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   They call him the Conqueror  - Video: Message from the Conqueror  Look! Who are they?Music: The Conquerer’s Message   Does anyone know who that is? They call him the Conqueror. How dare he bring his troops! That big guy must be him!   There’s something so wrong about this!    She raises her helmet guard.  I am Roeas, messenger for his lordship, the Conqueror!  We hail from the eastern city of Veyriel. We’ve come for the Remnant entrusted to us by the prophecy of the God Emperor!  His Lordship promises prosperity to us all! The mark of this promise will soon become apparent to the world! The Remnants will awaken. Time will be stagnant no more.  The promised time is almost upon us. Your dreams will soon become reality!Crowd: *excited mumbling* I wonder what she means by the prophecy? The crowd scatters to get out of the way.   What rot! A prophecy? The God Emperor would never aid them! Ignore them, let them say what they will.  They have brought their troops to Elysion. Perhaps there is truth to their words. But did they threaten the God Emperor into siding with them? Everyone realizes that Rush is distracted with something else.  A friend of yours? Rush was unconsciously holding his Talisman, and it starts to glow. Rush seems startled by this as much as anyone.   What is going on? What has he done? I dunno… but there’s something about that guy…    The man in red vanishes in the space of a soldier moving past Rush’s vision. He’s gone! And he isn’t seen legging it off into the distance, either. I need to find him. All right.Music: The Heaven’s Majesty (Elysion Theme) Video: Elysion Tour   Elysion – Tula Street: For centuries, pilgrims and wanderers alike have considered this promenade the gateway to the many temples of this holy city.Elderly Devotee: My, my, what was all that about? Marching troops into this sacred town. Some folks have no decency. That cutscene triggers the first time you visit Tula Street. You’re SUPPOSED to wander the districts of Elysion until you go there.  I know who that was – the Conqueror and his army. I figured they’d be a bunch of disorganized thugs, but they were pretty impressive-looking. And that woman soldier, the one who gave that speech? What a looker! I wish she was my commanding officer…Female Shopkeeper: So that’s the infamous Conqueror. I hear he’s bad news, causing trouble everywhere he goes. What an evil glare he has! I hope he leaves our town peacefully… and soon! Our next objective is to track the man in red down, so wander around the city some more. Almost no one in the city has anything new to say, though.  Don’t worry. At your age, you’ll be losing your memory soon enough. A couple people in the bar have new dialogue, though! But where in the world is Veyriel? I know my geography and I’ve never heard of the town! That army that came around talking about dreams and such… It all has to be a ruse by some lowly lord to get invited to the Congress. That big guy in the armor must have been the Conqueror, but he didn’t emanate a single ounce of intelligence or leadership! This all has to be one big joke…  She’s new… He’s ready to go! This is your formal “Are you done with sidequests already?” message, but I find it hilarious that Rush is the one making the decision, although as the cutscene implies this dialogue choice doesn’t actually happen. - Video: The Remnant Ark  Excuse me. You must be the Marquis of Athlum. Everyone else has already arrived. Please allow me to lead you to the assembly hall. My presence is required at the Congress. Please, stay with him. *nods* With that, we get control and theoretically, David has left our party. NOW the game is serious about us not leaving town. We can’t leave until we advance the main plot more. There’s only one place we haven’t had the chance to check yet, though… No, not there! The Ark.  AIIAAHH!      It’s him! Run away! Run away! Huh? Over here! Oh yeah, he TOTALLY didn’t see you and doesn’t know you’re there.  Rush… uh, Rush? The column is back there. You’re crouching in the wrong place. Hey, the hell’s he think he- Ssh. I don’t think that’ll help at this point, Emma. (Does he wish to bind the Ark? Only one with great power could do so.) The man in red leaps to the bottom.    That glow! It can’t be! Yes, I’m afraid it is! This light is… What in the? What’s going on? What’s that light? Luminescence…    The light shoots up to the Sacred Lands. I guess we’ll be getting a little closer to heaven. A little refresher on some important points... “Academy Visistone 8-15” posted:
By the way, I forgot to include the music for Chapter 19, edited in now. Music: The Seat of Vulcan Music: Dark Secrets (plays in Lavafender)  Message from the Conqueror Elysion Tour The Remnant Ark Next Time: Why did you come here?! Stabbey_the_Clown fucked around with this message at 22:09 on Jan 29, 2016 |
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Jan 23, 2015 20:09
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The Conqueror looks so amazingly badass; he's one of my favorite JRPG villains for aesthetics alone.
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Jan 23, 2015 22:45
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When the game finally got into the Conqueror, I found myself wishing that he was the playable protag.
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Jan 23, 2015 22:46
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RedTonic posted:When the game finally got into the Conqueror, I found myself wishing that he was the playable protag. If my spotty memory is to be believed he was supposed to be.
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Jan 23, 2015 23:08
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I kind of remember that too. The initial info on the game said that Rush and The Conqueror were both protagonists.
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Jan 23, 2015 23:11
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The Conqueror really does look badass, and conveys a sense of power and menace even when doing nothing.Dr Pepper posted:I kind of remember that too. I also heard that there was intended to be two campaigns: one where you play as Rush (who would appeal to the Japanese audience) or the Conqueror (who would appeal to a western audience). And just as Rush has his group of allies, so would the Conqueror. But I suspect that the decision to cancel the Conqueror's campaign was made fairly early on - and probably for good reason, as doing TWO campaigns would be almost making two games, with costs to match. They almost certainly didn't want to spend all those extra resources on a new, untested IP.
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Jan 23, 2015 23:26
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Did the Conqueror just break the rules and forced the Ark into luminescence before binding it? Judging from the townsfolk's reaction, this luminescence is out of schedule.
