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inthesto
May 12, 2010

Pro is an amazing name!
Part 37: Game over, man





The fight starts with Synbios' army off to the side again, for no appreciable reason. Once again, no new enemies, but that's because we did the bonus dungeon. I forgot to cap Arrawnt's stats, but suffice it to say that he has 600 HP and 78 ATT, where my highest DEF is in the 50s. Not to mention the fact that, Shining Force 2 boss style, he gets to act twice a turn. If somebody tangles with him in melee, they're probably dead.

But by now, you should know we're not even going to bother with that.



Curiously, Algernon's spot will cause the cursor to snap to him, but he has no stats.




First step is to eliminate the chaff as quickly as possible.




Eh, it was worth a shot. Not shabby damage for a failure, but it did consume quite a chunk of MP.



gently caress it. This LP has been going on for nearly a year now. It's time to end it as quickly as possible.



When you get past the first three enemies, a blue dragon also spawns behind you. These things carry goddess tears, so it's a good way to refill some MP if you burn too much too early.



One of the archers is annoyingly perched up high, where only archers and fliers can tag him. Hayward and Justin take care of him easily enough. Ratchet is too busy being dead to be of any use.



By the time the blue dragon spawns, I'm so far up the bridge that the AI doesn't rush me down.




Arrawnt never moves. This is somewhat inconvenient, because it means there's only one melee position to attack him from. If you play a keepaway game with him, he'll just use his weapon to cast Spark 3. It doesn't have nearly as much power as ours, but it's still damage that I don't want to take.




First order of business is to get Arrawnt by himself. I don't want to be eating Spark 3 from the wizards behind him while I'm beating him down.



Repeat.



And repeat. Wizards are now dead and dragons are too far away to jump in. Now it's time to put Arrawnt back in his place.



Irene casts Resist 2 to take care of any more spells Arrawnt feels like tossing at me.



Masqurin blows the last 15 of her MP on Phoenix 2, which deals 72 damage.




Noon and Grace also use the rest of their MP on summons. Since I was casting spells on the gigas breakers and high wizards, all my casters walked in on Arrawnt with half or less MP.



Which is why I brought this along.





:getin:




Arrawnt gets up on Cybel's grill, but she ends up winning the trade.




However, Arrawnt gets to move twice and has an unbelievably high crit rate. I don't think I have a single character who can actually survive getting double tapped by Arrawnt, unless I throw a life ring onto one of my tankier characters.



One turn later, though, the combined power of archers and summons have completely wasted Arrawnt's life bar. I mean, I just beat a boss with one thousand hit points and the most powerful spell in the game. Why would a guy with only 60% of the durability and zero mobility stand a single chance?



It was tempting to finish this with a sword rave, but Arrawnt hasn't exactly been a long running antagonist for us. Plus, it's more shameful to get killed by the healer.



You defeated yourself, Prince. The Empire had the advantage, but your ambition blinded you.

Where were my reinforcements? Why didn't they arrive?

Did you think Tristus would stand by while you held his son hostage? I lured you out here so the Malorie army could cut off your reserves!

You're the son of Lord Conrad. Your brilliant strategies... You must take after your father.

Why did a nobleman like you ally with the evil Bulzome? Why would you turn on your family?

By the customs of the Empire, a second born prince can never assume the throne. I had to take it... By defeating the Republic, I would have had the people behind me, but Imperial law can't be ignored... It seemed like the only way... If my father and brothers were gone, then I could assume the throne. I'd have succeeded. The cult would have taken the blame. But... my dream comes to an end...



Goodbye, Prince. You won't be missed.

An Imperial battle over succession escalated into full war between the Empire and the Republic resulting in the near destruction of the entire kingdom.

And finally, it's over.

But Synbios, although this problem has been dealt with, there are many others.

Woo-hoo! You really won! Uncle Synbios really won! I thought for sure he'd get... Uh, nevermind...



So you're safe now, Algernon!

Sister! Tristus!



Lord Tristus! How did you arrive here? And with such timing?

After you departed, he mobilized the Malorie army. Even as his wife... He is an incredible man.

Soldiers were sent one at a time to avoid notice. When the water was released from the dam, we attacked and wiped out most of Arrawnt's remaining troops.

That was quite bold! I guess the risk paid off since Algernon was unharmed.



Who said that?

Aha! Where are you looking? The venerable Yasha is right here!



I was under orders from Emperor Domaric to watch Prince Arrawnt.

By the order of the emperor? What? How come you didn't show up earlier to help him?

I was ordered to covertly watch him and report everything to the emperor. I only recently learned of Prince Arrawnt's plans and that he had allied with the Bulzome monks.

So you sat and watched while we killed your ally?

I didn't think the prince would be beaten by a rag-tag bunch like yourselves...

Funny choice of words here, since by this point, the Synbios army is considered the strongest in the Republic. Probably because it's the only one left, but hey.

But I don't think it would have been in the emperor's best interests to intervene.

Do you mean this war would have been avoided if Arrawnt was the successor to the throne?

Hmm, that's a simpleton's way of thinking! The emperor still has every intention of taking Aspinia back from you Republicans. But, the circumstances would have been a little different.

Wait! You said it was premature to believe Algernon was safe. What are you planning to do?

I would usually not kill such a young child, but... You, Tristus, broke your promise. Though Arrawnt fought fairly, you betrayed your word.

Yes... Yes, that is true, but a father can't stand by while his son...

Your treachery is unforgivable, and in acting so, you forfeit your son's life!

No, I beg you! Take me! Please take my life instead!







I must leave and report back to the Empire the events of the past few days.



And with ninja magic, he disappears.

Oh Algernon! My dear Algernon...

That.. That Yasha... He sent Algernon into the moat... If only I could have stopped him...

He was our son... He was our only hope...

I'll go in after him! There's still time to save him!

Synbios, I know you want to save him, but the undercurrent will suck you down. Don't risk your life...

He's my nephew, Palsis! I can't die without at least trying!




That... That voice, is that Fynnding?

I always seem to have perfect timing. Wouldn't you agree, Tristus?

Fynnding, can it be?



Algernon, my son!



Wilmer was defeated at the gates of Malorie Castle, and Braff, the son of General Fafhard and Basanda, was killed trying to stop the Synbios force. When Basanda confronted him in the catacombs, Synbios was victorious. Using Duke Palsis' plan of releasing the water from the dam, Synbios, and his force destroyed the Titan and decimated the Imperial army. They bravely regained control of the capital from the forces of Prince Arrawnt. The hostage against Malorie's aggression, Master Algernon, is safe once again. Briefly, peace is restored, and Synbios and his force should be able to take a well deserved break.



It will take a long time to rebuild. But, if we continue to get aid from Lookover, the town will come back soon.



At least King Benetram was unharmed. That, at least, is some good news for the Republic.

All these things, Synbios, we owe it to your people's heroic efforts.



That's not quite true, Lord Synbios. We were victorious because of your great leadership.

I appreciate your work, Synbios. Despite your father's tragic death, you saved all of Aspia.

The Empire is still camped out outside of the inner wall.

There should be no need to worry. Since the time of the ancients, no force has ever broken through the inner wall.

I wonder what they are planning? Why would they remain outside there if they know they cannot breach the wall?

I don't know why all the generals are so worried. The city walls have always protected us.

Tristus doesn't know about the secret passage. Since Arrawnt knew about it, maybe that ninja that got away knows too.

