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Mindblast
Jun 28, 2006

Moving at the speed of death.


Mmm getting personal info is enticing. How'd you get Sou so far to give you 50 token tho.

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MarquiseMindfang
Jan 6, 2013

vriska (vriska)
Keiji's a good lad, we should trade with him. Alice basically already gave us the secret anyway, we can go ask the receptionist doll about the secret menu.

mycelia
Apr 28, 2013

POWERFUL FUNGAL LORD



Talk to Alice. Not that Keiji isn't a good lad, but after that little tidbit at the end of the last chapter, I want to know more about our criminal friend.

Mraagvpeine
Nov 4, 2014

I won this avatar on a technicality this thick.
If anyone is reading the manga, how much of the game has it adapted? And how does it compare as an adaptation?

Gosts
Jan 15, 2016


Mraagvpeine posted:

If anyone is reading the manga, how much of the game has it adapted? And how does it compare as an adaptation?

It's... Interesting. I started reading it.

I'll spoiler this in case people want to read the manga themselves. But this doesn't spoil anything we haven't seen in the game.

They show joe's execution on the front cover, explicitly. Repeatedly. So everybody will know exactly where and when he dies going into it I guess?? Kind of ruins the suspense of who will die. But you won't know kai is going to die, and they also do a good job showing a cut-away of everybody's face, so you might assume the professor will live to the end of the first trial.

The pacing seems a bit weird compared to the game bu then again, it's reading versus game. There's a bit of backstory before where the game starts, which I think helps establish things quite well, but which would have been very boring to play, so I think that's good.

They made an interesting decision: The first trial room has a window to look at another first trial room, and Sara and Joe get to see Kanna's sister get crushed. They also changed the puzzle quite a bit, but they made it quite exciting to read!

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
Given the attention to detail in this game, I'm surprised they didn't have portraits for Sou without his beanie. He doesn't have it on as is proper in the picture.

D3m3
Feb 28, 2013

Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near?
Really, who has time for tokens, when we have talking about estranged siblings to do? Talk to Alice

HydroSphere
Feb 11, 2014





Music stops.

“Mwahaha... Very good.”

“So... what about Reko?”



“...Right. You see, I tried asking that mustachioed man at the Prize Exchange if there were items not present on the counter. And he answered readily. That there is a secret menu.



“...There is... A treasure. And it appears 20 of Reko's Me-Tokens are required to purchase it.”

“A treasure...! Could that be...”

“H... Have you an idea about it, Sara Chidouin?!”



“Bongos...?!”

“Sara Chidouin... That is inconceivable!”

“Huh...? Why do you think so?”

Music stops.

“..........”

“Do you know... the name of Reko's band?”



(Hmm...)

It's not like I would know. Even so, when I tried to remember, I felt something in the corner of my mind.





“Ugh...”

“What is it...?”

“It was... SkullNutz... or something like that.”

“...”

“...Wrong.”

"Huh? But I thought it was..."

“That's her current band. Reko used to be in a different one.”







“Masterful of even the most tempestuous of scores, banging out the tunes like a many-armed goddess...”



“The man who balances out novice technique with overwhelmingly demonic presentation...”



“The once-in-a-century talent, a mass of charisma commanding an angelic voice and a hellish growl...”



“And the guardian deity of drums who protects the band's backs...”



Music stops.

“...Eh? Wha?! You were part of the band too, Alice?!”

“...Indeed. Though I can't play at all, so I just tried to blend in...”

“You can't play... but you joined a band...?!”

“...It was to round out the numbers. I also did things on the management side.”

“..........”

“I told you before, didn't I?"

"That Reko has changed now... She wasn't always someone who could get along harmoniously with people...”





“Such that she wouldn't even approach someone meant to round out the numbers.”

“I would always clean up the messes. Search for replacement members and such.”

“Someday she'd be grateful to me. So I believed... and endeavored as an average older brother.”

“It was in those times... that I gave her some bongos.”

“Bongos...!”

“Haha... It was merely a joke gift.”

“As expected, she was indifferent. Her cold eyes stirred with no emotion...”