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Jan 24, 2015 00:00
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When I fist saw this cut scene I totally thought it was just a grown up Rush who had dyed his hair blond. I really do like his design. As Stabbey said, he looks very menacing without any spiky bits protruding or dark colors to show that he's the bad guy. Hey Stabbey, I'm trying to follow along with my own game, just a little behind where you are. I did want to ask, did you ever do the quest in the 2nd part of the Gaslin Caves, or did you skip that one for now?
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Jan 24, 2015 01:14
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Omobono posted:Did the Conqueror just break the rules and forced the Ark into luminescence before binding it? Judging from the townsfolk's reaction, this luminescence is out of schedule. I can't say for certain. The man in red seems to have broken the expected rules, judging by the reactions to it. I just don't know what the rules are. All we've been told is that the Ark can only be used to travel every few months, but not why, or if it is bound to anyone, and if so who. If it was just a normal trip up, the people might have not asked "What's that light" and asked "Why is that light happening now instead of months from now"? fullTimeLurker posted:Hey Stabbey, I'm trying to follow along with my own game, just a little behind where you are. I did want to ask, did you ever do the quest in the 2nd part of the Gaslin Caves, or did you skip that one for now? I've skipped it because I am BR 15 and I want to pick up a couple more Initial BR 15 party members before doing much more fighting. Stabbey_the_Clown fucked around with this message at 07:31 on Jan 24, 2015 |
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Jan 24, 2015 01:42
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honestly you could probably stand out in the open and the Conqueror wouldn't care. He came for a purpose and so long as you aren't directly involved in trying to stop him you should be fine. I love the Conqueror as a villain, he doesn't need to mad cackle, he doesn't need to wear giant spikey armor with doom storm troopers. If the Conqueror wants something, he'll get it by his own hands. Seriously by the end of this game you will grow to love him as a villain as I have. He's very refreshing.
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Jan 24, 2015 03:17
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Onmi posted:honestly you could probably stand out in the open and the Conqueror wouldn't care. He came for a purpose and so long as you aren't directly involved in trying to stop him you should be fine. I love the Conqueror as a villain, he doesn't need to mad cackle, he doesn't need to wear giant spikey armor with doom storm troopers. If the Conqueror wants something, he'll get it by his own hands. So if he's not really one for the pageantry, I guess he compromised with the leader of his doom army to let her parade some body double around in a suit of armor and issue proclamations.
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Jan 26, 2015 01:56
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Glazius posted:So if he's not really one for the pageantry, I guess he compromised with the leader of his doom army to let her parade some body double around in a suit of armor and issue proclamations. compromising would imply that he cared all that much about what his subordinates were doing in the time he was not directing them to shitstomp fools. He's very much like Rush in that he's in this for him and everything else can pretty much go do what it wants. After all, while a big parade of his troops was going on in his name, he was just standing across the street.
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Jan 26, 2015 03:40
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He's been on the screen for just a couple minutes and has had no lines yet. Perhaps cut back a tad some of the in-depth analysis. Update 20 and 21 are written and recorded, I expect to have Update 20 posted tomorrow. Tuesday at the latest. And oh boy if you think you had things to speculate on now... Also a reminder, no "nudge, nudge, wink, wink" spoilers.
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Jan 26, 2015 05:28
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Why did you come here?! - Video: The Sacred Lands H-he did it! He bound the Ark! Who – or what is he? The man in red has finished with whatever he was doing.   And he clearly doesn’t like climbing stairs. And he’s gone.  This looks like the Ark room in Elysion. But does that mean that the people who used the ark down there renovated the ark up here, or was the ark down there always the same as the one up here? I wanna go home. The big guy got it to work, surely Rush can too… Nothing happens. Okay, guess not.   Welcome to heaven.  The Sacred Lands are surrounded by a swirling whirlpool of clouds. The only sounds are those of the wind and the thunderstorms in the clouds. The ground is hidden by clouds. Only one way to go.  I wonder what the inside looks like…  I was not expecting this. So let’s talk a bit about the Sacred Lands. On the ground, some people believe that the Sacred Lands are where the souls of the dead rest. It’s also a place mortals can visit, and return from.It seems clear that the ones who talk about the sacred lands being where the souls of the dead rest are not the same people who have actually been there.  In a nice touch, we have no idea what these do until we touch them. We don’t even know what they are.  They shift the columns around. This one raises some to create a path. This device effectively acts as an elevator, sending us down someplace.  Some people in the thread noted that a resting place of souls which could be visited and left by the living was similar to the Farplane of Final Fantasy X, but in practice, it actually isn’t really. FFX’s Farplane was more mystical. This place certainly is strange, but in more of a “lost civilization/ancient artifacts” sort of way.  These columns lower as we move towards them. More columns move around, and one which was a ceiling becomes a floor.  This is it. - Video: Remember I think we’ve reached whatever we’re here to see. There doesn’t seem to be anyone here. Rush? Rush moves towards this object almost in a trance. Rush moves the thing back and forth. Rush, what is it? I… The man in red appears from thin air. Yes… think back. Huh?! Torgal stops Emma from drawing her sword and charging the man.  Rush finally seems to notice the man in red.  Rush remembers something. Cue fade to white…  Rush!   Why did you come here?! I’m sorry. Rush’s mother just sobs for the rest of the flashback.   Mom… Hmph. So she’s the one. The time has come to awaken. Sometimes the game treats the camera as if it’s from Rush’s perspective. It usually works to good effect, like here. Rush is passing out now. Mom… I’m sorry.Video: The Sacred Lands Remember Next Time: Mister Conqueror, is it?
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Jan 26, 2015 16:34
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Looks like the Conquerer already bound the fabulous hairdresser remnant, Tre Ssem Mei.
