got was this
jackass monkey
Chapter Sixteen: Paradise Lost

Music: Intermission



Welcome back. If you cast your mind back to the previous playthrough you’ll remember that this was the mission where the armed civilians attacked our home base, and where we first encountered the stealth emitters. Like the previous mission this one is very similar to its counterpart but contains subtle differences that will eventually cause the plot to take a different turn.



:…innocent lives.

: This place is sure to become more peaceful because of your actions. You should have more confidence.



: Absolutely! What’s the hurry? Let’s take time to establish our goals. I have faith that you’ll be able to do it…



An explosion rocks BIS HQ, and alarms begin to sound in the background!

Music: Danger



: An ENEMY ATTACK?!



: Our radar has been damaged!

: A coincidence? If it is, they have some serious good luck…

:…Luck is a prerequisite for military personnel.

Another detonation thunders through the facility.



: On the battlefield, there’s no such thing as two coincidences. What is going on? Did someone get hold of the blueprints to our hideout?

The communicator buzzes to life…



:…and inappropriate, aimed to cause havoc in the political field and endangering the peace and safety of Mars! This kind of behaviour will no longer be tolerated! Disengage your weapons and hand yourselves over! Otherwise we will turn your base of operations into a smoking hole in the ground!

: How did they know where to find us? Don’t tell me…it was Robin…

The army continues to shell the base.



:…when we can’t get in touch with Robin…?

: What is all this about? Why do we have to be attacked by these people?

: Cage…



: We don’t have time for this now! Grow up and stop whining! They’re serious and we have to think of what we’re going to do!

:…And since when did you become the leader of this group?

: Cage…



: Nobody told me that!

: That’s true. Because you were in your room, trying to escape from reality. It really doesn’t concern me whether you like it or not. But you are a member of BIS. What good will it do for you to complain about it now? We are going to think of the best way to handle the situation, then act accordingly. That’s the…



:…command!

:…Testament…is gone…

: What…what do you mean?

: It disappeared from the hangar bay…along with Myona.



:…happened?! How could this happen?!

:…

: I get it…you’re in on it!!

As we have already seen, Phil really isn’t in on it this time.

: Cut it out!

Razma thumps Cage.



: Yeah, that’s right. You need to wake up and get out of la-la land! We understand that this comes as a shock – I’m tired of all this too.



:…trust…

:…

: Hey, enough already! What we really gotta do’s figure out what we’re gonna do ‘bout them peeps outside.

: True. Let’s get moving, everybody.



: The button I lent her…

: (Myona…did you really leave because you wanted to? Why? Is it because of me…?)



This should read, ‘Paradise Lost’.

Music: Sortie



:…Yes.

As before Cage will be piloting the Edge for this mission.



:…Yes.

: (Poor thing…he’s in bad shape…)

: Hey, where are they? Nobody’s out here!

: Stealth warfare! This could be dangerous…



:…nothing we can do!



:…installed an anti-stealth sonar onto everyone’s frame.

: It’s already installed?!

: In the OF’s. It’s built into the options module, so it’s ready to go.



: Unfortunately, it’s impossible to render the stealth systems completely powerless. You can, however, find its origin if you get close enough. Here, I’ll show you. I’d say…they’re somewhere…around here!



Yukito moves down into the ruined city like before, and…



: How is that possible? Did they anticipate our strategy?

These guys appear. This time we’re being attacked by Acemos instead of armed rebels; presumably the stealth system was developed by Zephyrs instead of handed out by BAHRAM.

: Like so.



:…for them to come to you, then surround and attack! Don’t move an inch until then!

: Okay everyone, the last one looks to be the leader. They’re trained military, but they’re amateurs when it comes to stealth operations. If we get the leader then the rest of them will surely flee. Their plan is to wait for us to approach, so proceed with caution and destroy them. Let’s go!

: You ready, Cage?

:…Sure.



Player Phase Music: Sortie
Enemy Phase Music: Sudden Assault

Mission Map:



This mission is exactly the same as before without even different enemy placements to liven things up a bit. We’re facing Acemos instead of the rioters so you’d assume they’d be tougher to beat, but hilariously the soldiers are actually two levels lower than the armed civilians would have been.

Anyway, let’s quickly get this over with.





Yukito gives one enemy a good kicking whilst everyone else moves up to support him. I’m not going to let Yukito do all the work this time.





Both Yukito and Razma are targeted, but both evade successfully.





Warren and Phil take out the Machinegun LEV, then Razma snipes and kills the damaged Beam Gun LEV.



After regrouping and starting the long march west towards the enemy leader four more enemies pop up.





Yukito and Semyl take down the first, Warren and Mebius the second.





On the AI’s turn Cage takes a hit from a Beam Gun, but Razma proves to be more competent and evades.





Yukito and Razma take out the northern enemy whilst Warren and Mebius destroy the southern one.



These three jokers show up when we get close to the leader.



Semyl gets shot at but manages to dodge.





Razma and Phil take out the first LEV. Cage and Semyl destroy the second, then the leader decides to get dangerous.



:…off your stealth, and do whatever it takes to destroy them!

Five or six more enemies spawn in all around the map.









It’s Twede! And this time he’ll be our Vjaya pilot.

: Mr. Twede! You can pilot one of these?

:…You have been able to procure anti-stealth devices. The devices I had prepared will go to waste, but that is all right. Please allow me to lend a hand. I await your command.



Twede isn’t as good a pilot as Nadia, but he’ll do.



He immediately helps Warren take down the remaining on-screen generic enemy, leaving only the leader and six other enemies to the south.



Razma takes a hit from a Beam Gun, but the damage isn’t too bad. The other enemies creep forwards as well.



Courtesy of Semyl and Mebius.



Courtesy of Razma.



The next Beam Gun attack is less accurate and Razma is able to dodge.



I accidentally leave Warren in the firing line and he takes a hit, though not a bad one.



Razma’s luck falters when another LEV takes a piece out of him with a Laser Saber.







Retribution is swift. Now all that’s left is the boss.



He’s nothing to write home about.



:…Zephyrs…!





: Oh yeah…Pharsti’s not here any more…

The scene fades out, and another new scene plays…



:…me indirectly a fellow terrorist.

: (Deckson, you can’t die here. I would be too bored without you…and I will have to ask you to look after her eventually…she will not be with me forever…)

Suddenly…



:…interesting things when you live a long time…

: *Gasp* You’re alive!!

: Heh heh heh…



: Aaah!



: Ugggg! This is the end…Deckson…Na…dia…





Oh. Oh dear. It seems that somehow Bolozof has pulled a Kira Yamato and survived his mech literally exploding in his face. This can’t be good. The next scene takes us back to BIS HQ.

Music: Sadness



:…her.

:…I cannot disclose that information. All I can tell you is that this will be our last show of support as the Robin Foundation.

: What?!

: As I said, I cannot disclose any further information. But please do not worry. I will see to it personally that you can make a safe escape.