I see. Now it makes sense. You fear the enemy might find this secret door.

I'm also worried about Tybalt up on that wall. I pray nothing happens to him.



Lord Synbios, I agree, we should go to the wall immediately, to aid our noble defender, Tybalt should the need occur.

I disagree, Dantares. If I were you, I'd leave my trust in the strength of the wall, and take the chance to rest.



The situation is dire... The Imperial army has...

What has happened?

There is a squad from the Imperial army inside the walls! They are now coming towards the castle!

Tybalt and the garrison... What happened to them?

They are still at their post. No one knows what has happened!



We all by now should be aware of what will happen if the Bulzome cult has their way. If the Vandals return to power, the Republic and the Empire are doomed. Will you still continue your conquest?




It is awkward for me to see you again like this, Synbios. However, fate has thrown us together.

Fate? Do you take us for fools? You have invaded Aspia! We won't let you get away that easily!



That's, uh, quite some typography there.



The Emperor Domaric? It cannot be... I thought the Emperor was kidnapped by the Bulzome.

To what do we owe the pleasure, of this visit, Emperor Domaric?

Tactful as ever. I just came to 'thank' you for taking care of my over-ambitious son.

It seems we were unaware of the extremes Prince Arrawnt would adapt to attempt to get the throne.

Nonetheless, we have many things to repay you for from the past! The most recent of which is the murder of Prince Arrawnt!

Yes, there are many things I must repay you for.

You'll have to get through me first to get to Lord Synbios!

Dantares, that sounds like a challenge. Don't wait on my account. Our reckoning is long overdue!

Calm down, Campbell. You shall have your chance, but this is not the time or place!

Will you betray the memory of your brother, Prince Medion? Prince Arrawnt's death demands vengeance.



You are in our debt for destroying a rogue faction of your army!

You're right, Synbios, my brother's actions were clearly influenced by the Bulzome monks. If not for you, maybe his evil plans would have come to fruition. For that, we will not take advantage of your current situation.



“To honor the wishes of my son”. Wow, those are words that Domaric would never, ever say.

But now that my debt to you is repaid, next time we meet, I will not be as civil.




Our armies are more than a match for that strange sect of zealots. You should be grateful that the Emperor is allowing you to live right now!

Although I leave you now untouched, I will return and will reclaim Aspinia in the name of the Empire!

It seemed the victory of Synbios was short lived as the Emperor himself invaded Aspia Castle. However, the Emperor, at the insistence of Prince Medion, has left Aspia alone to recover from the terrible battle with the Colossus, vowing to return one day. Benetram knows the Bulzome monks will not go away and will have to be dealt with, but for now the Republic rests in the peace earned by Synbios and his army.




Nah, I'm good.

I mean, that ending was kind of weird. Tybalt merely mentioned in passing, and the brutal and domineering Domaric backing down because his son said so? And why did they call the Titan the Colossus? Something doesn't smell right here...

inthesto fucked around with this message at 22:15 on Apr 25, 2014

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inthesto
May 12, 2010

Pro is an amazing name!
And while I'm typing up the final update, would people prefer to keep this thread for scenario 2, or start a new one? This one isn't terribly long, so it wouldn't get too unwieldy to keep everything to one thread, but at the same time scenario 2 is very much its own game and I'll probably whip up a new OP for it.

Shadow Ninja 64
May 21, 2007

"I stood there, wondering why the puck was getting bigger...

and then it hit me."


inthesto posted:

And while I'm typing up the final update, would people prefer to keep this thread for scenario 2, or start a new one? This one isn't terribly long, so it wouldn't get too unwieldy to keep everything to one thread, but at the same time scenario 2 is very much its own game and I'll probably whip up a new OP for it.

I'd say just keep it here, really. If anything, you could maybe PM a mod with a thread title change or something to reflect when you start Scenario 2.

Also congrats on completing Scenario 1.

Ardeem
Sep 16, 2010

There is no problem that cannot be solved through sufficient application of lasers and friendship.
Huh, I remember Domaric being more of a dick there, also there are a couple of image mistakes, one of Algernon's portraits is missing a : and the save wizard shows up right after the prince falls in the moat.

I'd go with a new thread since each game really does deserve its own OP and you didn't leave yourself room for them in this thread. (Also I see you've decided against making life easier on yourself in a later fight.)

geri_khan
May 16, 2009

Fucking blocks... I'm gonna climb the shit outta you!
I've been keenly following this thread since it started, but now you really have my attention. Doing a great job, keep it up!

inthesto
May 12, 2010

Pro is an amazing name!

Ardeem posted:

Huh, I remember Domaric being more of a dick there, also there are a couple of image mistakes, one of Algernon's portraits is missing a : and the save wizard shows up right after the prince falls in the moat.

I'd go with a new thread since each game really does deserve its own OP and you didn't leave yourself room for them in this thread. (Also I see you've decided against making life easier on yourself in a later fight.)

I actually haven't completed scenario 3 yet. :downs:

But I do know what you're talking about and I have a ton of experience in manipulating the Shining Force AI, so I assume it can't be *that* hard.

inthesto
May 12, 2010

Pro is an amazing name!
Part Final: We're only a third of the way through, folks!

Yeah, so that last ending wasn't the real ending. Because scenarios 2 and 3 never got released in the USA, the ending to scenario 1 was changed to be a little more conclusive, though barely so. This right here is the real ending to scenario 1.



The restored ending changes at this point, after the credits roll. This scene is mostly the same, except for one key difference, but it will show the audience the stark differences between the original translation and the community translation patch. While the patch isn't perfect, it does a lot to make the script more readable.

It will take some time to rebuild, but as long as we continue to get aid from Lookover and its gold mine, Aspia will come back.

Gold can repair the buildings, but the slaughtered people won't be coming back.

At least King Benetram was unharmed. That's at least some good news.

Thanks to Synbios and his heroic force.

There are no heroes in war, Palsis. Just winners.

That's not quite true, Lord Synbios. We were victorious because of your great leadership.

I appreciate everything you have done, Synbios. Despite your father's tragic death, you saved all of Aspia.

It appears the Empire's siege of the inner wall has begun.

There should be no need to worry. Since ancient times, no force has ever breached the inner wall. The wall is responsible for our independence.

I wonder what they are planning. Why would they remain out there if they know they can't breach the wall?

I don't know why the generals are so worried; the city walls have always protected us.

Tristus doesn't know about the secret passage. Since Arrawnt knew about it, maybe that ninja that got away knows too...

I see. Now it makes sense. You fear the enemy might find this secret door.

I'm not certain the Imperials know of the secret. I'm worried about Tybalt up on that wall. I pray nothing happens to him.

Prayer will do little to help him, Benetram. I will take my army and reinforce his position.

I agree with Lord Synbios. We should go to aid Tybalt, should the need arise.

I disgaree, Dantares. If I were you, I'd leave my trust in the strength of the wall, and take the chance to rest.



A better shot of Fynnding flying in.

What is wrong Fynnding? You look like you've seen a ghost.

The situation is dire... The Imperials...

What has happened?

The Imperial army is inside the inner wall and they are heading towards the castle!

What of Lord Tybalt and the Barrand army?

They were... annihilated by the Imperials.

Holy poo poo! That's a wild departure from the US ending, and patches up the glaring plot hole. There's no mystery as to why Tybalt and crew are untouched. Medion's army loving slaughtered them. RIP Tybalt.



