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Actually LOL if you don't think that the former is one of the best bosses in the game.
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May 17, 2016 01:21
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alcharagia posted:Actually LOL if you don't think that the former is one of the best bosses in the game. I agree completely. There are a lot of good fights in this game, though. Hard to name just one I like above the rest.
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May 17, 2016 01:30
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Sylphid posted:I agree completely. There are a lot of good fights in this game, though. Hard to name just one I like above the rest. I like that fight. It's the fact that they blatantly copy-pasted it that annoys me.
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May 17, 2016 01:33
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Junpei posted:I like that fight. It's the fact that they blatantly copy-pasted it that annoys me. Gonna blow your mind: That fight isn't in the first game.
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May 17, 2016 01:39
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alcharagia posted:Gonna blow your mind: That fight isn't in the first game. It's the final fight of group arena.
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May 17, 2016 01:44
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McTimmy posted:It's the final fight of group arena. ...poo poo, you're right. Sonna... bakana!!!
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May 17, 2016 01:47
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alcharagia posted:...poo poo, you're right. Sonna... bakana!!! poo poo, what was the last Tales Indignation was in? It's been a while.
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May 17, 2016 02:00
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Graces f. And Zesteria too, apparently.
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May 17, 2016 02:21
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McTimmy posted:Graces f. And Zesteria too, apparently. Where was it in Zesty? The closest I remember was Jade having it, but unless I missed one, his Mystic Arte was Mystic Cage.
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May 17, 2016 02:26
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Sylphid posted:Where was it in Zesty? The closest I remember was Jade having it, but unless I missed one, his Mystic Arte was Mystic Cage. He can unlock it as a second mystic arte in a second play through of the game.
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May 17, 2016 02:35
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Sylphid posted:Where was it in Zesty? The closest I remember was Jade having it, but unless I missed one, his Mystic Arte was Mystic Cage. Heldalf uses it, according to the wiki.
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May 17, 2016 02:38
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Did Milla's VA change between games? She sounds very different.
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May 17, 2016 02:41
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McTimmy posted:Heldalf uses it, according to the wiki. It's the attack you have to interrupt when he's Armatized. I even have the incantation! *Ahem* "My consciousness extends to the depths. Thou dwelt in the depths of despair. I command the heavens and earth! Thou art but void and nothingness. Where the heavens shine, there am I! Thou wait at the gates of Hell! Come, thunder of the gods! THIS IS YOUR END! INDIGNATION!"
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May 17, 2016 03:19
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Sindai posted:Did Milla's VA change between games? She sounds very different. I'd assume because it's an alternate dimension Milla that her VA changed tones to be different.
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May 17, 2016 03:43
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Level Seven posted:I'd assume because it's an alternate dimension Milla that her VA changed tones to be different. Yeah, I'm positive Alt Milla has the same VA, just using a slightly different voice. Not that there was a particular need to do that, since she's literally the exact same individual and all, but that's what they went with. I'm not aware of any VA changes between Xillia 1 and 2.
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May 17, 2016 04:30
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Sindai posted:Did Milla's VA change between games? She sounds very different. It's a matter of tone, but also Alt Milla doesn't have her accidentally-characteristic lisp.
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May 17, 2016 04:31
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alcharagia posted:It's a matter of tone, but also Alt Milla doesn't have her accidentally-characteristic lisp. Am I the only person who thinks she sounds a bit tsundere-ish?
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May 17, 2016 05:48
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alcharagia posted:It's a matter of tone, but also Alt Milla doesn't have her accidentally-characteristic lisp. Which I never noticed in the original, and still can't.
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May 17, 2016 06:17
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HiKaizer posted:Which I never noticed in the original, and still can't. I am convinced that this is just because of differing understandings of the word "lisp."
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May 17, 2016 07:00
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Really, I have to respect whoever decided that finding cats would be an important sidequest. They knew what they were after and they stuck to it.