“But it was then that I realized.”

“Those cold eyes were the very same ones Reko had whenever she looked at me.”




“...”

Music stops.

“Why not try purchasing it?”

“W... What?!”

“If the treasure for sale is bongos... They might be the bongos you gifted her, Alice.”

“...!!”

“Just collect 20 of Reko's tokens.”

“I can't do it...! I-I can't speak with her!”

“Then I'll assist, too.”

“You...?!”

“Yes.”



“...!!”

“V... Very well...”

“Hmph... If you insist, I'll have your help... “



“T... Tomorrow morning?”



“Right... Understood. Once I bring them, please do give the bongos to her.”

“Urk... Sure...”

(Well... That's it for discussions.)





(Is Nao still there, I wonder...?)

The AI of Professor Mishima...

(I should go check on her...)




Talk to Nao.

Nao is talking with her gaze fixed on a single point.


“...Nao.”

“So then... Professor... While you were gone...”

It's like my voice isn't reaching her.



Music stops.

(If... If it were Joe on that screen, then...)



It doesn't matter if he's fake.




...I can't help thinking about those things.




(Calm down... There's no one there... It's just a hallucination...)




“Urgh...!!”

(What was that... Calm down... Gotta stay calm...)

(I'm sure... Nao is regretful too... Wondering if... she could have saved Mishima...)



(...I'm sorry...)



Before I left the room, I looked toward the monitor one last time.

“Is that so... It's been nothing but hardship, then...”

“However... Even amid such circumstances, you've made wonderful friends, Miss Nao.”

“F... Friends...?”

“Indeed! Age and the length of your association are of no relevance.”



“Please treasure your friends, Miss Nao.”

“...Okay...”

“I've always been... getting saved by them.”



“...”

“That's why...”



“Yes, please come by any time. I'll be right here.”

“.............”

“No...”



“...”

“Miss Nao... You truly have grown strong, haven't you? I'm honoured to have had you as my student.”




“....Sniffle...”







(Nao...)

Nao is trying to look forward. To accept everything, and face reality.



(Much... stronger than me....)

(…I should go.)



Music stops.




“Quit wit' the stupid jokes, you!!”

“The biggest joke around here's your name!”

(Q-taro and Ranger are arguing... I wonder what happened?)



Talk to Reko.

“...Exploring comes first. Might find something besides attractions...”

Talk to Q-taro.

Q-taro and Ranger are having a dispute in the middle of the lobby.




“Q-taro, what's the matter?”

“Sara...! This Ranger guy just said we can't go back to the first and second floors!”

“I mean, you cleared 'em already, right?”

“Hold on a second...! Kai's laptop is down there!”

“Who caaares. We'll just confiscate that thing!”

“No way...!”

“Dammit! It was unmistakably a clue...!”



Music stops.



“Keiji...”

“Bet Q-taro wants to find the truth about Kai.”

“About Kai...?”




  • Well, if nothing else, it seems like Kai's stalking was family sanctioned.

“I wonder if Kai was a good person after all.”

“...Some aspects suggested it. His anger for the victims, and resistance against the kidnappers...”

“Was Kai acting for good or evil?”

“Just whose side was he on...?”



“But we can make inferences.”



“Friend or foe... Let's consider the possibilities.”




“Like a director of the Death Game, for instance.”




“Incidentally, Sara... You really didn't have any acquaintance with Kai?”

“No...”

“...Huh.”

“Then how about this one?”



“And he was executed as an example...?”

“He did sock Miley, after all.”

“Hmm... It's possible he earned their wrath, but...”

“Maybe that's not it... Then here's the next possibility.”



“Though in the same situation as all of us... He did dealings or missions in the shadows.”

“Missions...? Like what?”

“You remember the First Trial everyone took, right?”

“Yes, that game where I was tied to a bed... and we had to find the key...”



“Err... Yes, for Q-taro, the trial was just... to carry the box with Miley's head... Ah...! Is that what you mean by missions?”

“Yep. In short, Kai might have also been entrusted with a different mission.”



“No way...!”