Everyone runs off, except for Benetram.



Emperor Domaric, surely you know. There will be no Aspinia or Destonia if Vandals gain control of this world. Yet you still intend to continue your conquest?






Medion! You're the one leading the invading army?

It saddens me to meet you again under these circumstances, Lord Synbios. However, fate has brought us together.

Fate? Do you take us for fools? You have invaded Aspia! We won't let you get away with this!



Slightly less awkward laugh.



Emperor Domaric? This can't be. You were abducted.

I should have known there was a mastermind behind the abduction that put us in great danger. Isn't that right, Emperor Domaric?

I'm actually really upset that this was cut out of the US ending. One of the great things about Benetram is that he's incredibly smart and ahead of Domaric's game most of the time. It's not hard to imagine that he's a large part of the reason why the rebels original won against the empire twenty years ago, despite probably being outgunned all the way down.

Benetram, have you come to welcome me in the annexing of Aspia?

Medion, you can turn your army around! We don't have to do this!

Lord Synbios, that's not true. This is absolutely inevitable.

You.. You are... I saw you in Saraband. Yes, you must be Synbios.

Synbios, son of Conrad, eh? The one who defeated Arrawnt. There are many reasons for me to show my respect, heh.

I will never allow Lord Synbios to be harmed!



Calm down, Campbell. Don't hasten the fight. Save the battle for the battlefield. Now is not the time or place!

Stay easy, Dantares. We're tired and they're fresh. We can't afford to fight here.

Will you betray the Empire, Prince Medion? You have promised to avenge Prince Arrawnt's death. If that promise isn't kept....

Please let me fight, Prince Medion. Even if I will be labeled as an invader for the rest of my life, as long as I can save her life...

Her? Her? Well, there's definitely something in play that we're in the dark about now!

Turn around, Medion. We may not be allies in politics, but we're allies in spirit. Would you turn you sword on a friend?

It's too late, Lord Synbios. We wouldn't be in this situation if my brother Arrawnt hadn't fallen to you in battle.




Benetram, your knowledge and intelligence can't help you now!

Medion, you have earned my trust. Put Conrad's son to death and deliver Aspia to me!

The Synbios army's victory was short lived as the emperor himself invaded Aspia Castle. However, the emperor, at the insistence of Prince Medion, left Aspia to recover from the battle with the Titan, but vowed to return. Benetram knows the Bulzome monks will not go away and will have to be dealt with, but for now the Republic rests in the peace earned by Synbios and his army.

Okay, I don't know what that last text blurb was all about, because Medion and Campbell are clearly ready to charge on Synbios and Dantares. This time, there's a lot of unknown elements in play. Why does Medion follow his father so blindly? Who is “she”? How does the Bulzome sect fit in with the Imperial army, exactly?



:angel: You should record your adventure.

And we do.

:smugwizard: What is it, Fey? Why the dirty look? I wasn't sleeping or anything... You have endured much, Synbios. It was pretty chaotic out there for a while.

:angel: But you've surpassed everyone's expectations. Of course, the kingdom has ME to thank for that.

:smugwizard: What did you have to do with it, Fey? It was Synbios who defeated Bulzome's followers.

:angel: But I was the one who picked our hero in the first place?

:smugwizard: Okay, you win. But Synbios must be commended on a job well done against overwhelming odds.

Not really. Masqurin and Noon are the real MVPs here.

:angel: Yeah, you're right... Did you find Noon, Penn, Ratchet, Frank, and Hagane?

Sure did!

:smugwizard: If you didn't find them all, try the adventure again and search more carefully... Since you've completed the adventure, keep the scenario 1 complete record in memory and begin a new quest. Check the options screen and something new may appear... Better yet, use the record to continue on to scenario 2.

I don't know what the new option is. It might be the sound test or it might be the difficulty adjustment slider. I didn't even know there was an options menu until I saw this.



NEXT TIME:

inthesto fucked around with this message at 00:24 on Apr 26, 2014

Ardeem
Sep 16, 2010

There is no problem that cannot be solved through sufficient application of lasers and friendship.
Ahh, there's the bag of dicks I remember.

staplegun
Sep 21, 2003

Thank you for breaking the LP curse on Shining Force 3 Scenario 1. This makes me feel like channeling the spirit of GameQuoter:

inthesto
May 12, 2010

Pro is an amazing name!
Premium Disc A



So, now that we've completed scenario 1, I can dip into the premium disc and show off a bit of official art. The premium disc was a bonus you got if you bought all three scenarios and then snipped out the barcodes and sent them into Sega. Except, instead of getting a Sonic wristwatch, you got a CD full of music, art, and bonus fights.



We're not going to tackle the bonus fights yet, but I thought people would be interested in the art.

The Main Force:





















Interesting how Horst's art is done in a completely different style compared to everyone else.

The Republican Leadership:








I'm not gonna lie, I love Benetram's design. It's also interesting to note that Conrad has a far more muted design than everyone else, signifying that he's more or less retired.

The Imperial Leadership:






Fairly standard, but I think the standout here is Garzel. He looks awesome with those mutton chops, and I wish he had a bigger part to play in the plot.

The Bulzome Sect:






Can't argue with Basanda's design, as it's pretty drat tight. It's also cool to get a full view of the titan, even if it looks nothing like that in the game.

Miscellaneous:



Oh, this guy. He had a name, right?





Promo posters for scenario 1. I definitely like the third one the best. The second one is incredibly goofy, because it shows the Synbios army fighting and enemy they never actually fight.



Early drafts of Penn's design. I can't really argue with the one in the top-right.



An early draft of Synbios' design. Not gonna lie, this looks like it was pulled straight off of DeviantArt.

e: Holy poo poo, I hosed up these images. I'll fix them in the morning.

inthesto fucked around with this message at 00:48 on Apr 26, 2014

KataraniSword
Apr 22, 2008

but at least I don't have
a MLP or MSPA avatar.
I am my own man.

inthesto posted:



Early drafts of Penn's design. I can't really argue with the one in the top-right.



An early draft of Synbios' design. Not gonna lie, this looks like it was pulled straight off of DeviantArt.

Wow, that picture of Synbios makes him look like Fantasy Heero Yuy. That's almost kind of painful.

Also, it's worth noting that apparently the bottom right concept art of Penn there implies that Penn was going to be a dragon. I wonder why they changed it but kept every other name incredibly obvious.

Shitenshi
Mar 12, 2013
Those are some weird...things hanging from your shoulder Arrawnt. No wonder you couldn't move.

Robindaybird
Aug 21, 2007

Neat. Sweet. Petite.

Wow, glad to see I'm not the only one who saw Heero Yuy in that design.

Some of the art style bugged me, but there's some really nice designs in there.

marshmallow creep
Dec 10, 2008

I've been sitting here for 5 mins trying to think of a joke to make but I just realised the animators of Mass Effect already did it for me

I was wondering: About how low a level could you beat this game at before the sheer gulf in stats made it infeasible if not impossible?

Hoss Corncave
Feb 13, 2012

inthesto posted:



Promo posters for scenario 1. I definitely like the third one the best. The second one is incredibly goofy, because it shows the Synbios army fighting and enemy they never actually fight.

Also interesting to note is that Zero is part of the squad despite being part of Medion's army.

inthesto posted:



Early drafts of Penn's design. I can't really argue with the one in the top-right.

You might want to wait until scenario 3.

inthesto posted:



An early draft of Synbios' design. Not gonna lie, this looks like it was pulled straight off of DeviantArt.