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May 18, 2016 02:20
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Part XIV: The Man Who Rules Our final character chapter (for now, of course) brings us to Marksburg, to start Rowen's story.  The bridge  Ludger, do you know why Marksburg was built? While neither answer is wrong, I'm thinking Rowen's thinking more R1 than the opposite. Correct. Although it was meant to do more than just physically link the two nations. This city serves as a figurative bridge as well, linking cultures and ideologies. You could say that Marksburg is the beginning of a new era of international relations. What're you talking about? Oh, nothing, just some recent history. Can I join in? I don't want to mess up the next pop quiz! Of course you can, Elize. You're my star pupil, after all. This chapter, much like Jude's, has a bunch of chances to raise Rowen's affection, which is what R1 does for this choice. However, I went with L1, because we need more information on their relationship. Oh, I wouldn't presume to call myself that. I'm simply trying to ensure the young miss doesn't fall behind. Rowen is always giving us pop quizzes! What's our next quiz question, Mr. Ilbert? I bet it's about recent Elympios history! Fine, then. Here's your question: Who uttered the famous quote that begins with... "May joys from afar begat joys close to the hearth." It's a saying that has made a deep impression on me.Elize is saved by the bell, however. The bell that is Ludger's ringtone.  DODA, here. We've detected a new fractured dimension. The rift is in Marksburg. Please check the coordinates. More work perhaps? Can you handle this yourself? The relationship between the two nations would be the least of our concerns if we ignored the fractured dimensions. I couldn't study anymore, either. Very well then. Ludger, we will be accompanying you. We'll show him what Rieze Maxians are made of!  Hey! How'd you like it if I tugged your head? It doesn't hurt. You're just her talking dummy. I am not a dummy, dummy!Man, Elle does not like Teepo. I really can't imagine why... But anyway, I just thought of this, but each character has a "partner" character for their chapters. Jude / Milla, Alvin / Leia, Rowen / Elize, which is fine, but I kinda wish the partner characters changed more often. For example, Alvin and Leia really didn't have much interaction at all, while Elize has a pretty complicated relationship with Alvin that I felt could have been fleshed out a bit more in this game. Oh well, just gonna have to take what we can get. Anyway, onto the alternate history. The catalyst is located in Marksburg, so that's where we're landing.  National pride  You got our votes! Thank you. Hey, I recognize her. Chancellor Marcia of Elympios. Hey! It's not everyday you get to see a chancellor. She seems to be a politician in this dimension as well. It's an honor to meet you, Chancellor! Please, I insist you accept these Elympion treats. I am most grateful for the sentiment, but I'm afraid I can't. Oh, I insist, Chancellor! Nothing like some good food to keep your mind sharp. Let's show those Rieze Maxians what we're made of! Hear, hear! It's time to let 'em know who's really on top! .... Unlike Ludger (and evidently Rowen, since R1 raises his affection), I don't see much need in mocking those who are expressing pride in their country's fruit output. It's a team mentality, granted, but no need to mock them for it. It's like your favorite sports team. Gotta support the team, after all. However, if we are talking about team mentality, I do feel the need to mock anyone who insults the Denver Broncos. I take that poo poo very seriously. I hate this kind of stuff. Why can't we all just get along? Things aren't that simple, especially when you're dealing with entire nations of people. I wonder how she'll handle this. In that case, you would honor me by enjoying such fine produce with your own family. A-Are you sure? Thank you for your support, but it is not just Elympios that must prosper. I seek widespread joy for all. "Joys begat from misfortunes from afar bring the brittlest of blessings. Widespread joy is a greater joy for all." Oh! "May joys from afar beget joys close to the hearth, and carry those joys far afield. For the act of spreading joy is the greatest joy of all." What? Oh! It just came to me who said that! It was Bradbury! The famous Elympion philosopher! I'm right, right? Correct. Very well done, Elize. You don't find Bradbury to be...too much of a bleeding-heart? Oh, very much so. But maintaining compassion in a harsh world may be the ultimate test of fortitude. Incidentally, "The Science of Happiness" is my favorite of Bradbury's works. Ah, yes. The source of that quote. What a cute kitty! He's my dearest friend. Come, Sonny. Let's go home. It was an honor to speak with you.  