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Jan 26, 2015 16:43
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The establishing shot of the Sacred Lands is really, really something that sticks with you when you're playing this game. There's a huge sense of scale to it, and then you're into nonsensical pillar land, and then you're into blank whiteness. It's a great location made all the better by the fact there's absolutely nothing to fight in there, so nothing to break up the visuals.
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Jan 26, 2015 17:42
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One could very easily post after each update when we reach all but the transitional cave areas and say "The art direction in this game is so awesome I'm in love with it." Because for 90% of it, it's the truth. The Sacred Land is just the cap on that, as pointed out, because it's so drat surreal and amazing.
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Jan 26, 2015 18:22
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Fun fact: The Sacred Lands made me have to upgrade my desktop tv. I had a cruddy Wal-Mart TV, but it went to 1080p. However, if the screen showed too much white, the tv would fritz out and turn itself off. Flashbangs in Call of Duty would kill my TV, and so did the Sacred Lands white room. I had to get a new tv to be able to see that scene.
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Jan 26, 2015 18:49
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Am I missing something or are people in the thread calling the man in red The Conqueror for a reason? They seem to be two different characters to me.
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Jan 27, 2015 06:19
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It's like connecting the dots. We hear the Conqueror has come to the city and then there's this person who's powerful enough to bind a really powerful object. Plus he has a unique look, so you know he's important.
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Jan 27, 2015 06:26
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The game has not yet explicitly stated who exactly the Conqueror is. That changes eventually though I don't remember off the top of my head exactly when. I think it's pretty soon, like next update or the one after.
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Jan 27, 2015 06:27
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So, wait. Was this whole thing a move by the Conqueror to get Rush into here by, like, herding him into the room and then going to heaven?
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Jan 27, 2015 06:31
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The Sacred Lands really is great. I mean it's a Remnant so huge you can see it from dozens of kilometers away. It's beg enough to walk around on. It's also been hyped up as the place where the souls of the dead go, so you have no idea what to expect. Being outside is like sitting at the bottom of a bowl of clouds. You can see them piling up and swirling around, as if they could break over and overwhelm you... and when you finally go inside it's completely different. It is a place that looks like there is a purpose to it, but what that could be is completely alien to you. And of course you get the cutscene at the end in the pure white room. I found Marina Sykes' uncontrollable sobbing disconcerting because you don't understand why. Zurai posted:The game has not yet explicitly stated who exactly the Conqueror is. That changes eventually though I don't remember off the top of my head exactly when. I think it's pretty soon, like next update or the one after. The next chapter is titled "Mister... Conqueror, is it?" and we learn who that is about three seconds in. I expect to have that one ready on Wednesday. It's written, recorded and the screenshots done, but not encoded or uploaded. I've recorded Chapters 22 and 23. I actually recorded 22 twice, because my first run I fought everything, gaining 3 BR and more importantly, that took 49 minutes, and so would require really heavy editing anyway. The second run fighting only what was necessary was shorter (38 minutes) and I can probably cut that back more with additional editing and speeding up of the slow parts. But NOT the parts where you are forced to walk very slowly through gas because if I have to suffer through that, so do YOU. After that the main plot will go on hold again and we're looking at up to 16 sidequests, although one is The Ancient War, which I really don't think I can do yet, and another three I can easily hold off until later. So... about 11 sidequests. Around that time, there will also be another party configuration vote, as EDIT: Actually, I can split that dungeon up into two videos: a 25 minute normal one, and a 13-minute "boss" one. I've suddenly saved myself a bunch of editing work. I think I'll also start creating some videos which just have snippets of battle quotes. Stabbey_the_Clown fucked around with this message at 13:56 on Jan 28, 2015 |
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Jan 27, 2015 21:30
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Stabbey_the_Clown posted:you are forced to walk very slowly through gas That always enraged me. I kept looking around to see if there was like a key item that would let you ignore it and as far as I can tell it's just there to flip you off.
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Jan 28, 2015 10:58