Again, wait until scenario 3.

inthesto
May 12, 2010

Pro is an amazing name!

Robindaybird posted:

Wow, glad to see I'm not the only one who saw Heero Yuy in that design.

Some of the art style bugged me, but there's some really nice designs in there.

As far as anime protagonists go, Heero Yuy is a pretty good one to rip off. Also, I forgot to gush over Cybel's design. It's probably my favorite out of all the scenario 1 characters.


Hoss Corncave posted:

Also interesting to note is that Zero is part of the squad despite being part of Medion's army.

But remember, Zero is a loyal Republican soldier! I'm actually going to have fun doing some fanfiction-y stuff with him in scenario 2.

AsInCoolAsA
Feb 25, 2011

inthesto posted:

I'm actually going to have fun doing some fanfiction-y stuff with him in scenario 2.

That doesn't sound too creepy at all...

But on a lighter note, I love these games and I really enjoy all the work your putting into this. Awesome for finishing scenario 1 and best luck for the next two.

Glazius
Jul 22, 2007

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

Clapping Larry
Yeah, I do have to wonder what possesses you to drop something from a tall place in a world where birdmen exist.

inthesto
May 12, 2010

Pro is an amazing name!
Part 39: Time warp!



Welcome back to Shining Force 3! With the first scenario completed, we're going to be moving on to the second disc which chronicles the adventures of Medion and his company. The story will take place concurrently with Synbios' story, though Medion is perpetually one step behind. Many of the NPCs we've seen will show up again, with expanded roles. In addition, several of the choices we made will also impact stuff that happens here!

However, I'm going to break this now: In my opinion, scenario 2 is a much weaker game than scenario 1. Rumor has it that budgeting fell apart halfway through this game, and this is where it shows. For all the minor touch ups that scenario 2 got, the flaws that crop up are far more prominent. The middle third of Medion's story has very little to do with anything else, several features were obviously rushed, and there's several fights that make Switching Point look like a walk in the park.

And there's also the fact that, for all the characterization we can glean from Medion, the guy really needs to grow a spine and just say

But enough of my personal ranting. Let's move on.



:smugwizard: Oh, it is you, Fey. Behave yourself and stop playing your tricks. You startled me.

:angel: Master, I've followed orders and brought the one you requested. Heheh, Master Gabriel, your guest IS waiting.

:smugwizard: I dozed off during the long wait. Now, where were we? Ooh, that's right!



I absolutely loving would. We'd miss out on a few characters if I didn't.



Apparently it took me 45 hours to complete the game. However, plenty of that is idle time with fast forward on.

:smugwizard: It's been quite a while, so I sent Fey for you. At last, you've come back to us.

:angel: I knew you would be back. Master is so impatient.

:smugwizard: We've guided the first one in the right direction, but the situation is dire. That's why I'm a little anxious. Ahh, if only there was a way to turn back the clock. There are still two heroes left. You both must succeed. I'm sure you remember. The first hero's fate has been set. Therefore, we depend on the remaining two to return us to our proper destiny.

:angel: Master Gabriel used his great powers to pause time for Synbios. Now the only one who can save him is Medion.

:smugwizard: I can't pause it forever, though. Please us your time to drive your fate onto the right track, and stop the invasion of evil. It's time for you to go now. Fare thee well, Medion.

:angel: You've done it before, so I'm sure you'll succeed. Please save our future!





Similar to last time, we start with a panoramic view of Saraband.






Slightly different once we get into town, though. Unlike Synbios who is already in a conference with his (admittedly much older) peers, Medion is stuck on the docks. Doing absolutely jack squat.



What is on your mind?

This is my first time so far away from home. For some reason, I feel alone.

Still thinking about your mother?

All I can think about is how she's doing...

I almost forgot, I saw your mother, Madam Melinda, a few days ago. Although she appeared a little weary, she's still as beautiful as ever. She said "I'm worried about Medion. I'm waiting for the day he completes his military exploits, and we can live happily together. That is what she wanted me to tell you.

Hearing that, I cannot wait for this to be over. Why am I here, anyway?



How is Sir Campbell doing?

Not good. Prince Medion still looks down, and now Sir Campbell does, too.

The two are like brothers. No one understands the prince better than Campbell.

Well, by the way those two look, it appears that I won't be able to enjoy the sights of Saraband now.

You should feel lucky to be in this floating city to begin with, and not in Balsamo with most of the other Imperial armies.

Quick remind, Balsamo is the other town in chapter 1, where Synbios first ran into the four high priests. Knowing what we do now, it seems that Bulzome was involved with the Imperial army from the start, and deeply at that.

Yes, the only reason we are here is because Prince Medion's father, his majesty the emperor, allowed us to participate in this expedition. But this puts Prince Medion in a difficult position. If we are seen wandering around the city doing nothing, it'll give the other princes' armies an excuse to speak ill of us.

Speaking of which, I don't like the other princes. Just because Medion's mother is not of the aristocracy, his brothers treat him coldly. It's not fair.

Not only his brothers, but the other generals treat him and his mother the same way. There's not much we can do about it. Unfortunately, it's difficult to change opinions.

Medion is a splendid prince... If they didn't want him to participate in this peace conference, why are we even here?

Since the armies of Prince Arrawnt and Prince Mageron are guarding the Imperial district, The Medion army has nothing to do. It's a shame we are not needed.

Yes, it is a shame. But this gives us a chance to keep our eyes on the Republican soldiers.

I can't remember where in the game this is made explicit, but it's explained that Republican commanders are selected by merit whereas Imperial commanders are selected by heritage. Thus, the only reason Medion is a general is because daddy is the emperor, yet everyone refuses to pay him any respect because he's not pure nobility.



It smells like gunpowder! A strong odor of gunpowder!!

That's funny. Why would there be gunpowder at the storage docks?



WHO'S THERE?!?! Who are you?

Walking around in broad daylight wearing a weird mask? That is suspicious indeed.

Masked monks?? Now where have I heard that before?



You have to love the pose on this guy. For all the things I dislike about it, scenario 2 added a bunch of small touches like this.

Are you one of those Republicans? I don’t know what you are up to, but we will not allow your devious plan! Prince Medion! Sir Campbell! To arms, we are being attacked!

Have we been ambushed by Republican spies?

Oh, so you are Prince Medion's army? No need to give you pity then. You are better dead than alive anyway.



Guy brought the entire gang.

Campbell, what do you think of our odds?

I thought it was funny enough to wear such strange masks. Now his boasting is even more laughable. Prince Medion, they don't stand a chance.

Use the boxes to split the enemy, and we will defeat them easily.

So, rather than bore us to death with a ton of exposition we already know, scenario 2 is kind enough to throw us into a fight fairly quickly.





Much more interesting first fight, too. Varied terrain, army split off into two parts, several barrels to break and items to find, and we get to see bats a fight earlier. The enemies have identical stats to their scenario 1 counterparts, down to the talky monk having two extra points in ATT.






The stats for our starting party is very similar too. Medion has an extra 1 ATT and 2 AGI, but that is entirely thanks to his weapon. The other three characters are completely identical to their counterparts: Dantares -> Campbell, Syntesis -> Masqurin, Grace → Uryudo.



There's also a priest hanging out and he has stats. Only reason he's there is for us to have a point to warp to in case we cast Egress for some reason.