:…Escape?



:…away…and fast.

:…True. There’s no guarantee that we’ll win next time, especially with the one extra load we’re carrying now.

: Are you talking about…me?



: What?!



:…It’s true.

: Twede, even you…?

:…I have been watching you since the first riot. At this point, even I have more skill than you do.



: Cage…

: Ares died…and Myona probably left because she was sick of me. And even Pharsti…



:…only stayed because Mr. Deckson asked me for my help…

:…Yeah. Hurry up and get out of here.

: Razma!!



:…you for everything.

:…You can just do that?

: Yes.



:…no reason to…

: I have already spoken to some people about this. Arrangements are being made.

:…Good thinking.



: Cage.

:…Yes?

: I don’t know how you plan on spending the rest of your life, but whatever happens, don’t blame it on anyone else. Think for yourself, and act for yourself. If you take responsibility for your own life, you’ll become stronger.



: I can’t do that. Nobody needs me anymore. I won’t do it.



:…

And that’s that.





Uh…not much to say here. Cage leaves BIS like he did before. Next mission he’ll be coming back, and this time the mission difference will be pretty visible right from the start since the boss enemy is different. Until next time...

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


It's a bit silly to hide Bolozof's face since it's technically only been a few missions since we last saw him.

Podima
Nov 4, 2009

by Fluffdaddy

Scintilla posted:

This mission is exactly the same as before without even different enemy placements to liven things up a bit. We’re facing Acemos instead of the rioters so you’d assume they’d be tougher to beat, but hilariously the soldiers are actually two levels lower than the armed civilians would have been.

If you think about it, this is the "you suck" route - since you couldn't beat the Mars Angels at the 'pop-a-grunt' game, the game is probably assuming you need a little less of a challenge.

Dariusknight
Jul 8, 2012

Podima posted:

If you think about it, this is the "you suck" route - since you couldn't beat the Mars Angels at the 'pop-a-grunt' game, the game is probably assuming you need a little less of a challenge.

It also sadly has what might be considered the better ending (not better in the sense of Good End) but better written/less tropes

Glazius
Jul 22, 2007

Hail all those who are able,
any mouse can,
any mouse will,
but the Guard prevail.

Clapping Larry
I wonder how Pharsti's going to get out this time. Myona's more aware.

...or is Cage suddenly going to realize he's an amazing mech pilot?

Scintilla
Aug 24, 2010

I BEAT HIGHFORT
and all I got was this
jackass monkey
Chapter Seventeen: A Bow Drawn

Music: Intermission



Hello again. Mission seventeen is another mission that is similar to its counterpart, but the differences are getting wider and wider. Let’s dive right in with Cage’s scene at the spaceport.

Music: Sadness



Cage sits at the airport, doing nothing. Someone walks up to him.

: You Cage?

:…Yes.

: Hm. Okay. I’m Raiah. They’ve told me to get you out of here. We’re heading for Deimos Spaceport…that means you need to do something about the way you look. Here.



: Duh. Now don’t lose it. It has your fake ID and emigration papers in it. Go put on the clothes that are in there. I got them from the luggage of some Vacilia people, so I’m sure they’re the wrong size.

:…Okay.

: (Tsk…why am I, Raiah, doing this? It’s all Dad’s fault. He should’ve acted responsibly as an adult, but he had to go and make a scene like that…Well, this is only a temporary arrangement, but…ach!)

Cage goes to a secluded spot to change.



:…

Music: Promise of Reunion

:…Nobody cares about me. There isn’t a single soul who needs me…

: This is…how it was meant to be. I should…I should never have been born…

The song begins to wind down, but Cage notices something odd…



This next part is interesting, because what Myona says in this route is very different from what she says in the other route.

Music: Sadness



: This voice…Myona?!



:…left, as my final message to you. I’m sorry that I had to do it on something that is so important to you.

:…

: Cage…I remember everything now. I was one of Zephyrs’ subjects for experimentation…And I was part of the plot to sink the ship that day. Heh heh…I am so stupid, aren’t I? I didn’t even know what I was doing…

: No…Myona…



:…long time at all, but for me, it was like my whole life since I remembered nothing of my past. I thought a lot about pretending not to remember, and staying with you…but I just can’t keep lying to you like that. I’m dirty and corrupt…so I just can’t be with you anymore. That would be unforgivable.

: No…that’s not it…You didn’t know…And besides, that day, you saved me…



:…from afar. Always! So Cage, don’t give up. Please become happy enough for the both of us.

: Myona…I…

: I wanted to thank everyone else too, but I was deceiving all of them…even if I didn’t know. I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

: I…I am so incredibly stupid!



: Myona was suffering so much…and I was only thinking of myself this whole time! I wasn’t alone!



: Myona…I am so, so sorry…

This version of Myona’s recording is drastically different in tone and delivery. Instead of a pep-talk full of optimism it’s a horribly depressing spiel reminiscent of the things Myona said when she was fighting alongside Ares and Jimmer in the first playthrough.



: Get on with it. Don’t you care that all your old friends are buying time for you? Hurry up, we haven’t got…

Music: Danger



: Hunh? So you didn’t know about it? Ah, so it’s like a surprise party! Hah!

: What are you talking about? Tell me!

: He-hey! L-let me go! Okay, okay! Those rioters…somehow they’re better organised than anyone imagined. They’ve vowed to level you guys at any cost. So, if you wanted to escape, where would be the best place for you to go?

Just a quick interjection – this isn’t a copy / paste error, Raiah really does talk about the rioters here. I assume it’s a writer oversight since Acemos are attacking us instead of the rioters this time.

: I don’t know. Where?



:…at least for a little while. So that’s why we’re in a hurry…

: (Oh no…I’m so sorry, everyone…I was…I was wrong…)

: Mr. Raiah! I…I don’t really know yet, but…I figured out what I should do for the time being!



: Yes!! Let’s go!!

Cage runs off.

: Er…erm, where are you going? Hey! Wait! If you don’t do as you’re told, it’s going to get me in trouble! Shoot! Why am I so unlucky?!



This should read, ‘A Bow Drawn’.

Music: Black Ops



: Look, it’s already been destroyed…

: (Tsk, whatever did I do to deserve this? What’s wrong with swindling people out of some petty cash once in a while? I’m Raiah, the best Broker on Mars!)



:…you next?

: Thank you. This is fine right here.

: Huh? Right HERE…?



: So you’re saying this is good enough? The contract’s been fulfilled?

: Yes.

: Oh, okay. Great. By the way, those clothes look great on you. It’s a little farewell gift from me…good luck!



Cage puts on a spacesuit and jumps out, then Raiah drives off.



: No, there’s no way that they would lose to them that easily…after all, we’ve been through much harder trials in the past! They can’t have died like this!

Just like before several enemy LEV’s show up, this time piloted by Acemos soldiers.