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Mister… Conquerer, is it? Music: A Special Girl - Video: A Brief Congress Move. I am finished here. Please, the Chairman will be here at any moment. Please, just a moment longer Lord Conqueror! Conqueror?  It seems we’re back in Elysion’s Ark chamber. And yes, the man in red is as most people guessed, the Conqueror. But really, the game wasn’t trying to hide it or make it a big secret. You all right? *gasp*  *gasp* Chairman Hermein!   *whisper whisper whisper* *nod* I am the Chairman of the Congress. Duke Wilfred Hermeien. Mister… Conqueror, is it? If you could please state your inentions. I believe you know my intentions. The name says it all, does it not? You want to be named a lord and get your own Remnant, hmm? Inconceivable! Taking over a backwater place like Veyriel, and then expecting to – A glance from Hermeien shuts Priam up. I believe you were told to wait patiently until the Congress handed down its decision. I am he whose coming was foretold by the God Emperor himself. What need have I of the Congress’s blessing? *sigh* The days when the God Emperor’s word was law are long gone. He should know that more than anyone. Hmph. It matters not. You would not give me a Remnant, so I took one myself. Okay, time for some introductions. We already know David, but here are the rest: - Duchess Bertrude of Balterossa, who we’ve met. - Duke Priam of Royotia, who we also met. - Duke Wilfred Hermeien of Nagapur, Chairman of the Congress, and as the viewer knows, Wagram’s master, the one behind Irina’s kidnapping. (Remember her?) - Duke Qubine of Celepaleis doesn’t have any lines, but if you recall, the dialogue indicates that he’s ten years old. He is David’s boss. - The Duke of Ghor. As has been mentioned, Ghor is considered a potential threat to Celapaleis. - Duke Olebeag of Melphina. We haven’t been there yet, but we will get there… - The Conqueror, who comes from the relatively small backwater of Veyriel. We have no idea where that is - and we never go there. My intentions have already been fulfilled. You bound the Ark? *sniff* Well forgive me if I’m skeptical. They have borne witness. And you are? I am Torgal, one of the four generals of Athlum. *nods* And you saw this? Yes, without a doubt. The Conqueror bound himself to the Ark. Hmmm… I-impossible! I didn’t think the Ark could be bound. H-he’s just like Marshall! So yes, the Conqueror is somehow capable of bending or breaking the rules. What Olebeag means is that the Ark was already bound to someone else, so the Conqueror shouldn’t have been able to bind it to himself.From Chapter 14: “Academy Visistone 31-34” posted:
Apparently, the Marshall’s powers included the ability to manipulate Remnants in ways ordinary people could not. We’ll learn more soon enough, though. We are finished now. Wait! Fair is fair. You can be a lord. (What?) (No!) (But how -) (This can’t be!) We’ll even grant you a Remnant. So…? Understood. I shall release the Ark. Today’s meeting of the Congress is on indefinite recess. An update will be forthcoming. So Lords will take no actions ’til it does. Marquis of Athlum! I trust you understand the meaning of ‘no actions’? *nods* Hermeien goes towards the Ark. Sorry, Dave. Everything’s all screwed up now. By no fault of yours, Rush. To the embassy. We’ll discuss things there. So… what exactly is the Conqueror? He’s certainly no ordinary being. There’s something… off about him. As if… …it’s hard to put into words. And I have to question his relation to the God Emperor. *sigh* Let’s deal with this later. For now we have to focus on Irina, and the Adademy blackguards who took her. You learn anything new? *nods* Chairman Hermeien revealed that the Academy was involved with both Irina’s kidnapping, and the invasions into Athlum. Huh? Apparently some members of the Academy are bent on conducting forbidden research. The mage Wagram is their ringleader. That jerk! So where’s Irina? Unfortunately, not even the Chairman knows your sister’s whereabouts. An investigation is underway, so we’re to wait patiently. “Don’t go out makin’ trouble”, is what it sounds like. Well it’s not like Duke Hermeien could say anything else. As head of the Academy, anything that tarnishes its reputation stains his as well. So, all we can do now is sit around and wait? For now, yes. …Or at least that’s what I’m supposed to say. But things are never that simple, are they? I found out what happened to the Sykes, on the condition that I kept quiet about the Academy’s involvement. It seems that your family has been transferred to a new facility. It’s being kept quiet, but they are within the Temple of Elysion. Right. I’m on my way! Wait. We will accompany you. Huh? I’d worry if I left you alone. Moreover, there is still more to this matter than meets the eye. I hope that this trip can provide some answers. Any objections? Everyone looks to Torgal, who by now is just resigned to this whole mess.Music: The Heaven's Majesty Elysion – Genaade District   Did you see that light soar straight towards the Sacred Lands!? I've never seen such brightness. Could it have been the transfer of a powerful soul into the heavens? I just hope it did nothing to disturb the others resting up there. What's going on? What's this about a bright light shooting towards the Sacred Lands? I was inside the temple and missed it... What happened!? Hey boy, did you see that? A flash of light shot towards the heavens! I've lived here for more than thirty years, but I've never seen the Ark emit that kind of light! Okay, let’s go to the Temple of Elysion… What? You wish to go through these doors? Yes, we do. It is a matter of great importance. Well, I can hardly say no to your lordship. I will unlock the doors at once. But please refrain from telling anyone about this, my lord. - Video: Catacombs Flyover Although the Catacombs are no longer in use, some say screams can be heard from within. So welcome to the Catacombs, our next mandatory dungeon. …which we are not going to do now. Instead let’s wander around town. There’s a lot to cover this update, and I’ve already spent a substantial amount of my screenshot budget on cutscene, so I’ll try and cut the walking-around-talking-to-NPCs screenshots short. Now that we’ve been in there once, we can access the Catacombs from the Elysion city map whenever.Elysion – Tula Street  Elderly Devotee: Up above is the Remnant Elysion. Beneath that lies the ivory structure of the assembly hall, and numerous esteemed temples. The city is a sanctuary for many. But don’t let an old man like me bore you with his stories. Why not take a look around for yourself? Hey, did you see that? A really bright light just flashed across the sky from the Ark up towards the Sacred Lands! If only I'd been in the Ark... I could've gone up to the Sacred Lands, I bet...Female Shopkeeper: I saw it with my own two eyes! A flash of light shot straight from the Ark up to the heavens! I wonder what that was. All I know is that it was much brighter than the usual light the Ark emits when in use. Elysion – Assembly Plaza   I just saw a bright light shoot straight from the Ark to the Sacred Lands. That couldn't have been the work of the Academy. Was it possible that someone snuck in to abuse the Ark? But the Ark is already bound... This doesn't make any sense. As you might expect, the Academy is in an uproar over the events.Elysion – Academy Entrance Hall ...The Ark was