Syntesis starts us off by casting Blaze 1 on a bat. Blasts it in a single hit once again, but we're rocking a new casting animation now! It looks a bit more impressive.



Bats are still capable of poison.



Uryudo responds by saving Syntesis' life. Sadly, the animation for his cast is mostly the same.




There's a few things to find lying around the docks. This is stuff we can't grab after the fight, so be sure to break all the barrels while you can!



Campbell's model has quite a bit more detail to it than Dantares' did. This is generally true across all characters.



I keep Medion penned up in here while a bat bites his face so we have enough time to break all the barrels.



Trying to farm up support between Syntesis and Uryudo this early is a pain in the rear end. If Syntesis casts Blaze, she instantly kills the bat. If she and Uryudo trade hits, it takes a long time and puts Syntesis at risk of death.



Also, while this monk has higher attack, he's so high up that you can't actually hit him. If you kill everyone on the map except him, the fight ends. Hence, the stalling while I grab all the items.



As silly as it seems to stall the fight just so I can break barrels for 5 experience a pop, this is the real reason I was delaying things. Naturally, I'm going to store it away until the final fight of the game.



And Medion finishes off the bat that was harassing him so much.




The monk teleports past us.

drat! He got away!

That monk's timely appearance surely has something to do with the peace conference. He may have been planning to disrupt it. We must chase after him and find out!

Chase him? Ahead, the road leads into Saraband. Which way should we look, Sir Campbell?

Syntesis and Uryudo, you two can search the south section by headquarters. We shall search the rest of Saraband's west district.

NEXT TIME: Explosions! Plot! Characters we wish we were still using!

AsInCoolAsA
Feb 25, 2011
In all honesty I prefer scenario 2 to scenario 1 much more. Medion is kind of a pushover personality wise but during battles he is an absolute tank, mostly because rapiers are awesome. Plus his magic is stronger.

Also I can't wait for this to continue.

Here's hoping you man up and use Penko

inthesto
May 12, 2010

Pro is an amazing name!
[CLASSIFIED] Report: Index A


Imperial prince with a weak sense of privilege. During recent events led by the peace conference failure, many allies rallied to become the Medion army.
Strengths: Strong fighter on all counts, capable with fire, lightning, and light magic
Weaknesses: The army retreats when he is defeated, shows signs of being impressionable and easily manipulated
Spells: Egress, Spark
Support: ATT Up
Notes & Advice: With the best Imperial training available, Prince Medion is a strong fighter. He prefers the agility of rapiers to other types of swords. I suspect he may be a match for General Synbios. However, his sheltered upbringing means he is fairly naďve, and therefore I recommend indirect forms of engagement.


Elite knight charged with educating and protecting Prince Medion. Engaged in a rivalry with the Republican knight Dantares.
Strengths: Excellent skills on both offense and defense, maintains the high mobility of a knight
Weaknesses: Hooves have trouble navigating difficult terrain
Support: Enemy Crtitical Down
Notes & Advice: Lives up to every word of his reputation and may be the most powerful asset to Medion's army. Could very well be Sir Dantares' equal in combat. His devotion to Prince Medion makes him a serious threat to anyone who opposes the prince.


Free speaking elfin wizard. Allied with Medion after he saved her from a tangle. Bright and optimistic, she makes a good pair with the cleric Uryudo.
Strengths: Powerful fire and lightning magic, also proficient in dark magic
Weaknesses: Weak physical fighter, easily overwhelmed in melee combat
Spells: Blaze, Spark, Soul Steal
Support: Magic Up
Notes & Advice: Appears to have very similar magical training to Masqurin. They share similar combat profiles in being able to deal extreme amount of damage through magic, but lack physical ability. Also trained in dark magic, which raises her offensive threat level. Recommendation is to break through the inevitable defensive wall formed around her and neutralize as quickly as possible.


Kind and good natured hobbit cleric. He and his childhood friend Syntesis joined the Imperial army so they could follow Prince Medion.
Strengths: Strong affinity with light magic, dedicated healer for the Medion Army
Weaknesses: Poor affinity with other elements, weak physical fighter
Spells: Heal, Antidote, Aura
Support: Magic Defense Up
Notes & Advice: Cleric attached to Medion's army, thus spends most of his time supporting and healing. Carries marginal fighting power on his own, and does not share Grace's capabilities for offensive magic. Also seems to carry strong disdain for fighting than Grace. Recommended as a high priority target in a fight.

inthesto
May 12, 2010

Pro is an amazing name!

AsInCoolAsA posted:

In all honesty I prefer scenario 2 to scenario 1 much more. Medion is kind of a pushover personality wise but during battles he is an absolute tank, mostly because rapiers are awesome. Plus his magic is stronger.

Also I can't wait for this to continue.

Here's hoping you man up and use Penko

My grievances with scenario 2 extend to character mechanics too. Beyond the fact that your core hero-knight-mage-cleric-archer-warrior team is almost identical to their scenario 1 counterparts, you get too many characters of a single type and a number of hybrid characters who are just Not Good At Anything. Combined with the general increase in difficulty in map design, there's far too many points in the game where I think to myself "Man, I wish I could be using Synbios right now."

Ardeem
Sep 16, 2010

There is no problem that cannot be solved through sufficient application of lasers and friendship.
Look at it this way, you spend half a game with David sitting on the bench and then in the next game you've got Spiriel driving your enemies before her.

My biggest problem with Medion's army is that he's only got one healer for most of the game. Well, and that idiot, but since you arn't trying for a perfect run it doesn't matter if you just let him die a few times.

vibratingsheep
Nov 2, 2013

Fudou, Gunzou. The Face of the Franchise Killer. 2004.

inthesto posted:

My grievances with scenario 2 extend to character mechanics too. Beyond the fact that your core hero-knight-mage-cleric-archer-warrior team is almost identical to their scenario 1 counterparts, you get too many characters of a single type and a number of hybrid characters who are just Not Good At Anything. Combined with the general increase in difficulty in map design, there's far too many points in the game where I think to myself "Man, I wish I could be using Synbios right now."

I remember myself quitting Scenario 2 on multiple occasions due to 1) low comprehension of formal Japanese at the time and 2) "seriously, screw this game" syndrome. So, bravo for sticking this one out.

AsInCoolAsA
Feb 25, 2011

inthesto posted:

My grievances with scenario 2 extend to character mechanics too. Beyond the fact that your core hero-knight-mage-cleric-archer-warrior team is almost identical to their scenario 1 counterparts, you get too many characters of a single type and a number of hybrid characters who are just Not Good At Anything. Combined with the general increase in difficulty in map design, there's far too many points in the game where I think to myself "Man, I wish I could be using Synbios right now."

The thing that sucks, is if scenario 2 was first then those feeling would be about scenario 1. I mean Frank is a crappy Irene or Khan. Ratchet is a mixture of either two warriors or two archers. There is a lot of overlap. It does suck though that you get used to the mindset of "I'm so strong and can kill everything with ease" and get shoved back into the stone age.

There are some hard maps though. Treetops I'm looking at you.

Kinu Nishimura
Apr 24, 2008

SICK LOOT!
Having a game kick you all the way back to level 1 after a hard-fought adventure can be draining (I'm looking at you Eternal Poison,) but hopefully we'll eventually get someone as ballin' as Hayward to carry the day.

We're not going to get someone as ballin' as Hayward are we.