“In other words, he was being manipulated... Like a disposable pawn.”

“Gah...”

“...There's one more.”

Music stops.



“Eh...?”



“....!!!”






“Well, Sara? Think that's... out of the question?”



  • Considering the cruelty of the game, it's not such a stretch to think someone might object.

“I have no proof that could fully deny it... but...!!”

“Looks like you can't wrap your head around it.”

“There are clearly some illogical aspects, so...”




“...”

Music stops.

“Keiji.”

“...?”



“There hasn't been a past case similar to this Death Game, has there...?”

HydroSphere fucked around with this message at 22:35 on Mar 5, 2020

Jadecore
Mar 10, 2018

They say money can't buy happiness, but it sure does help.
Keiji Shinogi, god-king of popcorn moments.

Also, Alice is a good egg.

tomanton
May 22, 2006

beam me up, tomato
The art is creeping up in quality, but what's with the numbers here?:



I know it's fairly common that if a work busts out some kanji that may be new to readers they run a little bit of hiragana alongside so people can tell how to read the letters. Is there a significance? It looks like some of the numbers are partial matches to the sounds, am I imagining something that isn't there

Junpei
Oct 4, 2015

Although next time, you would be wise to heed the ancient Japanese proverb... phone first!
My (Minimal) knowledge of Goroawase (the Japanese rule of turning a long string of numbers into a phrase or vice-versa) lets me explain this.

3 = sa(n)
6 = mu
Rai is left alone.

first 8 = Ya
1 = i(chi)
second 8 = ba

Polsy
Mar 23, 2007

In Japanese Rai was rendered as 雷 (thunder) though there's no good way to translate that equivalence into English.

tomanton posted:

I know it's fairly common that if a work busts out some kanji that may be new to readers they run a little bit of hiragana alongside so people can tell how to read the letters. Is there a significance? It looks like some of the numbers are partial matches to the sounds, am I imagining something that isn't there

In this instance this is a coolness thing so you can officially name your band 36雷818 and say 'oh, it's pronounced Samurai Yaiba'

Polsy fucked around with this message at 13:55 on Mar 6, 2020

mycelia
Apr 28, 2013

POWERFUL FUNGAL LORD



Yaiba means sword, too (although I can't be sure that was the intention, it seems like the most obvious.) "Yeah my band's called Samurai Sword, you spell it 36雷818."

HydroSphere
Feb 11, 2014



“...”

It was decades ago apparently... But I've read the files.”







“Those living in the shadows had it pretty rough, so crime rings started laying waste to their own.”

“But if you're just gonna mutually destroy each other, it's better to join hands, they thought...”



“Don't tell me, that was...”

“Yes, a Death Game.”

“A mutual slaughter with rules... Scary stuff.”




“Hades Incident...”

“Shot to the top of the criminal “underworld”... Hence, the Hades Incident.”

“But ultimately, the organisation collapsed afterward.”




“.............”

“Not very, I think... Since the organisation collapsed and all.”

“Besides, Sara. You got any connections to the criminal underworld?”

“Y-You can't be...!”

“'Course not, right?”



Music stops.

“More importantly, we better get moving.”

“Ranger was mentioning that the rest of the attractions have opened up all around here.”

“Is that so...?”

“Think it'll be good to go look for 'em?”



(The attractions... I'll go look around.)






Talk to Q-taro.

“Ain't gonna let Ranger do what he pleases...!”





“Alice.”

“...I take it you have business with the attractions beyond here?”

“I thought so... Attractions appeared here?”

“What, you didn't notice? Mwahaha... so my observational skill is superior...”

“Over there, and there... and here!”



“Challenge them if you're up to it... And tell me if you seek my observational skills.”

Talk to Gin.

“Even if it's a fake-outside, it feels nice, meow!”

Talk to Nao / Alice.

“Err... there's no need to be afraid.”



“Err, yes, well... I wanted to know, um... who you've traded tokens with...”

(Alice... He's doing his best to collect Reko's tokens...! From people other than Reko!)





“Kanna.”

“H... Hey there...”

“S-Sou...!”