activated? How could that be? Once a Remnant's been bound, it can't be activated by anyone else until the bind is broken. We all learned that in Remnants 101. Does that mean that... what we've been taught was wrong? What? The Ark was activated? That's impossible. It's bound to a member of the Academy. Meaning, it can only be activated by a member of the research team that was hand-picked by the Academy. Your eyes are just playing tricks on you. They really, really weren’t. Trust me on this. Everyone around town is talking about how the Ark was activated. The legendary Marion Marshall is the only one I've ever heard of who can overwrite bindings of Remnants. Perhaps she's come back to us... So that at least clears some things up about the Ark. It is indeed currently bound to someone, which means that it should have been impossible for the Conqueror to overwrite the binding… but there is a historical precendent: The Marshall clan from long ago could also do that.  Elderly Tourist: That large man clothed in red touched the Ark right before that light shot up to the heavens. Who was he? A reaper, perhaps? A what? A bright light shot out of the Ark a second ago. I think it means that man bound the Ark to himself. I wonder how he did it. This Remnant is huge! Wh-what happened? Wh-where am I...? I was... I was talking about the Sacred Lands... and I don't know what happened after that... Do you know what just happened here!? Oh, it looks like the Conqueror didn’t kill her after all.Elysion – Hendler The embassy big shots are in a flurry. Why, you ask? Did you miss that flash of light? I think something snuck into the Sacred Lands!Elysion – The Heavenly Terrace  Interesting, huh? Drama! I should go have a looksee. …You’re a loon. I heard someone's plotting to assassinate Duke Qubine... Rumor has it a suspicious-looking woman was spotted lurking about. Interesting, huh? And the idiots didn't bring her in for questioning? I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Dave, what do you wanna do? Hmmm... we cannot let the Duke die. Let us go at once! In case I haven’t made it clear before, once a location is unlocked on the world map, you can travel to it freely. You only have to pass through dungeons once to unlock new places, but after that you can skip to wherever you want. Music: City of Heroes  Oh hey, Loki! We’re just stopping off here for lunch before we head to Celapaleis. I ain’t hungry. Oh come on, you never hang out with us, it’ll be fun! I’m trash, alright? A bad guy. Get seen talking to be and your precious reputation’ll be ruined. Get it? Stay the hell away from me. Alright, geez…  Hey, I recognize you. You’re Sykes, aintcha? That’s me. Word is that some Academy bastards did your family wrong and you’re looking to make them pay. I know all about those sons of… Hmm? Nevermind. Look, you want my drat help? Match my price and I’m in. Nora is unlocked for Recruitment in Athlum once you have entered the Catacombs, so that is why I entered and left immediately - to pick her up.Nora A rough, belligerent warrior who rages against all restraints - as if trying to forget a painful past. Class: Expert Freelancer Initial BR: BR 22 HP: (418) Str / Int: (32 / 31) Current Arts
Comments Nora is pretty similar to Loki and fills in a similar niche of a character which can go to either Combat or Mystic focus. She’s required for a pretty difficult sidequest late in the game. Similar to Loki, she’s a good early-game mage, but will be overshadowed by other characters eventually. Tags: Mystic, Combat , Outclassed, Arcana She’s another Mysticknight-type, so I’m slotting her into David’s union and disabling her combat arts. Her starting BR is supposed to be 22, and her stats are solid compared to the rest of the party members I’ve been using for a while. Still though, her arts are lagging behind a bit (although not much compared to Loki). She needs all the experience she can get, so she is in and Pagus is benched for the moment. She doesn’t drop the group’s stats all that much. It’s 5 fewer points of HP and 1 fewer in everything else, and she does boost mystic attack.  About what you said earlier, what did you- The only reason I even agreed to travel with you is for the money. If you want to get all chatty, find someone else. Quit wasting my time. Fine. Maybe I will. Good. Good.  Ahh, Rush. Can I talk to you for a minute? Totally! Recently, my sis’s been acting strange. I bring her presents like always, and she doesn’t seem to care. I wonder… I reckon she still hasn’t forgiven me… For what? … I told you how I used to be a bit of a hooligan, right? It’s a bit more serious than that. ‘Cause back then, I did something really, truly bad. Every day I’d go out running with the gang. My sis was just a baby, but I’d leave her all alone at home. And one day, the beastmen invaded… I ran home quick as a wink, but it was too late. My sister was lying there, both her legs crushed. The only responsibility I had in the world was to take care of my sister, but when she really needed me, I failed her… I might as well have cut off her legs myself. … I know about failing your responsibilities. More than a good brother should know. After that I swore to get on the straight and narrow. Started working as a mercenary to make a little money… Hoped to buy things to make her life a little brighter. I just don’t seem to be makin’ any progress. I’m at a loss, Rush, I just don’t know what to do… I dunno. Being a big brother is hard for me too. Let’s continue on… Music: A Friendly Ear  Gossipy Girl: That’s the latest scoop, anyway!  I’d heard a similar rumor from Baron Nielsen…Gossipy Girl: What? What what? Sounds fishy to me… Sure enough, Baron Nielsen is back in his spot upstairs… - Video: Dungeon: Gaslin Cave (When the Rose Blooms)  I know she’s been seeing that man, I just hope he’s not using her. Or filling her head with nonsense. Ah, young man. I believe I know where my wife is. Will you check up on her for me? Sure. She’s in the depths of the Gaslin Caves. You must hurry. Accepted quest: When the Rose Blooms Music: Into the Depths  Baron Nielsen asked me to find his wife again – this time at the Gaslin Caves. …If marriage is this hard, I ain’t doin’ it! The Gaslin Caves have expanded. I don’t actually fight anything in this dungeon, I just evade them. A video is included anyway.This sidequest opens up after you return from the Sacred Lands  What used to be a dead end now has a ramp leading upwards. I guess there was another collapse? This is the new zone, the Canal of Repentance.  