: You’re the ones who…

: Who what? Oh, you must be one of those terrorists, right? You should have run when you had the chance. I’ve been told to blast any human I see in these parts…heh heh…Here goes!



: What in the…?!



: Huh?

Music: Onward to Victory



: The terrorist OF! They’re finally showing themselves!

: Ms. Mebius!

:…Really, sometimes I don’t know what to do with all of these troublemakers.



: Wuh?! It can’t be!!





: Razma…I was wrong. I want to fight with you!

:…





: Mr. Warren! I’m sorry about everything…





: Why? If you had just left, you wouldn’t have had to fight again…

: Myona recorded a message for me. And also…

: Myona? And what?



: It made me think. I was only thinking about myself, while everyone else was worried about me…I’m embarrassed. Please! Let me join BIS again. I promise I won’t get in the way anymore!

:…Heh. I see.

: You lose, Razma.

: Hmph, d-do as you please!

: Hee hee…welcome home, Cage.

: I’m…I’m back!

Here’s where things start to differ even more…

Music: Uncontrollable Fear



:…way they can accomplish anything.

: That frame…it must be Zephyrs!

: What happened to the Animus? I will have you return it to me now. It is mine and always has been. You have found out the truth, have you not?



: Ah. More sensible than I expected.

: But that doesn’t mean you aren’t also to blame. If what I’ve heard is true then you’re the one who made Ares and Myona that way!

: Oh, so it is all my fault, is it? It makes no difference; I will take care of you like I took care of the survivors of that ship!

: What?! You killed the survivors too?!



:…regarding Ares or the Animus.

: Unforgivable…just for that, all those people…



:…useless.

: That voice! How could it be…Why?! You’re supposed to be-



: Why are you still alive?!

: I AM IMMORTAL!!!

Ned shows up again, but this time riding shotgun with Zephyrs instead of in his own unit.



:…does not deserve the release of death.

: W-who are you?



: Mr. Yukito!

: Thanks, Cage. I was going for that mysterious feel, but he may as well know!

: Okay, okay, this isn’t an audition for a sitcom.

: Rrrgghh!! Are you MOCKING me?! Come on, old man, say something!



The HarutMarut moves over to Cage.



: Heh heh heh…You no longer have the Animus, eh? You’re finished, I’ll squash you like a bug!

: (drat…If only Pharsti were here now…Whenever I called her, she would always come to my rescue!)

: This is the end. Prepare yourself!

: Pharsti…Pharstiiiii!!!

Something hits the HarutMarut!



: It’s…!

Music: Z.O.E. 2173



: Pharsti! It’s really you! Heh…ha ha ha!! Is this a dream?

: Negative. This is reality. Cage, it is I.

: And Myona? She’s with you too, right?

:…Unfortunately she is not. When I rebooted, there was nobody in the surrounds.

:…Oh.



A bunch of enemies spawn all over the place and the HarutMarut retreats to the northeastern corner of the map.



: O-okay!

The game gives us control here.



Player Phase Music: Wetworks
Enemy Phase Music: Impact

Mission Map:



Immediately we can see that once again the mission map is exactly the same as in the first playthrough. However there are fewer generic enemies this time, ten LEV’s versus the thirteen we faced last time. The boss also starts on top of a cliff to the northeast instead of right in front of us. He won’t move off his perch for three turns so we’ve got plenty of time to deal with the generics.

Anyway, this mission can be completed in five easy steps.



Step one: bunch up and wait for the enemies to come to us.



Step two: take opportunistic shots at the enemy whilst they shuffle up.



Step three: curse Semyl’s lack of evasion.



Step four: praise Warren for his non-lack of evasion.



Step five:



Blow.



Them.



Up.



Of course there are counterattacks to worry about, but overall these guys are easily dispatched.













It takes less than two turns to clean up the rest.



By this time Zephyrs has woken up and decided to step in.



If you attack Zephyrs with Cage you get special dialogue afterwards.



:…so dear all those years were not false!

: Ideals?! That’s why you created this? That was your purpose? How could it be worth human lives?!

: Metatron is a glorious material. Little people like you are unable to fathom its value, but my brilliant mind recognises its power. It holds secrets that will destroy the barriers between man and machine and lead to great advances in science! It is the greatest discovery in history! How can you not see it?! The Orbital Frame is part of that evolution, although feeble-minded humans like you don’t see it that way.

: But I do! If I build it, the Orbital Frame has the potential to be like nothing that ever existed! I am going to show them. Ryan…NUT…Hardiman…this is the true way to use Metatron!



:…and your curiosity?! I don’t get it…I don’t get it at all!

: Of course not. I wouldn’t expect a fool who mistakes weakness for kindness and closes his eyes to the bloody history of our civilisation to even begin to understand!



After that it’s just a matter of wearing Zephyrs down. Like before he starts off with 10,000 HP but also three glaring critical zones.







Still, he’s pretty tough.





His attacks pack a punch, but he only gets one versus our six.





: No, not yet! Cage, be careful!



:…it is solely my own creation…

: But it is far superior to any current OF by virtue of its durability, sensitivity and mobility!

: Shoot, there’s no effect! We haven’t even scratched the interior…how thick is that armour?! And all the while we’re losing battle power…



Just like before the HarutMarut gets tougher once its outer shell is destroyed. This time we only have to reduce it to below 10,000 HP to end the mission though.







With the aid of critical hits it doesn’t take too long.



: Yikes! Oww! My whole body is in painnnnn!! drat it!!

: M-my…my new body…!

: What IS that?!



: Is that…Ned? What’s going on?!

: It seems the visuals that were being communicated until now were CG’s…this is his true physical state.

: What…this…something like this can be done?!







: Here I commmmme!

: What? What’s happening?!

: Heh heh…I see you’ve angered Ned. He is now a part of the internal defensive mechanism of the HarutMarut! That is why I collected his body and revived him!



As before, Twede appears to lend a hand.

: Mr. Twede! What do you mean? With that Frame? That’s impossible!

: I did not expect your return, but that is fine. At any rate, please go now.

: Then you should come with us!



: Cage, I detect massive quantities of explosives stored within Mr. Twede’s LEV. I posit that he is going to delay the actions of the enemy with the explosion…

: What?! He’s going to self-destruct?! Is that true, Mr. Twede?!

: What is wrong? I have already taken care of all your needs from this point forth. You no longer have a hideout to which you can retreat. There is no reason for you to be here any longer. So please – leave now.

: No…how can I be happy being saved at someone else’s expense?



: But…I can’t let that happen…!





: Cage is right…Didn’t I tell you that I didn’t want any victims? I will not allow this kind of selfish behaviour!

: Ms Robin!

: How have you been, Cage?

: (The right hand of Testament has changed…is this what they mean about OF’s and their ‘maturartion’?



: Cage! You’re back!

: Phil! Everyone’s okay…but…what is that you’re riding?

: That would be a transportation spacecraft. It looks to be an old cargo ship.