“I... I worried you, huh... Kanna explained it to me...”

“It's just one shock after another... I couldn't blame anyone from being paralysed.”

“Um, Sara... It looks like attractions have appeared in a few places.”

“Yeah... So I heard.”

“It looks like you can go to three more attractions from here, in fact.”

“Wha...?!”

“Look, behind you.”

(He's right! There are paths on the opposite side...!)



“I wonder... Maybe some locations opened up other than the attractions.”

“Let's search for a little longer, Kanna.”

“O-Okay...”

Music stops.



(It might be about time to continue on with clearing attractions...)

Talk to Mishima.

“Ah you are... Miss Sara, wasn't it? Nao told me about you. She said you were very brave and kind.”



“And Professor Mishima, you're a kind, cigar-loving teacher as well.”

“C-C-Cigar...? A teacher should not smoke! Don't make such strange suggestions!”

“But you really looked like you wanted to smoke...”

“My original did...? Mmmmmgh... Perhaps our personalities differ...”

(He's begun to deny his own self...)

“Professor Mishima, err... You're an artificial intelligence, right?”

“Yes, it seems so. I have a memory telling me I am an AI...”



(He was... created by the kidnappers, right? Yeah, surely... There's a lot I could ask.)

“Please, ask me anything. I will answer as much as I remember.”



“Professor Mishima, how far back do your memories go?”

“I believe I remember becoming a teacher... Miss Nao's graduation... and all the life I led...”

“Then what about your memories after being brought here, or when you were abducted?”

“...I have none. Yes, that's true. I'd actually met with you all already, hadn't I? However, if it's a memory before my abduction, I believe I have it.”

(Memories from before the abduction, huh...)

“And also... Subconsciously, I know that I am an AI, and should answer as many questions as I can. Perhaps I am just programmed that way.”



“What do you know about the kidnappers... that is, the people who made you?”

“Hmm... I know nothing... I have absolutely no memories of that sort.”

(I guess the kidnappers wouldn't leave us clues.)



“...Apologies I could not be of more use.”



“Do you know anything about the Death Game?”

“Hmm... Right. Come to think of it, I had just accepted it, but... You all are being made to play this Death Game, yes? This is... an outrageous situation.”

“If only you had some helpful information... Myself, I know nothing.”



“So, about Nao...”

“...My dear student. She came to learn art from me even after graduating high school... She has greatly matured emotionally. The more you know of her past, the more it brings tears to your eyes...”



“It appears... I have made Miss Nao suffer greatly... I must let that happen no more...”

“Miss Sara, I have a request.”

“What is it?”

“...”

“No, it's nothing. I still lack the courage to ask...”

“...?”



“So, about the original Professor Mishima...”

“In such a situation as this, I should have protected Miss Nao, yet...”

“...You became a victim in order to protect Nao.”

“Is that true...?”



“The survival instincts that kick in in desperate situations... can at times result in demonic actions. I protected Miss Nao. But even so, I do not know if it is right to commend myself...”



  • From Sara's point of view, the third option is probably the most honest, but coming out and telling the Mishima AI that won't help anyone.

“Professor Mishima... You were a fine person.”

“...I believe... I just did all I could.”

“Miss Sara, none of you can give up. Please live, and make it home.”





“Hey, Miss Sara. This attraction is 3 stars, right? This is embarrassing, but... Would you give me two of the stars?”



“Sara Chidouin, this attraction is 3 stars. Naturally, I will take 2. You won't mind, will you?”



“Hey, Sara. This attraction's 3 stars... If I give you 30 of my tokens, will you give me two of the stars?”

  • Reko has the best ability for this game and will give us enough tokens to pass onto Alice without needing to use a negotiation period. There's no reason not to take her.

“Just gotta stay put in this one, yeah? Motion and stillness... I'll show ya I'm good at both.”









  • First opponent, you just need to stay inside the lips. The lips move a bit faster in the second round.



  • Second opponent is a bit trickier, it can expand, shrink and jump around the screen.