Losem
Jun 17, 2003
Slightly Angry Sheep
If I remember right the basic (mage, priest, knight, ect) are pretty comparable.If by some chance the first archer, can't remember who it is, isn't then there are plenty of other archers in this scenario. I want to say you get more then in shining force 2.

KataraniSword
Apr 22, 2008

but at least I don't have
a MLP or MSPA avatar.
I am my own man.

Losem posted:

If I remember right the basic (mage, priest, knight, ect) are pretty comparable.If by some chance the first archer, can't remember who it is, isn't then there are plenty of other archers in this scenario. I want to say you get more then in shining force 2.

That's... not entirely a reassuring thing; May was pretty much the only archer worth using in either of the first two games, and she only got to that point if you got her promoted.

Archers are kind of... universally bad in Shining Force, though admittedly not as awful as they are in Fire Emblem games.

Khisanth Magus
Mar 31, 2011

Vae Victus
Well, while I'm not sure any of the archers in this game quite reach the prominence of Hayward, the archers who are not bow knights in this scenario are still pretty decent. Bow knights seem pretty universally bad in sf3 in my experience though.

Plus, the +critical chance support all archers provide is pretty awesome, since we saw how ridiculous critical hits get in this game.

Khisanth Magus fucked around with this message at 15:47 on Apr 29, 2014

Nephrite
Aug 18, 2006
Lipstick Apathy
I am pretty sure the archer you get in this game (who is technically a secret) is better than Hayward just because he gets slightly different access to some longer-range bows.

I think.

Bloodly
Nov 3, 2008

Not as strong as you'd expect.

quote:

Here's hoping you man up and use Penko

Penko is more usable than Penn simply because she gets to change her beak for a Mythril beak if and when she gets promoted, and Penn does not. Not that Penn was especially foul, given his defence, AGL and HP were at Synbios levels even with several empty levels.

inthesto
May 12, 2010

Pro is an amazing name!

KataraniSword posted:

That's... not entirely a reassuring thing; May was pretty much the only archer worth using in either of the first two games, and she only got to that point if you got her promoted.

Archers are kind of... universally bad in Shining Force, though admittedly not as awful as they are in Fire Emblem games.

Nobody's going to be as good as Hayward, but also nobody is going to be nearly as bad as Hans or Elric. The real issue is getting so many archer class characters in a single scenario when your character choice is overall much smaller. Shining Force 3 only gives you 20 characters per scenario (minus a few due to exclusive choices and Julian) whereas previous games tend to give you 30.

inthesto
May 12, 2010

Pro is an amazing name!
Part 40: Intersecting narratives



When we start off, Syntesis and Uryudo haven't officially joined us, but that will change by the next fight. Also, we use one of the antidotes to fix Medion's poison.



Hmm, this looks a little familiar.

It appears there is some commotion ahead.

What's going on?

Hey, I don't like your tone! Are you challenging us?

Challenging? It looks like some Republicans are in the wrong area... Imperial soldiers are picking on them, or so it seems.

You actually think you're worthy enough to fight us?

I recognize that voice!

Who could it be, Sir Campbell?

Remember the border disputes with the Republic I talked about? The Imperial army was brought to the brink of annihilation by a single Republican knight. That knight was Dantares.

We managed to stop him, but the battle was costly. If that's Dantares over there, those Imperial soldiers are in great danger!

OFID Counter: 13

One of the amusing things about scenario 2 is that there is quite a bit of dialogue that's nothing more than people being scared shitless of Dantares.

There's only one way to find out. Prepare to learn how hard it is to win a battle when you've lost an arm or two.



Dantares: You must be Sir Campbell of the Empire and... I believe you are the emperor's son, Prince...

Yes, I am Medion.

That gentleman over there is Sir Dantares. Some say he is even stronger than I.



:hist101: Boy, did we choose the wrong guy to pick a fight with...

I won't try to stop you, but if I were you, I wouldn't fight him. So, what will you do? Well, it seems you have been quite rude to these people. I wonder if they will forgive you.



Once again, the Imperial soldiers all salute to Campbell but ignore Medion before running off. This scene is completely identical to the one in Synbios' intro, but we get to see Synbios' lines instead of Medion's. For scenario 1, I wrote new lines for Synbios myself since I didn't have a script handy, but I've left the original in this time. Frankly, he doesn't have much of a voice and is roughly as boring as Medion was in scenario 1. On the other hand, I'm simply copying Medion's original lines so I don't have to make up my own.



Don't mention it. I simply spared a few Imperial soldiers' lives...

It's embarrassing to have created this commotion in the presence of Prince Medion and Sir Campbell. Please forgive us.

It is we, the Imperial army, who should apologize to you for acting so rudely.

It's wonderful that Prince Medion and the great knight Sir Campbell of the Empire are so understanding. I thank you.

If we keep going on like this with the formalities, we'll be here all day.

I saw you fight in the battle at the border a while back, Sir Dantares. I don't look forward to facing you on the battlefield anytime soon.

I was about to say the same thing, Sir Campbell. Your reputation in battle precedes you.

Is the person next to you, by any chance, Lord Synbios? The son of Lord Conrad, the great general?

Yes, I am Synbios of Flagard. I'm pleased to see my father is still held in such high regard in the Empire, even if it is glory from the past.

Your father is still considered a hero in the Empire. So, you are his son.

It can't just be a coincidence we have met here like this.

Coincidence, possibly... To tell you the truth, we're investigating some masked monks.

Masked monks?

How could Saraband be under attack? Could this be an attempt to disrupt the peace conference?

I see now. those explosives were for this occasion.

Well, that much is obvious. However, for what reason?

We don't know what these monks are after yet, but for the moment we should return to our respective camps and assess the damage.

Lord Synbios, we must head back. The timing is unfortunate as I think we have much in common. Let us be sure to talk again.

Yes, we should return to our headquarters as well. It is unfortunate that we are being interrupted like this, Prince Medion. We must certainly talk again. It truly was an honour to meet you.



Synbios and company run off.

Though the purpose of this attack is perplexing, we must investigate later. We should return to the Imperial headquarters for the time being.

And now we book it back to the Imperial barracks. Guess what parallel scene from scenario 1 is coming up!





:hist101: Don't forget to thank your brothers for their kindness.

Yep, Medion gets no respect at all.



They are probably still looking for that heretic monk.

I know those two too well. They will stick their noses where they don't belong. I'm sure of it.

You never know. They could be hiding somewhere until calm has been restored.

I am not comfortable with the social formalities either. However, we must try to make the best of it. Please enter, Princes Medion.

The scene cuts to the aforementioned rascals at this point.



The masked monks must have used that gunpowder to cause the explosions.

If they did cause all this commotion, what could their purpose have been?

I'm not quite sure, but if they wanted to kill us just because we saw the gunpowder, it's got to be something really, really important.

We got separated from Prince Medion. Where should we go now?

This is the direction Prince Medion went, and we didn't see them on our way here.

Then where do you suppose...?

They must have gone into the Imperial headquarters. I can't think of anywhere else.

That's where those annoying princes are staying, so we haven't searched inside yet. If you think that's the only possibility, I guess we'll have to.




A bit of emoting, something that's also mostly new to scenario 2.

No way! We don't know if the prince is inside. If we intrude without good reason, it will bring more shame upon Prince Medion. Considering the consequences, I don't think we should go in.

I agree. They give us an attitude even when Medion is around. If we go in alone, they will throw us out for sure. I know! Why don't we go back to our headquarters? Campbell will surely come back to look for us. We'll just wait for him there!