:…after the attack, I was worried…but I got it to move somehow. And not a second too soon…

: Because a certain person, who will remain nameless, locked me up…I almost didn’t make it in time.

:…



: But it looks like you were about to leave me behind and go off on your own. Who is going to be my secretary when you’re gone? Are you telling me to organise my own files? That prospect doesn’t make me happy at all.

:…

: Just like Cage, I found my own path. I’m completely confident that I’m doing the right thing. But I can’t go down that path alone. It has to be together with all of them…and you. So…

:…I agree. The only one who can handle being your secretary in the entire galaxy is myself.

: Hey, I’m not that bad.

: Well…





: We will see about that, Doctor Dezeele Zephyrs…Excuse me, ‘Ex-Doctor’ Zephyrs.

: Rrgh! What are you…!?



Twede moves over to Zephyrs and Ned!

: Twede!





: Aaaaaaaaggggggghhhhhhh!!!

: Ned! Tsk…unable to maintain defence…It is because he is too temperamental? drat!

: Time to retreat!

The HarutMarut vanishes from the field.





: Ah…

: I escaped immediately before the explosion. In fact, this was my intention from the very start…

: Oh…



: I can say the same about you.

: *Giggle*

The BIS units retreat and the map fades out.

Music: Every Day



: I wonder why. This IS the hideout, Cage.

: Wha! How’s that?

: We buried a fourth-generation freight ship underground and used it as our hideout.



: But it was buried underground for so long…Is it really maintained well enough to be capable of sustained flight?

: Yes. It was our plan from the very beginning. Deckson and I kept it a secret. I’m just glad we made it on time.



: ‘Reincarnated Saviour’, eh?



: Yes…right after you left. Sorry to have worried you.

: No, not at all. I…

: I heard all about it. Forgive Razma, will you? He was thinking of you when he said all those mean things. He meant no…

: No, I was in the wrong. I was only thinking of myself, and being selfish…I’m really sorry. And Phil – I owe you an apology too. Please forgive me.



:…Myona and Pharsti were missing.

Here’s another point where the scenes diverge – Cage actually apologises to Phil this time. And that’s just the start – the rest of the scene is different too.

: Yukito…was something delivered whilst I was away?

: Yes, an anti-stealth chip. But there was a strange series of characters written on the trunk it came in…

: Characters? Show me.



: Oh my…

: I thought you had ordered it, so I went ahead and installed it…was that a bad thing?

: No, it’s fine.

: Sorry to interrupt, but remaining here like this will defeat the purpose of our evacuation. I have composed a list of safe hiding locations, and I would recommend that you go to one of them soon.



: Okay! Everyone ready? Go, Saoshyant!

The ship lifts off and the mission ends.





As of now, we have officially reached the point of divergence. Nearly all of the missions after this will be totally different than the missions we experienced on the previous playthrough. Unfortunately this means I won’t be able to recycle my transcripts nearly so much, and since the Game Script on GameFAQs only covers the first route I’ll have to copy it all down by hand. Fun times!

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


Interestingly, the story here is person vs civilization as opposed to route 1's person vs person.
After how personal route 1 was, seeing this is weird.

TARDISman
Oct 28, 2011



I never actually did Route 2 so I'm really interested in seeing where it goes, although from the looks of things it's going to be horribly depressing like any good real robot series! Definitely agree with Neo on the overall weirdness although it's a little heartwarming to see Phil treated like something more of a person than the butt of a joke. :unsmith:

FFKonoko
Jan 1, 2013

Olfacere violarum.
And yet, even with the premise that this time things will go different, I still don't trust Phil. There's something about the expressions they've drawn for him, his puppy dog sad face just always makes me hate and distrust him.

The copying by hand for the text sounds like it'll be a pain, hopefully it won't slow things too much. We'll let you know about any typos regardless. ;)

Scintilla
Aug 24, 2010

I BEAT HIGHFORT
and all I got was this
jackass monkey
You guys have been pretty good about pointing out any errors I make so far. I hope I don't make any big ones, but these updates have a lot of text so it's always possible.

Also it might be a while until the next update since I only just started writing it recently. The delay has been a combination of college starting again, coursework deadlines, Metal Gear Solid: Rising - Revengeance and just plain burnout, but now that I've had a bit of a break I feel like I'm getting back into it.

Glazius
Jul 22, 2007

Hail all those who are able,
any mouse can,
any mouse will,
but the Guard prevail.

Clapping Larry
Huh. It'll be interesting to see where things go from here. I would have though the forces that gathered to chump Zephyrs in the previous path would surely have chumped him by now, but perhaps they like having him alive and fomenting rebellion?

Scintilla
Aug 24, 2010

I BEAT HIGHFORT
and all I got was this
jackass monkey
Apologies for the extensive delay. I have just begun editing the next update. With luck it'll be out later today.

Scintilla
Aug 24, 2010

I BEAT HIGHFORT
and all I got was this
jackass monkey
Chapter Eighteen: Hearts In Harmony, Hearts In Strife

Music: Intermission



Welcome back. It’s been a while since the last update, but that’s to be expected since I now have far more transcription to do. We’re heading off into the unknown now, so let’s dive in headfirst and experience the new content.

Music: Tension



:…satisfy your own personal agenda?

: Er…I apologize. I decided that the action was not important enough to trouble you with…I came to the conclusion that it would be most beneficial for me to take care of the issues on an individual basis…

: You don’t seem to understand your position. I have warned you about this.

: Yes, but I…

Despite managing to hold onto his job, Zephyrs’s activities still wind up making Jaeger suspicious. The man’s had the good doctor pegged as a lunatic from the very start, and things are about to get very bad indeed for Space Mengele as a result of that.



:…them.

: W-why? Has there been some sort of problem?

Jaeger slams the desk in a manner that would make Phoenix Wright proud.



:…developed by NUT called an ‘OF’, no?

: But…even if it is in the same category, there will not be a problem if it is high quality!

: High quality? Just for that, you buried all of those children who were test subjects for your experiments?! I can appreciate the concept of organic modules, but you have taken it too far! Besides, what were you thinking, keeping all of this from me? You can’t trust me? Hmm?

: You…cannot be serious…experimenting on little children…?



And so once again Jaeger makes the wholly correct decision to get rid of Zephyrs, partially because he plagiarised NUT’s products but mostly because he’s a freaking nutjob who butchered children for science. It’s nice to see that the Earth forces aren’t all puppy-kicking psychos. But this begs the question; how did Jaeger know about what Zephyrs was doing in Marleblank Dite?

A door hisses open.



:…those items from me for personal reasons. Had I not reported it to the good Lieutenant, I would have been named as a co-conspirator in your massive weapons smuggling case.

: R-Ryan! You…! You betrayed me!!

That’s how Jaeger knew – Ryan got tired of Zephyrs flailing around and not delivering on his promises, so decided to put his money where his mouth was and sold his old partner out.