    The first round with the final opponent is actually easier than the the second opponent. The L shape moves around the screen, but constantly stays wide enough that it's never really an issue. The second round is more challenging, as the circular target moves around a lot and can shrink quite a bit.

Music stops.




“Sorry to be selfish... But I'm taking 2 Clear Chips. To make up for it, I'll give you 30 tokens.”




(With that, this attraction is done.)





Talk to Kanna.



“Sou seems to have gotten tired and fallen asleep. I can only talk about this now while he's resting...”

“Don't tell me... Did you learn something important?”

“I... I'm sorry! It's nothing like that, I'm afraid...”

(Come to think of it, I've never gotten to talk to Kanna so calmly before... Kanna just wants to chat with someone.)

Talk to Nao / Reko.



“You see, I decided with Reko that we'd trade 20 tokens each...”

“But, y'know, gotta cross a shaky bridge together.”




“This way, we won't need to have extra trade partners in the future, see?”

(So they're daring to trade them like this instead of an equal share...)

HydroSphere fucked around with this message at 22:22 on Mar 8, 2020

PlasticAutomaton
Nov 12, 2016

Artoria Pendonut


Let's talk to Kanna. She's clearly hiding SOMETHING and wants to talk about it.

yamiaainferno
Jun 30, 2013

I think Kanna needs a friend. At the very least to keep Sou from getting his hooks into her again.

Neddy Seagoon
Oct 12, 2012

"Hi Everybody!"
Let's go Nao->Sara->Reko too. We already got some Reko tokens.

NeoRonTheNeuron
Oct 14, 2012
While it might be nice to amass 50 Reko tokens (and buy her info?), the proposed trade isn't a net positive for us, so let's just talk to Kanna.

It could be argued that Sara must give away her Me-Tokens to have a chance of seeing her profile, but I think she's better off keeping them all.

tomanton
May 22, 2006

beam me up, tomato
Thank you for the Japanese lessons everyone. I'm assuming that anyone who got to peep Sara's profile would :yikes: and turn on her

Eeepies
May 29, 2013

Bocchi-chan's... dead.
We'll have to find a new guitarist.
Definitely talk to Kanna. She clearly wants to tell you something.

HydroSphere
Feb 11, 2014




“I wanted to talk to you too, Kanna.”

“Sara...! U-Um... I'll pour some tea!”

(I've never seen Kanna so cheerful before...)

“Kanna feels like... she's been a burden for a long while now...”



“...You should reflect on it. To help yourself grow.”

“Yes... I... regret it.”

“Regret and reflection aren't the same, Kanna.”

“Sara... U-Um... Sara, you...”





“...Hmm?”

“Like a samurai... I could see you with a katana...”

“Well, I was in the kendo club in middle school.”

“Whoa, I knew it!”

“If you were a senior at Kanna' school, she'd look up to you so much!”

“You must be so popular!”

“E... Err...? I mean, I did get a love letter from a younger girl once, but...”

“Sure enough!”

Music stops.

A frivolous chat. An empty conversation that was just fun. I felt like... I'd forgotten them for too long. Those peaceful, ordinary days...

“Kanna... likes how cool you sound, Sara.”

“Haha, thanks.”



“Eh...? Did you really?”

“I mean, it was a little embarrassing, since most girls aren't quite so brusque... But... he..."

“.......... “

“No... It's nothing.”

“...Sara...”

“You're just like... my sister.”

“Huh...?”

“Your strength... and your kindness...”

“But my sister...”




“...Kanna. Are you and your sister not blood-related...?”

“...Right...”

“...See, Kanna's adopted.

“...!”





“So you had different parents, too?”

“Mom and dad were really kind....”

“Kanna... was determined to always smile, childishly thinking "I can't trouble them” ...And Kanna's sister didn't seem to like her...”








“Even then, I kept on smiling... I didn't... want to make sister out as a villain. But once day, when it became unbearable... I ran away from home.”



“I couldn't go home. I didn't want to... Thinking that to myself, I sat in the park with a bucket on my head and cried.”









Music stops.








“...That was the first time she called me “little sister”...”











“...Ever since then, my sister and I got along really well.”

“I see...”