Syntesis, that's brilliant! Let's go back and wait until the commotion quiets down.

Hey, that hurt! Don't stop all of a sudden! What did you do that for, Uryudo?

Syntesis, take a look! Someone is there!



Aren't you a bit late? Was there a problem?



Welp.



Syntesis seems to agree with my assessment.

What the... Is that going to affect the plan?

I knew it wouldn't be easy to get past Benetram. We went around the headquarters, and retreated to the loading dock in west Saraband.

But now, won't you have to leave by the docking pier? That doesn't sound good. With all the guards there, sneaking out of Saraband without being seen will be quite difficult.

Heh. Things might have gotten a little off track, but that won't be a problem. I will settle it by force.

I won't try to stop you then. I will explain to the governor beforehand.




What are they talking about? Benetram, the Republican king, Garvin, the governor of Saraband... Are they all involved in a plot?

I don't understand what I just heard either. Syntesis, you've got more wits than I do. If you didn't get it, how would I?

Uryudo, we should follow them.

Follow them? Which one?

The suspicious man that arrived later, of course!

Even if we wanted to go after him, he's already gone.

Well, let's go now! We'll catch up with him!

Great... that Syntesis... Once she makes up her mind, she is determined...



What do you think about his words, my brother Mageron?





So, General Garzel and General Franz, are you trying to say Prince Medion and the two of us are lying?

They tried to kill us to conceal their plan and to turn fact into rumour.

Since you say so, Campbell, do show us some evidence.

Some kind of magic caused their bodies to vanish after we had killed them.

Even if the bodies of the defeated monks have vanished, there must be some other evidence.

There is probably nothing left after such a big explosion.

We are getting nowhere without anything to support this pagan monk treachery.

This is urgent! The emperor!



Just look at all these familiar faces. :allears:

Let's review what we know from scenario 1 to shed a little light on what's about to happen. The Imperial army is, behind the scenes, split into two factions: Those allied with Bulzome and those who aren't. We know from the final fight of Synbios' scenario that Arrawnt most likely orchestrated this whole thing and is definitely on the Bulzome side. We also just learned that Crewart is with them too, so it's no surprise that he's the one reporting that not-Benetram abducted Domaric. Furthermore, we can be almost certain that Spiriel and Franz are not in on it – the former because she had to be mind controlled by Basanda and the latter because he had no idea what was going on with Spiriel. The wildcards are Mageron and Garzel, though all signs point to them being in the dark on Bulzome too. Mageron primarily because this whole plot is for Arrawnt to murder him, and Garzel because his sub-plot doesn't really tie into anything.



Aren't you one of father's... the emperor's guards who accompanied him to the peace conference?

Why do you look like this? What happened to you?

:hist101: Be... Benetram...

What? What about Benetram?

The emperor... Don't tell me...

:hist101: King Benetram has abducted the emperor. The Imperial guards were all killed.

And you are the only survivor?

:hist101: It's... a shame we couldn't do anything, but those mas...

Enough! Now take him upstairs and take good care of him.

What is the meaning of this? General Crewart!

The meaning of what? What are you talking about, General Franz?

Why didn't you let him finish his words? It looked as if he was going to tell us something important!

Have you ever heard of something called respect for human life?

Well, well. Did you just say, respect for human life? That's the last thing I would expect to hear from you!



Now we know the Republicans abducted the emperor! We should take action!

That... that's right, Arrawnt.

Things are not at all like Prince Medion's predictions. The Republicans are definitely to blame.

So it is the Republicans' plot after all, and Benetram is behind everything.

If they did this to take Barrand, they must have stationed their armies on the plains outside Saraband! Send the army to the plain outside Saraband!

Those cowardly Republicans... Abducting our emperor...



I like the fact that, out of all the Imperial generals, Spiriel is the most hot-headed and violent.

Please wait. General Spiriel, I think you should stay and guard Prince Mageron. Please allow me to deal with General Edmund and General Varlant. Our opponents are powerful generals accompanying their king to this conference. I reinforced my troops for this occasion. It's very likely they have done the same.

Why you.... General Franz!! Are you trying to say that my army can't defeat them?!

Don't be irritated, Spiriel. Franz just doesn't want to put his fiancee in danger.

Oh, that's right. Franz and Spiriel are engaged. Remember how and why Franz dies? :smith:

That... That has nothing to do with this!!

My army will also take action, representing Prince Arrawnt. I hope you understand how much I wish to battle the Edmund army.

This line is slightly suspicious, as it implies that Edmund and Garzel have been conspiring together before the game started. Whether this means Garzel knew of the abduction in advance or if he just capitalized on an opportunity is still in the air.

Very well. The sooner you take action the better.



You will only become our burden, Campbell!

Ha. The Medion army doesn't have any battle experience. I really wouldn't expect them to help in actual combat.

Our Imperial army is invincible. I will not send Medion's hastily built army to the front line.

I have an idea. If Medion's soldiers need experience, why not assign them to General Garzel?

Just look at the rampant disrespect going on here. Medion volunteers his army and all the other commanders do is try to strip away his subordinates and reassign them.



Fiderit! Whose side are you on?! I agree with Crewart. Garzel has triumphed in so many battles. I believe he could make the most of Medion's inexperienced soldiers. Take them to Balsamo now, Garzel!

General Garzel, the battle with General Edmund would be an excellent match. But bear in mind that Railhead is one of the Empire's critical military positions. Now that General Produn of the Republic is stationed there, I would strike as soon as possible if I were you.

I see. I'll head for Railhead as soon as I am done with Edmund.

You may go as well, Franz.

At this point, the screen darkens for a bit and returns, to show us that time has passed. Presumably, this is during the third fight of scenario 1, when Synbios and Benetram are slugging their way to Balsamo.

Now that the Imperial force is on the move, victory awaits!

I am concerned about Franz. If he is prepared, he shouldn't have any problem. I just wish we could get more updates from the battlefield.

The Republicans will learn their lesson for good. They conflict with our Empire all the time. Now they will pay dearly!

This peace conference was for the restoration of Barrand, which was originally Imperial territory! What nonsense it is to ask us to give it back.

If we are not willing to give it back in the first place, what's the point of coming to this peace conference?

It was Governor Garvin's proposal. We didn't want to disgrace him.



Hello odd looking fellow we're not going to see again until next scenario.

I agree, Bresby. They might escape if we are naive and wait.




Suddenly, ninjas.



Unsurprisingly, Crewart is in on this private conversation too.

Prince Arrawnt seems to enjoy his private conversations... Don't you agree, Prince Mageron?

That's the kind of person Arrawnt is. I have had to be be wary of him all the time, going back to his childhood.

No, no. I don't mean to be secretive, my brother. Yasha, you may tell everyone what you just told me.

Because he's definitely going to tell the truth.

The Garzel army headed northwest and have engaged the Edmund army. In the meantime, Franz's army is battling the unified armies of Tybalt and Varlant. They are clever and separated into two forces, heading northeast and northwest. Benetram is not with any of these armies. He seems to have escaped via the docking pier already, with the Synbios army.

In other words, Yasha, The emperor's location is uncertain...

Where is the Synbios army currently? Where are they heading?

Not sure about them.

;theyash; They defeated the Saraband docking pier battalion. Looks like Saraband horsemen have been sent. We might get additional information from them.

Are you telling me we can do nothing but wait until then?