:…for it. That’s all I have to say.

: Rrrggh…

: What you have been planning in secret goes way beyond the parameters of a personal endeavour. It has shaken Earth.



:…beginning, I would have handled the situation as such…

: You are implying you don’t mind people knowing about it? I thought you killed all the survivors of that commercial ship just so that wouldn’t happen.

: That is a mistake! I was framed by the terrorists…

Zephyrs is still blustering and trying to bluff his way out, but there’s one final nail left to be driven into his coffin.



: Irving! Even you…

: Just give it up. It was never something that could be concealed.

Upon hearing what Ryan had to say, Jaeger probably undertook his own covert investigation and started asking around. It’s not too much of a stretch to imagine that Irving broke pretty quickly; he’s been jumpy and guilt-stricken in every scene we’ve seen him in.



:…done. It’s unfortunate, but you have reached your personal limits. Zephyrs, I had thought you might be special. I see now that I was terribly, terribly mistaken.

: Aarrrgghh!

: What are you doing? Stop that!

Zephyrs snaps, pulls a gun and shoots Jaeger!

Music: Danger



: I…I am a genius! What would you know?! You wouldn’t even give the OF its due credit, and yet you flaunt your unfounded sense of superiority! It’s because of people like you that the Martians do not take us seriously. My limits? You’re the one who has reached his limits!

: *Gasp* Lieutenant!

: Zephyrs, stop!

: You’re next…

Zephyrs shoots Irving!



: Tsk! Guard! Hey! Is there any security out there?!

On cue, the door opens to admit someone very special…



: You’re late! What have you been doing?! The Lieutenant and the others have been shot-

The familiar shadow produces a gun and shoots Ryan!



:…Sleep tight, Mr. President.

: Who…are you?

: My name is Lance Jimmer. Delighted. Now, shall we?

: Where are we going?



:…

: You are hardly one to end like this. Would you really prefer that I leave you here, to answer for your crimes?

:…I answer to no one.

: As you wish.



Well, that was a surprise. Jimmer shows up to haul Zephyrs out of the fire, ensuring he can keep making trouble despite having lost his job again. And unlike with the Earth forces, BAHRAM has both the materials and the enthusiasm for OF-related technology that Zephyrs so craved. One wonders what he could do with such resources at his disposal.

Such pondering will have to wait, though, because it’s time to check up on how BIS are doing.

Music: Every Day





: My first worries are if she is safe, and where she has gone.

: Hey! No clues inside Testament?

: It seems that she moved the OF without actually starting Pharsti up. So there’s nothing…



:…it without starting the AI up is like using a computer that has no OS.

There’s actually a scene in Zone of the Enders: The Second Runner where we’re shown exactly what trying to move an OF without the onboard AI would be like. The answer is that unless you can interpret dozens of raw datastreams with no levels of interpretation in real time and react accordingly you aren’t going anywhere, so Yukito isn’t kidding here.

: When Pharsti was rebooted, there was no longer any sign of Myona. The location was right here.



: North of the Hellespontos mountain range. What could possibly…?

A communicator beeps.

: Oh! It’s a communication from Mr. Yukito’s father!

: My dad?!



: Is something the matter?

: Yes. All over the country armed civilians have been causing riots.

: Riots? They’re still continuing?

: At the core of this is the fact that somebody has donated military-class LEV’s to citizens with heightened anti-Earth sentiments.



:…LEV’s. Who could have donated them?

: The government has judged the situation to be grave, and has decided to send troops and LEV’s from Malgalityfel via the trans-Mars railway. The problem, though, is that the armed civilians are targeting that railway.

: The trans-Mars railway is an important transportation route. If there is a battle, it would place civilian passengers at great risk.

: But if we relay this information to the military there would be massive bloodshed regardless, between the army and the armed civilians.



:…this situation somehow. Apparently this is the point at which the armed civilians are planning to strike…

: But we’re also in the middle of looking for Myona…

: (Countless casualties…violence…blood…If Myona were here, she would…)

: Let’s go, Mr. Deckson.



: Yes.

: Hey, you’re the one most worried about her! Are you sure this is okay?

: It’s on the way to the area where Pharsti woke up. And…if we don’t go now, she’ll be really angry with me later. So…

: True. She would never let this kinda stuff go down…



: Dad, don’t worry about it. We’ll take care of all that, but will you do whatever you can to find information on Myona? She’s missing.

: Ah, that young lady. Of course, I will ask my reliable sources.

: (The security on military intelligence shouldn’t be this lax…armed civilians may be prepared to go into battle, but they are just amateurs. Something feels wrong…)

: What?



: Then, I will set the destination location now. Would that be alright?

: Please.

: Cage, it’s okay. Miss Myona would be really proud.



: Cage…how do you feel about Miss Myona?

: Hunh? What?

: Um, never mind! Let’s go!



:…them!)

In this route Ares isn’t around in the background to help facilitate Phil’s betrayal, and Cage is much nicer to him as well. As a result, unlike in the previous route Phil is going to remain firmly on the side of BIS for the rest of the story.





This should read, ‘Hearts in Harmony, Hearts in Strife’.

Music: Counterattack



The Saoshyant appears, disgorges the BIS mechs, then retreats.



:…ago, it’s like a king’s throne!

Deckson will be piloting the Vjaya for the next few missions. Sadly he’s not a great pilot but the Vjaya’s inherent nimbleness should protect him for the time being.

: Tsk. How old was that LEV anyway? You’re still just starting to get better, so please don’t overexert yourself, boss!

: Hmph! Sure, there was a short lapse, but I’m still in my prime! I haven’t skipped any pilot training either, so have a little faith!



:…complaining about aches and pains in a few days time.

:…In that case, I’ll take care of it.

: Hm? R-really?

: Huh. Phil, your machine seems really…different.



:…some custom options. It’s called ‘Calibur’. Let me know if you ever need any maintenance or other work.

See my previous comments about Phil. Far from raging about his unglamorous duties, this time Phil learns to embrace his role as the team’s mechanic. He’ll be piloting the Calibur instead of Robin in this route.

: What I wanna know is, are we in the right place? I don’t see so much as a shadow of them armed civilian peeps.

: I sense that they are here…It must be the stealth. I see…in that case, it is not difficult for even amateurs to carry out an attack.



:…saving our lives right now.

: The sender is someone we all know very well. I don’t know where he is at the moment, but we will have to thank him at some point.

Before Deckson can elaborate one of the armed civilians shows up.



:…come to fight together with us?

: Unfortunately no. Do not attack the train. We cannot allow bloodshed to be caused by your emotions. I can appreciate how you feel, but doing this will only place you and other innocents at risk.

: Hmm. You certainly don’t sound hurt…are you sure you were actually injured?

: Hey, stop picking on me.



:…before, too. You cowardly posers! If you don’t have the courage to take responsibility for a few crimes in exchange for Martian benefit, you should just stand back and shut up!