Oh look, more grey tunnels. At least the NPC is marked. Enough time-wasting.  Wait, what happened? My apologies. Let me fill you in. Violet is planning something horrible. She’s going to assassinate the Duke of Qubine. I love her. I know what the situation is with her family. How could I have stopped her? I suggested a rumor of his assassination would suffice, but she wouldn’t listen. Probably because the rumor idea was stupid. I mean seriously, after you go “he’s dead”, it’d take him five minutes to go “uh, no I’m not.” I know where she’s gone. Will you help me stop her? Sure, I’m game. Let’s hurry to Celapaleis! I hope we get there in time… If you say “Of course” to Gabriel’s statement, he rebuts with: “Of course?” You don’t even know what happened.And proceeds to explain. - BOSS Video: When the Rose Blooms   A trap? No, it can’t be…! Music: Sliver of Hope  We’re up against two Wyverns, and one group of Manticores and one of Vile Lizards. Violet and Gabriel join us as a guest union. This fight is deceptively dangerous, as this blooper video shows: - Blooper Boss Video: When the Rose BloomsThe Wyverns are the main threat, as they both have Dust Devil, an AoE attack. They can also multi-deadlock and are tough to take out. So the best move is to pile onto the Vile Lizards and Manticores to wipe them out quickly, so they can’t add flank attacks and extra damage to us. To that end, I have Rush and David focus on the Vile Lizards, and Emma will take on the Manticores.    Ha ha! After flubbing the dodge QTE in the blooper video, I’m glad to hit it here That wasn’t so bad. But you can see how the damage can pile up, especially with the other two enemy unions on the field. So far, we’re doing okay. That’s it for this turn. None of Rush’s battle commands look super, so I order Rush to stand by and heal anyone who needs it. David will attack and Emma will keep her HP up. … That went okay.   Emma takes hers out, just the one left. But it’s still dangerous. That’ll do it. Oh, screw you. But seriously, this fight is over as long as it doesn’t get to attack before Emma gets healed.  Goodnight.Music: Glittering Gold - Video: When the Rose Blooms - Conclusion You risked your life to defend Celapaleis and I cannot express enough gratitude for your actions. Violet, your actions will be forever carved in the history of Celapaleis. The Gilles-Barre name will never be forgotten.  I... Duke Qubine...  However, the Gilles-Barres were on the verge of being no more, for economic and militaristic reasons. They had no choice but to be taken in by Celapaleis. Your father trusted me with everything—the Gilles-Barre history, its honor, your happiness...  You're free to go now. You can't even stop Violet from endangering herself. Violet is my wife. It is MY duty to make her happy. Nielsen... You treat her like dirt! You don't know how to make people happy! You have no idea how much she... Gabriel, stop! I was never... unhappy. Nielsen... He just has a hard time expressing himself. Wha...? The Guest Union has left the party. Gabriel realized that there was something fishy about that monster attack. Even I’m not sure what that was about. The timing and placement of the attack, to be in the way of Violet as she was going to the palace to assassinate Qubine was suspiciously convenient.My best guess was that Qubine heard about the assassination attempt, and he arranged for the monsters to be there. It was a clever gambit. If Violet participated in the fight to defeat the monsters, he could use the opportunity to try and turn her from an enemy into an ally (as he knows the reason why she is upset with him). If she was killed, well, then someone who was intent on killing him is eliminated without his fingerprints being on it. Mind like a steel trap.  Violet and I have been conversing more and more. She frequently leaves the house, though. If you see her around, treat her kindly. Okay. This is just a token of my appreciation. Take it. Reward: 2000 G. There’s a very exclusive guild behind the pub. I’ll be sure to put in a good word for you. I can’t thank you enough for helping me. Completed quest: When the Rose Blooms Violet almost killed Duke Qubine today… Instead he made her a heroine, and now the Gilles-Barre name is carved in history. Huh. I’ve decided to up my mental “screenshot budget” from 60 to 70 because I keep going over 60. We’re a bit over-budget, but there’s just a couple more things to talk about. Specifically, now that we’ve completed Baron Nielsen’s two quests, Violet and Gabriel are now recruitable party members, and we’ll pick them up now. This is new! After completing “When the Rose Blooms”, as Baron Neilsen says, he put in a word and now a new guild has opened in Celepaleis. This is the Sword of the Three Realms. It has its own set of guild tasks different from the Union of the Golden Chalice ones. To protect someone of my stature, obviously the most skilled of mercenaries are necessary. To that end, I always take advantage of the guild here. The high prices are no trouble for me - I have enough money to bury the entirety of Lamberro in gold! Ha ha ha! If the hiring fees look expensive, well, there're good reasons for that. I mean, a good merc's got a lot to take care of. And I'm not just talking weapon skills. Equipment, arts, grace, fancy talk... Classy people are looking for all of that before they hire you. It's kinda annoying... and pricey to keep up. Rush… thank you for helping me. Not just once, but twice. I didn’t do much. But thanks to you, my husband and I have come to a better understanding. I’d like to repay the favour and help you. Violet Wife of a powerful aristocrat in Celapaleis. The sad story of her own family's fall moves many. Class: Expert Freelancer Initial BR: BR 15 HP: (338) Str / Int: (34 / 22) Current Arts