What are you going to do, my brother?

What else? I'm going to search for the Synbios army!

But Prince Mageron! Our men and theirs are in a battle out there. It's dangerous to intrude. We could attack our own by mistake.

Except the Imperials and Republicans have very neatly color-coded uniforms. I like to think that this is a genuine slip-up by Crewart, and he really meant the Bulzome monks when he should have just kept his mouth shut.

We are the princes of the Empire, and there's responsibility tied to this title. If we expose ourselves in battle, we give the Republicans the opportunity of their dreams. When it comes to battle, we should trust the generals. If they need reinforcements, Fiderit can deploy as well. Since you are close to the emperor, you should be able to utilize his Imperial guards. Tell them it's an emergency, and that I order them to search for the Synbios army.

I shall search from the sea.

It's not my style, but if I am not going into battle against the Republic army, at least I can search for the emperor.



Her spirit makes her very trustworthy as a general. I'm afraid that Franz is going to have a hard time with her in the future.

They don't have a future, you jerk. :smith:

It might be disrespectful to General Franz, but that is such a waste of a fine lady.

What does she see in him? Why General Franz? If only I had met her sooner...

Crewart and Arrawnt waste no time in becoming creeps. Now that I think about it, considering that they're the two allied with Bulzome and Basanda used mind control on Spiriel in order to get her on their side, there could be something more sinister underlying that. The game never touches on it, however.

Now I see. Both of you... I didn't know you felt that way about Spiriel.



Crewart blushing. That's rich.

Medion, if you want to be useful, search for defeated Republican soldiers remaining around here. Destroy them before they become bandits.

Those two sure left in a hurry... Campbell, do you still intend to serve under Medion? If you would prefer to serve under me, I can make you a general in no time. How about it?

I am very grateful for your offer, Prince Mageron. But like Prince Medion's mother, Madam Melinda, I was born in the lower class.

So that's the reason. You wish to stay with those who are in the lower class. Very well. You may take care of the Republican remnants with Medion.



It was very brave of you to say that, Campbell. The emperor put you at Prince Medion's side because of your bravery. Heh heh, there IS someone who can relate to Medion, besides General Rogan.

What is the reason for your presence and General Rogan's absence? This would have been much easier with both of you...

I am currently serving Prince Arrawnt because it is the emperor's order. The emperor controls everything. General Rogan is guarding Barrand and couldn't make it. If he were here, Prince Medion wouldn't have to put up with all this embarrassment. But please consider these challenges an opportunity to learn and grow. The emperor summoned all three princes here for the conference and had expectations for each one of you.



Please go now, Prince Medion. I wish you the best of luck.

And there we have it, the character building scenes of the Republic and the Empire. The differences between Synbios and Medion are pretty drat stark.

Synbios, living in a society that theoretically doesn't have a caste system, is instantly treated with the respect of an equal by his much older and more experienced peers. They immediately trust him to the point where they assign him with the task of guarding the king's life, which is no small task. Medion, on the other hand, nearly gets stuck with a functional demotion by being reassigned to a man of lesser nobility. Nobody takes what he says seriously (compared to Synbios, where everyone immediately believed him once there was a bit of corroborating evidence), and his presence is only barely tolerated because of his father. In the end, his assignment is “Eh, keep yourself busy and stay out of the way.”





Time to scavenge around for some items. Most of Saraband is stripped dry thanks to Synbios, but there's still a few useful items that can't be access in scenario 1.



Money's on either Fiale or Yasha, but it's never confirmed who does it.



Remember that guy, the boss of chapter 2 for Synbios? Guess there's a lot more collusion going on behind the scenes than we knew about.



:catholic: My job is to provide Governor Garvin with priests to accompany him into battle. If you need help from an ordinary priest, you will need to go to the church.

Well that seems a bit corrupt. What does a governor need his own personal army for, anyway?




This laundry-obsessed fellow still isn't joining us just yet.



Just as we're about exit Saraband to find Republican remnants.



Why are you... Shouldn't you be with the Garzel army?

What makes you think we would be with the Garzel army?

Could it be... you gave us to the Garzel army? That's so very e-e-evil!

No, Syntesis and Uryudo. The other princes took you from the Medion army.

I had little choice in the matter. They simply took you and reassigned you to Garzel's command.

That's... They've gone too far! Prince Medion may be on his first campaign, but it's not right to let Garzel take his soldiers!

I agree, but you are still here. Elbesem hasn't deserted us.

Oh, we also have to inform you of something very strange. Syntesis and I saw General Crewart talking secretly with some sort of priest. We tried to overhear their conversation but couldn't get close enough.

That's why we didn't join Garzel. Looks like we should thank them.

Conversation? Crewart?

Could you please give us all the details?

They were talking in the alley beside the governor's mansion, which is temporarily closed. Then Crewart took some kind of secret passage into the governor's mansion.

The priest went into the alley. We tried to follow him, but he just disappeared. I don't know how we lost him.

Crewart... That old crafty...

If we had heard this earlier, we could have asked him about it. Hmm, that's too bad.

Crewart is sly and cunning. You wouldn't have gotten any evidence even if you had asked him on the spot. But we'll get to the bottom of this.



And now we finally have our core crew officially in the party.

With Syntesis and Uryudo, I believe we meet the minimum requirements of an army, and are ready for battle now.

Let's go, Prince Medion. The other princes underestimate our ability. Let's show them what we can do.



What, were you expecting anything else?

NEXT TIME: Imperial treachery!

inthesto fucked around with this message at 22:56 on Apr 29, 2014

Ardeem
Sep 16, 2010

There is no problem that cannot be solved through sufficient application of lasers and friendship.
You've got some ;theyasha; and a ;thesynt: tags to fix.

Also, I keep repressing the memory that Spiriel is engaged to a centaur, maybe it's for the best that that didn't work out. :stonk:

Bloodly
Nov 3, 2008

Not as strong as you'd expect.

quote:

Well that seems a bit corrupt. What does a governor need his own personal army for, anyway?

As a mobile city-state, Saraband needs to manage it's own protection. The title is 'Governor-General' for a reason. Though I'm more surprised he's leading from the front.

Hoss Corncave
Feb 13, 2012

Ardeem posted:

Well, and that idiot

There are two battles with him that really angered me because I nearly lost my perfect run in one and it extended the other one by far longer because he wouldn't move. Bastard.

Mordecai
May 18, 2003

Known throughout the world! Chop people's head off to the ground! Angry eyes that frighten people! Dragon among humans, king of dragons... Manchurian Derp Deity, Ha Che'er.
Very interesting update. Who's this guy again?

Shadow Ninja 64
May 21, 2007

"I stood there, wondering why the puck was getting bigger...

and then it hit me."


He's the Medion team's advisor, and I believe his name is Grantack.

vibratingsheep
Nov 2, 2013

Fudou, Gunzou. The Face of the Franchise Killer. 2004.

Mordecai posted:

Very interesting update. Who's this guy again?

He's the Palsis equivalent for Medion, Grantack.

He may be the smartest guy in the scenario, pretty much by default.

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inthesto
May 12, 2010

Pro is an amazing name!
Unlike Benetram/Dantares/Palsis who are pretty drat integral to the plot, Grantack is just kind of... there to comment on things and make sure our usual gaggle of idiots doesn't walk off a cliff. I'll make a note to explicitly point out who he is in the next update, but I'm not exactly surprised that I glossed over his identity.

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