:…It’s easy to commit a crime. That’s not the important thing here.

: Hmph! Trying to be a voice of reason? Is your ‘reason’ going to change Mars?



: How much time before the train arrives?

: Um…t-ten minutes!

: There’s not enough time…but it can’t be helped. Sorry, but we’re going to have to stop you here.



The armed civilian vanishes, then the screen shifts over to the railway bridge.



Three glowing squares appear on the bridge.



: Can we disarm it?

: Yes. Please leave it up to me. Manoeuvre to the sites and stop directly over them.

: Okay! Everyone! Pharsti and I are going to disarm the bombs!

: All right. Be careful.



The game gives us control here.

Mission Map:



Player Phase Music: Counterattack
Enemy Phase Music: Impact

A new map at last! Our objective this time is to move Testament over those glowing squares on the bridge so that Pharsti can disarm the bombs. Unfortunately every single enemy on the map starts out cloaked, so we can expect a series of ambushes on our way there.



Annoyingly our progress is impeded by this mountain. Our OF’s can simply fly over it, but the regular LEV’s will have to take the long way around.



Approaching the bridge causes seven enemy LEV’s to reveal themselves. They’re all really weak, with most being only Level 21 whereas our units range from Level 23 – 28, apart from Deckson who is still Level 15.



These guys will go down quickly but I’m slowing down my advance to give Deckson a chance to score some experience from them.





In fact they’re so easy even Phil can effortlessly dodge their attacks.





Yukito helps Deckson get his first Vjaya kill, earning a ludicrous 616 experience points in the process.







Semyl, Razma and Phil take out the remaining southern LEV. Now the five northern ones are all that remain.





Scratch that, four enemies.



Testament can’t quite oneshot the last guy, but eh.



Also, moving Testament even closer to the bridge causes eight more enemies to appear on the bridge itself. These guys are tougher at Level 24, but ultimately they’re still just timewasters designed to get in the way and make you waste your precious turns. Moreso since they don’t move and you have to kill some them to reach the bomb sites.









The weaker LEV’s flail incompetently, as if begging to be put out of their misery.





I oblige them, starting with the southernmost foe.





Yukito again helps Deckson destroy an enemy. Deckson has already almost achieved parity with the rest of our units.







Now all of the fodder LEV’s are dead, but it took four turns out of the allotted ten to do it.





The next turn is mostly spent moving our other units up, but Mebius and Cage manage to get a kill.





Deckson takes a couple of hits on the enemy phase. Mebius and Yukito are also targeted but manage to evade.



On the sixth turn this message pops up, indicating you need to kick things into high gear.



Cage has unlocked his Burst Attacks so he can now take down these guys in one hit. Also his move path took him over the green square, so we can disarm the bomb at the same time.



: Roger. I am rendering the fuse ineffective.

:…

: The bomb has successfully been destroyed.





After that it’s a matter of healing up Deckson and then going to town on the remaining enemies.





These guys aren’t technically in the way but it’s annoying to have to dodge their shots.





Deckson once again gets a lot of experience from this, and levels up to Level 24.





Warren and Mebius both take a hit, but at this point it’s only a matter of time before the enemy is completely eliminated.





Mebius avoids two subsequent hits and then it’s our turn again.





Mebius and Yukito dispatch an enemy, with the added benefit of moving the Orcrist off the bomb panel.



: Internal scan executed…fuse destroyed.

: Good going! Now for the last one!





The mission is pretty much won at this point.





Phil dodges twice, then it’s our turn again. Time to finish things off.



Phil gets a measure of revenge.





: You…!



The last remaining enemy will give out boss experience and say a line before exploding.



: (‘Is your reason going to change Mars?!’ Be it good or evil, reason is where everything starts. Once they lose their ability to reason, they will only drag people into suffering with them. Hatred solves nothing…Answers are not meant to be that easy. People have to think and keep asking questions!)

: Mr. Deckson?

: It’s nothing. All right, clear up the bombs!

Now all we have to do is move Testament over the final bomb site.



:…Bomb destroyed.

: Yes! Alright, we made it!

: Just in case, let us watch the train from a place where we will not be found.

: Agreed.



All our units move back to their starting positions.

: Here comes the train!

: (I have no intention of supporting the army, but there’s no point in hurting each other. Why can’t we do such a simple thing? If only everyone would calm down a little bit…)

Music: Tension



Unfortunately, the armed civilians aren’t done yet!

: No! It’s not over yet!



: What?! Why would they do that?!



: (drat, there’s not enough time!)



The screen blacks out, and the sound of a futuristic train whistle can be heard. Steel grinds against steel as the train tries to slow down…



And somehow manages to stop just in time!

: H-huh?

: What? It stopped? How did that happen?!

: No!



: There is no way that such a large train would be able to stop so quickly on command. They must have been able to stop because they knew about the ambush!

: What?!

Music: Enemy Mine





Right on cue, twelve army LEV’s disembark from the train cars!



: Heh heh heh…just as our sources told us.

: W-what?!

Before the armed civilians can react, the lead LEV shoots the suicide bomber!



: Aaaaaaarrrrrgggghhhh!!



: Fools! As if you could conceal your plans from us!

: Rrghh…We’re not going to sit back and watch this happen…



Six more armed civilians show up!

: There’s that many more?!

: I have orders to stop this train from going any further, whatever the cost! Don’t let them cross the bridge!

:…I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend the day. All frames! Show the Enders how inferior they are to us!



: Lieutenant! Please look at the TV! The leader of these armed civilians is making a speech!

: A speech? Hmph, how entertaining! I wouldn’t mind hearing a bit of the rubbish he’s saying before we pulverize his men.

: Cage, Mr. Ares is on the TV! Here is the footage!





:…boundaries that divide this land are the direct results of Earth’s territorial struggles.

Yep, Ares is still kicking in this continuity, though his absence until now has severely weakened the armed civilian faction. Presumably his injuries at the hands of Zephyrs have prevented many of his schemes from working.

: It’s Ares! Hah ha! He’s really alive!

Music: Tragedy



:…is not a progressive, modern society. It’s nothing but a mouldy board game with archaic rules; discrimination, oppression, tyranny and violence, all hidden by the cloak of national interest. We, the inhabitants of Mars, have been tolerating this reality until today. But why?

: A…res? Pharsti, what is Ares saying?

: Cage…he is the leader…of the armed civilian faction. That is the way it is for the time being.

: No…!



:…people!’ Is what Earthlings say, sneering. ‘Even if they came back to Earth, they wouldn’t have a chance at life, because they’re so weak.’

: But who made us that way to begin with? None other than the Earthlings! They call anyone different to themselves ‘Enders’ and sit in their comfortable homes under the sun, complacent, their noses in the air, thinking that they can dominate us…They couldn’t be more wrong!

: Ares…I don’t believe it…why?!