Comments Violet’s got lower health, but better stats otherwise than same-time recruit Gabriel, which means she can be better overall than he will be. In my first run-through, she ended up as a substantial damage dealer. She later gets a unique item that she can use, which offers a 25% boost to her health among other effects, which actually compensates for her weakness. Tags: Combat, Healer, Arcana Violet is pretty expensive for someone who starts out with such few arts– but she should be affordable for most players by now. She is nearly as strong as Torgal and Blocter – who have had the benefit of being leveled up for a while, but her health is lowest of all party members, and her arts are weaker. The great news is that being in a union makes her lower health less of a problem. Violet, you are not thinking of joining this band of soldiers, are you? Rush saved me from making a terrible mistake. I owe him a debt. I see… I failed to talk you out of the mistake. The fault was mine. Rush, please allow me to join you, to keep Violet safe. Uh… I guess that’s okay?  Gabriel Sellsword from Celapaleis. Enamored of Violet. Tends towards the dramatic, but often regrets this bluster later. Class: Monk Initial BR: BR 15 HP: (440) Str / Int: (30 / 18) Current Arts
Comments Gabriel is an item-focused fighter, and comes already knowing Vivification Herb, in case no one else has learned it by then. He gets Lotions which might come in handy, eventually. Maybe. In my first playthrough, I eventually benched him for better people, though. Tags: Combat, Healer, Items Gabriel is slightly inferior compared to the other party members, but he’ll be okay for a while – he brings Vivication Herb II to the table, and Caedmon hasn’t learned one yet, so he’s going in Rush’s union, benching Torgal for now. I think Gabriel will probably suffer from can’t-catch-up syndrome – his stats are lower than the units I’ve trained. His future arts are only Invocations and Lotions. He hasn’t got the Intellect to make a good magic user, so Invocations aren’t going to do much. Lotions are annoying to get as a pick-up-later school because they take a long time to train, and you basically need to specifically train units to use Lotions. He’s likely to end up benched eventually once we start drowning in choice candidates. So let’s rearrange our party.    Gabriel replacing Torgal takes a 100 HP bite out of the union’s max and lowers ATK by 3. But it’s worse for Emma’s squad, who lose 300 HP, 7 ATK and one DEF when Blocter gets benched. Still though, this is only going to be for one dungeon, and I am not even sure if there’s a boss in it at all. Oho? But it is young Rush. I'm afraid I have no time to chat. I am to meet a maiden as beautiful as a blooming rose. Gabriel hangs out on the second floor of Celepaleis’ Amber Tavern. I suppose I ought to thank you for last time... For the business in Celapaleis, I mean. And Violet can be found on Grant’s Way. That’s it for now, next time, our three new recruits are put to work in the Catacombs Video: A Brief Congress Video: Catacombs Flyover Video: Dungeon: Gaslin Cave (When the Rose Blooms) BOSS Video: When the Rose Blooms Blooper Boss Video: When the Rose Blooms Video: When the Rose Blooms - Conclusion Next Time: This… is what Irina’s kidnappers are after Stabbey_the_Clown fucked around with this message at 22:42 on Jan 29, 2015 |
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Jan 29, 2015 21:15
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Power Grip: (Smash II, Crossbreak)
Invocations: (Spark) 
Hexes @ BR 34
Lotions @ BR 47
Arcana: 
Two-Handed: (Double Strike)
Remedies : (Restore) 
Explosives @ BR 42
One-Handed: (Knee Splitter)
Herbs: (Restorative Herb II, Vivification Herb II) 
Potions: (Red Potion)
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It's a little nice how all of the unique leaders have at least a bit of plot to them. They're never well rounded 3 dimensional characters but there's always something that makes it fun to stop by to chat with them.
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Jan 30, 2015 05:19
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Onmi posted:It's a little nice how all of the unique leaders have at least a bit of plot to them. They're never well rounded 3 dimensional characters but there's always something that makes it fun to stop by to chat with them. Not quite all of them. MOST Unique leaders have a quest: either before they join you or after they join you, but there are some unique leaders who don't have any quests associated with them at all, you just hire them straight from the guild. They still get the red bubble chats, but that's it. I think I'll pick up all of them, even though the ones with unique items and quests will take precedence, and the others will be Bench City.
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Jan 30, 2015 05:33
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quote:*sigh* The days when the God Emperor’s word was law are long gone. He should know that more than anyone. I love this line as a way to establish backstory. It implies so much.
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Jan 30, 2015 22:41
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Smiling Knight posted:I love this line as a way to establish backstory. It implies so much. Wait, is... is he called the Conqueror because he killed the God-Emperor? I mean, that's a reason to be called the Conqueror. I really like these new followers we grabbed. That was some pretty great machinations the Duke pulled on them.
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Feb 1, 2015 20:39
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Glazius posted:Wait, is... is he called the Conqueror because he killed the God-Emperor? I mean, that's a reason to be called the Conqueror. Well, I meant more about the history of the setting; you have an equal(ish) union of city-states centered around Fantasy Vatican, and someone called the God Emperor who used to be powerful but now finds himself weak.
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Feb 1, 2015 20:58
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Progress on the update has been a bit slow. I've been busy.Glazius posted:Wait, is... is he called the Conqueror because he killed the God-Emperor? I mean, that's a reason to be called the Conqueror. No, the Conqueror did not kill the God Emperor. He's just known as the Conqueror right now because no one knows his name. I believe though (using the rumors in Athlum as my source) that he's been taking over some smaller towns and claiming their minor Remnants, but he hasn't made any major moves until now, and the remnants he's claimed do not rival the Core Remnants in power.
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Feb 1, 2015 23:12
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Been enjoying the LP so far! The game looks more fun than I remember it being. Then again, when I played, it was on the 360 with no guides whatsoever so I had no idea what I was doing, so that's probably a factor.