“Without any blood relation... Kanna and her sister got along really... really well...”

“..........”

“Kanna...”



“Because she needs to tell mom and dad...!”

Music stops.

Determination... A kind of determination... much too heavy for a girl her age to bear.

"...I should be going soon. Sou might wake up, after all...”

“Thank you very much... Sara.”

(Well... That's it for discussions.)



“W-What's wrong, Gin?!”

“The two of us went and did an attraction, but I couldn't quite protect him...”

“Big sis Sara! I-I'm okay, meow! Just a scratch, woof!”

“But... you're bleeding!”

“I can lick it better, woof...”

“Would be nice to have somewhere to care for wounds...”



“Would you like to go to... the medical office?”




“W-What do you want?! Scram, woof!”



“You've got no right to be worrying over me, melon soda lady! Meow!”

“Sniff... Medical treatment for participants is just part of my job, you see...”

“Hmm, can't exactly believe you that easily. Or are you willing to take a vow, Safalin?”

“I... I vow that I will cause him no harm... I won't go back on my word.”

“...Hmm.”



“Hey, that sounds kinda cool.”

“YOU do it if you want it that much, meow!”

“I won't force it upon you, but... I definitely do think you should get treatment...”

(What to do...?)



“I can't trust Safalin.”

“Sniffle...”

“But I'll have you guide us to this medical office.”

“...Aha. If there really is a medical office, then we can handle the treatment ourselves.”

“Yes! If that's fine with you...”

“Please, follow me this way.”





“What's this place, meow?! Does it lead outside, woof?!”

“Ahh... no, everything you see as is an image projected on the glass cabinets.”

An image...?”

“Yes! Currently, we're displaying a soothing tropical scene! How do you like it?”

“Huh... You're right, it does feel nice. Feels like the AC's tuned just right for it, too.”



“Err... So can we heal Gin?”

“Ah... yes... The medical supplies are over here...”



Investigate box on table.

A first-aid kit with medical supplies.

Talk to Safalin.

Safalin is looking my way.


“Please take it easy...”

Talk to Keiji / Gin.

Keiji is tending to Gin's wound.


“It's lighter than I thought. Does it hurt, Gin?”

“It doesn't, but I wanna have big sis Sara heal it for me, meow!”

“Well now... Got me in a sore spot.”

“A wound like this should be fine just being washed in water and bandaged.”

“Ah! I have a salve that speeds up cellular repair, so if you use that as well, it will more quickly...”

“Sure that's not dangerous?”

“..........”

“Understood. Please look at this.”



“And you use it like so on the bleeding area...! See? It isn't dangerous, is it?”

“...”

“Proving it with your own body, eh... Got it.”

“Eheheh...”



Talk to Keiji / Gin again.

Gin and Keiji are talking in whispers.


“Mr. Policeman... Mr. Policeman...”

“What's up?”

“Is it okay to give big sis Sara this, meow...?”

Music stops.

“...!”



(I wonder what they're talking about...?)

“Um... Do you have something for me...?”

“Meooow?! It's nothing, woof!!”



  • Can't just let that go.

“Show me that, Gin.”

“No... I can't, woof...”

“Come on, please...”

In his hand was...





“The thing... big bro Joe had... woof.”



(The one... I gave Joe.)

I... picked it up then, woof...”





“.......... “

“Gin, you did well. Is it okay if I take this...?”

“You're... glad, meow?”

“Yeah... “



“Thank you, Gin.”



“..........”.

Music stops.

“...No helpin' it, I guess.”



“Ughh...!!”

(What was that all of a sudden...?! A hallucination... Gotta ignore it...)

“Well, we've treated Gin, so let's leave.”

“Right.”

“If you get hurt... Please come back again.”



(Grr...! Who fault does she think it is he got hurt...?!)

I roared at Safalin with my glance.

“...Eee... sorry...”

But I was taken aback by Safalin's timid manner.

(...I shouldn't lash out...)

“Let's go, you two.”

We left the medical office behind.