: The origin of the broadcast…seems to be very close to here.

: Huh?



A Nerokerubina appears to the east.

: W-what? I’ve never seen a frame like that before…could it be?



: Ares! Is it really you, Ares?!

: Comrades! Fellow fighters for justice, unite!

: It’s Mr. Vale! Come, everybody!

All of the red LEV’s retreat.

: Hmph. I don’t know what you think you can do with one frame…but go ahead and show us what you’ve got! In our ranks there are numerous members of the Mars Security Forces…in other words, there are many Martians among us! If you attack us, you are also attacking your own kind!

Music: Danger



:...front of us!

: Freedom to Mars!

: Watch out!





: What?!



The beam utterly eradicates all traces of the Security Forces and the train.

: Everyone…disappeared…it’s not possible! Ares! How could you do this? Why?! How could you?!

:…

Ares says nothing and simply retreats.



: Go after them, Pharsti!

Testament flies over to the bridge, but before Cage can get more than halfway across…



: Who is it?!

: You should take this opportunity to experience firsthand the wonder of the Marlblanke beam, Cage! Unless you have something better to do…

: Oh God…it’s…



:…gatekeeper to the underworld…

: Y-you! Bolozof! You’re still alive…?!

: *Cackle* I can’t let you go the same route as your little friend did.

: What’s going on? How can you be on the side of the armed civilians? Aren’t you from the Earth military?!



:…lifts my spirits just thinking about it! You agree with me too, don’t you…Nadia?



: Ms. Nadia?! Why are you with him? He abandoned you! And…what happened to Mr. Frazer?

: Shameful…you were the ones who manipulated him and stole the anti-stealth!

: What do you mean? We…that’s not true! Who has been feeding you these lies?

C’mon, Cage, he’s right in front of you.



:…he has taught me that my real purpose in life is to fight! I have been wrong all this time.

:…A soldier doesn’t need anything! All that I need to do is fight!

Unfortunately in this route Nadia has gone full battered girlfriend on us and has gone back to the man who treated her like dirt. Whether through manipulation or brainwashing or just plain despair she’s going to be an opponent to us once again.



:…light close-range. You will not be able to come after us. Our plan is complete. Come, Nadia.

: Yes, Sir! You were fortunate this time…but next time, I will have your head! For Frazer’s sake!

Nadia and Bolozof withdraw.



:…retreating at once.

: We couldn’t save the train…it was right in front of us, and yet…we couldn’t do anything…

:…Cage.

: What was I supposed to do…what do they even want?! Dammit!!

Cage and the rest of BIS withdraw from the field.

Music: Tragedy



:…filled with specks. If Earth wants to call all humans living outside the terrestrial region 'Enders,' that is their prerogative. It is their choice if they want to play the almighty king of the entire universe.

: However, I will not stand for it, and I officially hereby declare Mars independent from Earth's grasp! Whether or not that light will continue to burn this ground we walk on is entirely up to the UCM.

: My request is easy – join us in our fight against Earth. Even you should be able to understand a request that simple.



: That guy has gone completely nuts! He really is trying to start a war against Earth…it’s impossible!

: It's not as crazy as you think. At this point, it's certainly possible.

: Pops! What's that supposed to mean?!

: He has given the 'means' and the 'end.' Nobody dreams of something that is impossible. But once they understand that it can occur in reality, humans will stop at nothing to get it. I am sure that there will be more people like those armed civilians we fought today who will be joining his ranks in the future.



:…back. A simple 'yes' or 'no' will do. We will not tolerate any indecision when the time period is up.

: Come with us, or get burned. Two options...See you again very soon.

: Good day. 'Freedom to Mars.'



: He's proved it. He’s proved that he has enough power to fight against Earth. Earth's military has been demolished.

: And that's the strategy? That platoon was filled with Security Keeping Force officers!? They victimized their fellow Martians...

: If they succeed, he'll probably say the incident was a foundation of Martian independence. Either way, I can't imagine that anybody would not cooperate with him because of it.



:…the civilians. The problem is that they don't realize that....

: Deckson...

:...Everyone, ‘he’ has established contact with us. I will connect you.



:…you personally...You will return Testament. I need it. I could have just taken it, but…I had my followers retreat before it could be done. I’d like for you to listen to what I have to say, and co-operate with me.

: Ares…You…are you the one who sank the Bonaparte?! And even that train earlier! There were so many innocent people on board both…How could you do this?! Why are you doing this?!

: Heh heh…Cage? You really are such a child. Your self-righteous garbage is incredible! How is it any different from what BIS has done? Can you honestly say that there have been no innocent casualties as a result of anything you’ve done? Really?

:…



:…weapons and locked onto our targets…I regret no victims as long as they lead to results in the end. The only difference is that I am not some weakling who has to convince myself that I am a good person in order to go on…that is all!

: Ares…

: By the way, did you happen to see that light earlier? Some powerful stuff, wouldn't you say? That's something that can be done only by me, through hyperalignment with the OF.



: Right now it's just me, but I want to expand our team. If we have Testament, we can procure more hyperaligned allies.

: I doubt that they will just quietly surrender to us; not until we do a little more than we did today...There is a need to strengthen our side further. Mars will be illuminated by that light…and to that end, I need to have Testament returned!

: Ares! Is that really how you feel about things?!



:…will fight with me, or against me. At any rate, you should hurry. In three hours, we will be heading to West Hellas to level it.

: That's the largest nest in Hellespontos! How many tens of thousands of innocent lives are you trying to claim?!

: We’ll be at the Oxygen Plant on the water. I would suggest you come out and there. We’ll be sure to entertain you. Oh, and Myona is there too.



: Heh heh heh…I’m looking forward to a positive reply…

: Ares, wait!!

Ares signs off without waiting for Cage to finish.

Music: Sadness



: Shoot! What are we going to do, boss?

:...Cage.

: Yes...?

: Up until now, I have always thought of myself as an agent acting on behalf of Mars. As irresponsible as it may sound, I believed that I am here because of Mars' will, not my own.

: But in terms of this decision, I cannot make the choice...It goes without saying that life should be respected, and that it shouldn't be destroyed on a whim. But Ares - or should I say Vale? - If what he is attempting mirrors the true wishes of the Martian people, I am in no position to refute that. I leave this decision to you.



: Deckson!

: Boss! What's gotten into you?!

: He has been involved in this incident from the very beginning - both as a victim, and for bringing this responsibility to us. Besides, he is the only one who has the power to manoeuvre Testament. It would be easy for me to make the call, and command him to do my bidding. But that would be wrong. He has both the right and the responsibility to put an end to this issue once and for all. Discuss your options with everyone, and make your decision carefully. Is that okay with everyone?

: Deckson...

: Heh...I guess that works.

:...



And with that, the episode ends.