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Feb 2, 2015 07:00
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Okay the update is written, but I think I went a little overboard with screenshots, as I have 88 for that one update, and this page already has three good-sized updates in it already. Hmmm... ah, I know. A Vote! After the current series of main plot updates, we'll again have the opportunity for sidequesting. Two of these sidequests will let us pick up new party members, both mages. In my first playthrough, I never used either of them, keeping Loki and Nora, because they had sidequests later. However as hybrid-characters, they are not as good at being a pure mage. I'll have four slots available for mages (assuming you keep both David and Pagus in the union) I want the thread to decide which four characters will be the mystic union. Leshau Class: Marksman Initial BR: BR 25 HP: (427) Str / Int: (22 / 36) Current Arts
Tags: Mystic, Psionics , Arcana Maddox Class: Expert Marauder Initial BR: BR 25 HP: (471) Str / Int: (19 / 37) Current Arts
Tags: Mystic, Healer, Arcana Here are the stats of the other mystics in the group as they will be at the time I can do these quests. Stats in brackets are initial values, the current ones are to the left. David Nassau Class: Mysticknight HP: 506 (400) Str / Int: 32 / 30 (26 / 24) Current Arts
Pagus Class: Shaman -> Adept Magus HP: 429 (325) Str / Int: 23 / 36 (18 / 28) Current Arts
Loki HP: 428 (362) Str / Int: 31 / 31 (26 / 25) Current Arts
Tags: Mystic, Combat, Outclassed, Arcana Nora HP: 425 (418) Str / Int: (32 / 31) Current Arts
Tags: Mystic, Combat , Outclassed, Arcana Both the new guys start out with substantially higher INT than Loki and Nora, and they start with Hexes already learned, which N and L will take a while to be able to learn (at BR 24 and 34 respectively). Leshau's health is about the same as L/N, and Maddox's health is substantially larger. Leshau will get Psionics at BR 33 (that's the party's BR, not Leshau's individual BR), but his main offense is Evocations, which is decidedly weaker than Invocations, and he gets Potions, which I ignore anyway. Maddox doesn't get Psionics, but has Invocations and can learn Remedies and Herbs. On the other hand, once recruited, neither Leshau or Maddox have any quests to do in the party, and Loki and Nora both have a quest much later on. I was intending for them to lead a union in their quests (just because), and if they get benched, leveling them up will be hard, and cumbersome (although I can probably deal with a crap leader if the rest of the union is decent, even though the leader gets priority for casting arts). Benching Pagus isn't a great idea because he has good stats, and David has good unique arts. I'll be able to have David, Pagus and two others in David's Division. So thread, it's up to you: VOTE: Should I replace one or both of Loki/Nora/Pagus/David with Leshau/Maddox? (Specify who you want to replace and with whom.) This will have an impact on the order I do sidequests. For instance, if Maddox is high in the voting, I'll grab him soon to put him in the party ASAP. If the thread would rather keep Loki and Nora, then I'll do the side-questing in a different order. Verant posted:Been enjoying the LP so far! Probably a big factor. Guides are really important sanity-savers in this game. Stabbey_the_Clown fucked around with this message at 00:37 on Feb 3, 2015 |
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Feb 3, 2015 00:35
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Evocations: (Mystic Missile II, Flash Arrow)
Psionics @ BR 33
Unique: (Ex Machina)
Conjurations: (Gae Bolg)
Shards @ BR 50
Weapon Art: Cerulean Rain
Wards @ BR 50
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I vote don't replace anyone yet. Since I'm playing alongside you Stabbey, I just recruited Nora as well, but her magic stat is insane. I think it's 52 or something right now and I'm only BR13. Are leader's stats randomized slightly when you get them, or did something bizarre happen with my game?
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Feb 3, 2015 02:37
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Replace Loki with Maddox I'll be interested to see how you do Maddox's recruitment; I had a lot of trouble doing at about the same level you are, until I stumbled onto some quirks of the battle system.
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Feb 3, 2015 02:38
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fullTimeLurker posted:I vote don't replace anyone yet. It's likely that you're looking at her MYS stat. STR/INT/SPD/??? increase as you finish battles. ATK/DEF/MYS/M.DEF are based on your equipment. 52 sounds reasonable, as my BR 17 Nora has MYS 60. Smiling Knight posted:Replace Loki with Maddox Err... Okay, if Maddox wins, I'll TRY to get him as soon as possible. I don't know if I will be able to, but I'll give it a shot.
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Feb 3, 2015 04:52
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Stabbey_the_Clown posted:It's likely that you're looking at her MYS stat. STR/INT/SPD/??? increase as you finish battles. ATK/DEF/MYS/M.DEF are based on your equipment. 52 sounds reasonable, as my BR 17 Nora has MYS 60. Oh, you don't need to; I was surprised it was an option. Spoiler for Maddox quest: The primary reason I was able to defeat the boss was because you can continue to use the "strike from the sides command" after flanking the enemy even when you would normally be unable to continue flanking. What I did was bum rush the dragon with everyone on the first turn. That gave me one union who would be able to flank no matter what, as long as one other friendly union was deadlocking the dragon. This meant I could reliably drive down the dragon's morale. As a result, it would use Desperate Wail instead of Dark Breath. The other quirk is that units "Striking from the Sides" will often choose to heal their comrades. With steady damage from that union, plus David using Ex Machina occasionally, and Maddox+the other guy's 3000+ hp union tanking, I was able to defeat the boss. It did take a couple tries, usually based how deadly the Blasters were.
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Feb 3, 2015 05:47
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Smiling Knight posted:Oh, you don't need to; I was surprised it was an option. I just played ahead a bit and tried this quest. I first tried it with the cautious opening, which eventually failed, and then I tried your approach, which did work, although not perfectly: the morale starts out so low that I was never able to raise it high enough before it cast Darkbreath, so I never pushed Morale into the state where he tried Desperate Wail. But I did beat it with all my units alive, although the guest union was dead. So while the actual version might take some doing, assuming Maddox wins the voting (assuming that anyone else bothers to vote *cough cough*), I probably will be able to do the quest.
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Feb 5, 2015 06:22
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Eh replace neither. once our unions open up a bit, they'll have spots.
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Feb 5, 2015 06:42
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Onmi posted:Eh replace neither. once our unions open up a bit, they'll have spots. That's the reason for the vote, though: There aren't enough spots. I will have 12 slots, but we currently have 12 party members, with the addition of Nora, Gabriel, and Violet. By the time we get our upgrade to 15, we'll have more party members to choose from. In this particular case, With David, Pagus, Loki, Nora, Maddox, and Leshau, that's 6 magic-focused guys and unions can only have 5. Swapping a magic person to a physical union will mean taking a physical person out, and would muddle the battle commands. Even with just Caedmon using mystics in Rush's union muddles the battle commands more than I'd like, and I'll probably disable those on him the next chance I get. The voting will continue until Chapter 23 is posted. Chapter 22 should be posted as soon as I replace all the tags with images.
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Feb 6, 2015 17:33
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