HydroSphere fucked around with this message at 23:59 on Mar 10, 2020

OOrochi
Jan 19, 2017

On my honor as the Dawnspear.
The dog is nice, though carrying around a physical reminder of Joe is probably not the best idea in this situation.

Also, I think it's kind of interesting that, at least a few times, Kanna actually refers to herself in first person instead of third. That might be a bit of development now that she seems to have gotten her bearing back a bit.

value-brand cereal
May 2, 2008

I can't wait for that dog to become our pyramid head. Woof!

Jefepato
Mar 11, 2009

This?! This is a glorious dance! That has been passed down! In my family for generations!
I'm sort of amazed that Kanna's bucket hat...actually is a bucket that's she's apparently wearing as a memento. Girl's got issues.

...I mean, so does everyone else here. I guess she's no worse off than Gin.

differentiating
Mar 30, 2019

I feel kind of bad for "Brat" in Kanna's flashback. He was only trying to cheer her up, and then got chewed out by Kugie despite the whole situation being her fault to begin with. But at least it sounds like it taught her sister a lesson.

Regardless, Kanna's now the third character we know who's been adopted/orphaned. Also, Tia Safalin is the second doll to be shown bleeding, after Sue Miley. I don't know if either of those things actually mean anything, but I don't know that they don't, either.

Tylana
May 5, 2011

Pillbug
So, the boy cheering Kanna up sure looked like Joe, huh?

Oddly glad you didn't put looking at the item up for a vote. Even though my instincts were screaming to just let it be.

Junpei
Oct 4, 2015

Although next time, you would be wise to heed the ancient Japanese proverb... phone first!
Red and black Joe hallucination is still scary to everyone, right? Right?

Neddy Seagoon
Oct 12, 2012

"Hi Everybody!"
So, uh, are we shooting for a Bad Route with making the Hallucinations worse? I'm guessing the cap is 100 points on that?

:stonklol:

MarquiseMindfang
Jan 6, 2013

vriska (vriska)
I can see taking the dog as one of those "take a large-ish penalty now and if you can deal with that it'll pay off really well later" things.

tomanton
May 22, 2006

beam me up, tomato

Tylana posted:

So, the boy cheering Kanna up sure looked like Joe, huh?

Oddly glad you didn't put looking at the item up for a vote. Even though my instincts were screaming to just let it be.
Computer, enhance--



:tinfoil:

placid saviour
Apr 6, 2009

Junpei posted:

Red and black Joe hallucination is still scary to everyone, right? Right?

Yup. I keep loving up and reading updates on my phone before bed. I'm glad this one didn't have the freaky-smile-hallucination one.

El Generico
Feb 3, 2009

Nobody outrules the Marquise de Cat!

Junpei posted:

Red and black Joe hallucination is still scary to everyone, right? Right?

Surprisingly effectively so. It's an impressive visual design.

HydroSphere
Feb 11, 2014



(Hmm? Reko's glancing at me to call me over... I wonder what it is...?)



Talk to Nao.

“How strange. It's even night outside these windows...”

Talk to Gin / Keiji.

“Getting that wound healed made me hungry, meow!”

“Should I ask for stuffed peppers?”

“I hate peppers, meow!!”




Talk to Kanna / Sou.

“There's wood fragments here, too. I wonder if the weapon got hit with was taken from here...”

“H-Hey... Can we rest a little?”

“...We'll hardly get any exploring done if we keep resting so much.”




Talk to Alice.

“Hmph... Sara Chidouin... What of Reko's tokens?”



“I got them for you.”

“Huh?! So fast?!”

“I fulfilled my end of the promise. Now it's your turn, Alice.”



“Then I'll hand these over first. Tell me when you're ready.”





Talk to Reko.

“Sara, can you come with me for a sec?”

“W-What is it?”

“I found a weird place. Wanted to show you before telling everyone.”

“A weird place...?”




“Told you... Weird, yeah?”

“The most suspicious part is those stairs. There's a vending machine at the top.”

(A vending machine...?)

Investigate vending machine.

A suspicious vending machine sits at the top of the stairs.


(There aren't any items displayed inside... And no prices shown, either...)

“Hm? The power's on...”