A lot of new stuff happened in this update. Ares is back, though he’s not nearly as organized and influential as he was before. He also piloted a Nero instead of Iblis, so presumably his old frame is still undergoing repairs after Zephyrs trashed it. Speaking of Zephyrs, I can’t imagine Ares will be happy with Jimmer bringing the doctor along. Regardless, it seems our destination is the Oxygen Plant once again, but something tells me things are going to go massively off the rails this time…

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


Goddamnit Nadia. He sold you out for some other chick why are you with him again? :(

FFKonoko
Jan 1, 2013

Olfacere violarum.
It's kinda neat to be able to directly contrast the differences in the characters specific actions and words between the two paths. That said, while for the most part, the differences are there but reasonable, everyone's basic motivation seems to remain roughly the same. But the thing with Nadia is incredibly annoying.

Fionordequester
Dec 27, 2012

Actually, I respectfully disagree with you there. For as obviously flawed as this game is, there ARE a lot of really good things about it. The presentation and atmosphere, for example, are the most immediate things. No other Yu-Gi-Oh game goes out of the way to really make
Hmm...this is interesting. Where's Ares's slasher face from before? This utterly depraved visage right here...



It should've come up at least once since the last scene with him giving Cage his spiel is about the same as it was in the A Path.

Also, is it just me, or do Ares's sentences go on for a really long time? I sometimes like to line read just for fun (not aiming to do it as a job, it's just kind of fun), but I swear, every time I try to read his lines aloud to myself, I end up running out of breath before I can get to the end. Dude must have some incredible pipes since he's probably yelling all of those lines.

Also, I found this exchange kind of amusing...

quote:

: Aarrrgghh!

: What are you doing? Stop that!

: I mean duuude! That's SO not cool!

Fionordequester fucked around with this message at 02:37 on Feb 16, 2014

Scintilla
Aug 24, 2010

I BEAT HIGHFORT
and all I got was this
jackass monkey

Fionordequester posted:

Hmm...this is interesting. Where's Ares's slasher face from before? This utterly depraved visage right here...



It should've come up at least once since the last scene with him giving Cage his spiel is about the same as it was in the A Path.

The text and portraits aren't always identical between routes even when the scene is exactly the same. For instance, the part where Ares talks about hyperalignment has him say that only he is able to do it, whereas in the original route he talks about how both he and Myona are capable of doing it. The differences are extremely minor and most of the time I can simply copy and paste the dialogue, but from time to time I have to make a few small modifications.

Fionordequester
Dec 27, 2012

Actually, I respectfully disagree with you there. For as obviously flawed as this game is, there ARE a lot of really good things about it. The presentation and atmosphere, for example, are the most immediate things. No other Yu-Gi-Oh game goes out of the way to really make

Scintilla posted:

The text and portraits aren't always identical between routes even when the scene is exactly the same. For instance, the part where Ares talks about hyperalignment has him say that only he is able to do it, whereas in the original route he talks about how both he and Myona are capable of doing it. The differences are extremely minor and most of the time I can simply copy and paste the dialogue, but from time to time I have to make a few small modifications.

I know. I just think it's interesting that the writers made a point of NOT showing us the "Slasher Portrait", even though what he was saying to Cage was the exact same. Like, is Ares not quite as invested in what he's doing as he was before, or is he not having that weird brainwashing thing done to him like in Route A? It's interesting to speculate on whether or not that means anything.

Glazius
Jul 22, 2007

Hail all those who are able,
any mouse can,
any mouse will,
but the Guard prevail.

Clapping Larry
Is Earth still shipping food to Mars? This whole independence movement could go tits up in a hurry if that's the case.

Andrevian
Mar 2, 2010
The food situation is never really addressed in so many words, but there are domes and farms, and it's assumed that Mars can be completely independent with their oxygen plants and food production.

Granted, the leader of BAHRAM is literally insane, and also Mars has the Urenbeck Catapult on Deimos (and therefore access to the wealth of resources in Jupiter orbit, namely Metatron. Earth has a Urenbeck Catapult as well (A way for non-Metatron-powered ships to get from point A to point B) but orbital frames are a game-changer, war-wise. At this time, only Mars has them.

So even if they win, food is just A Thing. People may just die off in droves, but that's never really raised as an issue.

Scintilla
Aug 24, 2010

I BEAT HIGHFORT
and all I got was this
jackass monkey
Food is still getting to Mars, it's just become significantly more expensive thanks to the Earth authorities raising the taxes on basic necessities like bread and vegetables. Of course you also have psychos like Ned, Bolozof and Acemos running around who literally get away with murder, so there are far more immediate threats to average Martians than starvation at the moment. The indication is that Mars still has a very large colonial Earth presence and the official Martian government is largely toothless to stop them doing whatever they want.

Scintilla
Aug 24, 2010

I BEAT HIGHFORT
and all I got was this
jackass monkey
Hmm. I'll probably be able to post an update tomorrow, but this page is pretty cluttered and we're close to the rolling over onto the next one. To bump it over I'd like to ask you guys; who is your favorite character up till this point?

Personally I'm going to have to go with Deckson. I like how Fist of Mars takes the concept of the older resistance leader and does something marginally interesting with it. I mean, he does all of the things you'd expect - have a dark past involving the evil empire he used to serve, act as a mentor for the main character, be the driving force behind the resistance's actions for the first half of the game and eventually die heroically so that another can take up the mantle of leadership. But the writing somehow manages to make Deckson feel like a real person rather than an archetype. I like that we get to see his insecurities and doubts, and how the effects that his injury and subsequent indisposition have on the cast aren't simply brushed off.

TARDISman
Oct 28, 2011



I'd have to say either Cage or Pharsti, mostly because I'm a huge sucker for that aspect of the Zone of the Enders franchise. The interaction between a pilot and their AI allows for both characters to grow and play off each other beautifully. With Cage it's like someone looked at Shinji Ikari and thought "Let's have people treat him like a person, not a tool," and went from there. He maintains his usual amount of mecha pilot angst but by the end of the story he becomes such an identifiable character that he still stands out to me. Probably because I used to be a little too clingy to some of my friends in elementary and middle school.

Rigged Death Trap
Feb 13, 2012

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Id say my favorite would be Zephyrs.
Strange choice but hear me out.

Hes a perfect blend of utter single mindedness and sheer ruthlessness. Hes a massive hypocrite and thus manages to be the perfect ideologue for the colonization effort.

It helps that his madness is one of the better foils to the protag team. And that hes quite entertaining helps quite a bit.

Hed have the hammiest loving voice if this game had voice acting.

Rigged Death Trap fucked around with this message at 18:17 on Feb 27, 2014

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


Warren :allears:

He has the best mech and the best lines. He is also so above the other character's squabblings.

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Podima
Nov 4, 2009

by Fluffdaddy
Yukito because I'm a sucker for the archetype of a ~wacky character~ who occasionally drops their facade to reveal keen insights here and there.

I also WANT to like Semyl more but her mech being the slowest god drat thing ever pissed me off too much.

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