“The bill acceptor slot is plugged up... But it looks like you can put in coins.”

“Ah...”

Music stops.



“...!”

“...W-What should we do? Put in some tokens...?”



“I'll... try putting some in!”

“C-Cut it out!”

“You don't gotta take the risk. Move it.”



“...!!”

“...Nothin's happening.”

“Maybe... One token isn't enough?”

“Hrmm...”

“Seeing as there's this number above it, maybe... You have to insert... 200 tokens?”



“Maybe there's no need to worry about it...”

“Got a point... 200 is just unreasonable. No problem ignoring it, then.”



“Oh... Reko.”

“Hm?”



“Hey, thanks. Now let's move, Sara.”

“Right.”

(Maybe we can come back if we solve the mystery... Besides, it's about time I do an attraction.)






Talk to Reko.

“Seems like this floor's still got plenty of hidden areas.”





“I know, Sara! If you partner with me, I'll trade 10 Me-Tokens while we're at it!”

  • I mentioned this in a previous update; Q-taro and Sara automatically trade 10 tokens the first time she partners with him. Q-taro isn't an optimal partner for any of the attractions he can be used in - Charge Card Battle (the first attraction we did) is the best attraction for partnering with Q-taro.




“I'm gonna ride in a cart with big sis Sara, meow!”











  • The top bar shows distance to the goal., the bottom bar shows how much time is left.



Music stops.






(With that, this attraction is done.)





Talk to Reko.



“Just wanna chat. You need breaks, right?”

(A break, huh...)

Talk to Q-taro.



“Hate to be doin' what Ranger and company say, but I was thinkin' I'd gather up tokens. Howzit sound? 20 tokens ain't so many, is it?”

Talk to Gin.



“I had an idea, meow! I don't wanna trade tokens, but I thought of how to use them meaningfully!”

“Whoever plays with me gets 30 tokens, woooof!”

(So it's not a trade...)

Jadecore
Mar 10, 2018

They say money can't buy happiness, but it sure does help.
Gin clearly wants to spend time with us, and he's such a darling boy. (And for the more logical-minded, he's the most profitable, especially since we've passed the Reko tokens over to Alice now.)

Junpei
Oct 4, 2015

Although next time, you would be wise to heed the ancient Japanese proverb... phone first!
Gin is a good boy.

Sword_of_Dusk
Sep 30, 2018

Legendary Luminary
I like Gin, so let's go with him.

Smiling Knight
May 31, 2011

Binged the thread in the last two days (covid-19 free time), and something that came up in game but didn't seem to get discussed in the thread: the torn paper with the list of participants, their jobs, and the percentages.

I think that the percentages have got to be each person's odds of winning or surviving the game. That's consistent with the Professor being so low -- he is both off-putting and self-sacrificing, so no way he makes it. Same with Alice, as an obvious target for voting as a criminal. This is jives with the other names on the professor's page with low numbers being absent from the game -- as predicted by their odds, they died really early.

So, then, why do the creators of the game think that our Normal High School Girl protagonist has a 15.5% percent chance of winning, far higher than, for example, Keiji, who may not be a cop but who is a smart, physically fit adult? Obviously, the answer is that Sara is not a Normal High School Girl. My guess based on Keiji's infodump about Hades is that she is some sort of special Secret Crime Syndicate Heiress, but the game seems too grounded to pull a "skill at death games is genetic" kinda of trick.

Smiling Knight fucked around with this message at 02:13 on Mar 13, 2020

sweetguts
Apr 29, 2013

I know what I'm about.
Gin is a good boy and deserves to have some fun.

I think the reason Sara's percentage is so high is at least partly because she already had/has several allies in her corner. There was Joe, obviously, but also Kai, and Keiji, Gin and Kanna all connected with her very quickly. Seems like she might have Alice soon as well. Natural charisma could take you a long way in a voting game.

sweetguts
Apr 29, 2013

I know what I'm about.
quote is not edit whoops

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Explosions
Apr 20, 2015

Canonically she's also solving every puzzle and clearing every challenge while everyone else stands around being anime.

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