Huh? Ludger, did you see that?! Apparently Chancellor Marcia's "dearest friend" is the divergence catalyst in this dimension. After that kitty! They may be bound for a train. Let's follow them to the station.And we did just that...  Ah, another train location. Let's hope it doesn't go as badly as last time, eh Ludger? There's also a skit that pops up just as soon as the location pop-up goes away. Much like Consulting detective Holmes, an easy trick to remember instances where you can raise Rowen's affection is that he's quite receptive to flattery. Hey, he opened the door to the comparison with the line "my dear Ludger" in this skit. And yes, I'm pretty sure everyone knows Holmes never used the phrase "Elementary, my dear Watson" in any of the original 56 short stories or the 4 longer stories. Last year I was fortunate enough to find the time to read the entire Holmes canon. Good times.  Chatting with some of the passengers yields a bit of insight on the Marcia of this world (she's the Chancellor of Elympios in the prime dimension, as well), as well as some other random tidbits, such as animals speaking human words. Huh. After reaching the end of the car...   The unfortunate CATalyst It stopped me dead in my tracks! His eyes were so wise... Yet I couldn't help but notice he had an air of loneliness about him, too. ....? Why Marcia, I don't recall you ever gushing this much about another human. I always knew I could never be enough for you. Oh, rubbish. Don't talk like that. I can't rely on others. People are so selfish. That's why I'm so glad I have you.? Nevertheless... Anyhow, I have to go. Your outline is just perfect for my next speech As always, I can't thank you enough for your counsel.? Thank you. And good luck.  Huh, I thought there weren't any cats in fractured dimensions. Could be trouble for people who didn't notice it when running past...x  So this is the divergence catalyst. Even though cats are just the worst, it's quite another matter to stab them with a lance to destroy a gear in them... Rowen is apparently a cat person, too. The thought troubles me as well, and I'm not even a cat person. Nevertheless...Go ahead, ruin my quip about R1 raising your affection, why don't you. ? ...  What?! You've been eavesdropping on us, haven't you? How is this possible? Wait just a minute! How come you can talk?! An ironic question coming from a toy, don't you think? You of all things should know the answer. Huh?! Be careful everyone. I'm afraid that's not going to happen. This ferocious furball (there's only so many cat puns out there. Be merciful) is crazy agile. He will frequently sidestep 2-3 times in a row before an actual attack. It's hard to keep up with him for that reason alone. His attacks also come out extremely quickly, which makes it paramount you keep on the offense as much as possible. His weaknesses are to Light and Darkness, so yet my Prometheus blades are coming in handy. After a disappointing start, they've quite proven their worth so far.  Whenever a character has a green circle with a + in it, that means said character is immune to negative status effects as long as it's up (it's a timed effect). The Syrup Bottle item can grant this buff to a single character, whereas Elize can give to the entire party this status with Dispel, which is used for removing magical status effects normally only to one party member. With Teepo supporting her spirit artes, this applies to the entire party. Unless I'm mistaken, if Teepo is supporting Elize's martial artes, then Dispel will only apply to a single target, but for a longer period of time.  For some reason, his attacks got a lot more powerful midway into the fight. Not too sure what happened. He also can annoyingly stun lock you with his attack where he gets up on his hind legs and swipes at you on the ground. This attack can knock you to the ground, whereupon he can do it again if he wants. Little more than a few shades of Volt, here.  But after rallying my party, I managed to counterattack with a full Power Combo and taught the evil cat a lesson. We did what had to be done.  Please, I ask of you... When I am gone, promise that you'll be there for her. Please do this for me.  Lonely rulers? Perhaps the cat experienced some sort of enhanced cognitive capacity. This sort of thing can happen during booster experiments on animals, for example. For real?! A booster could do that? Maybe Rollo can talk? Meow? I'm more concerned about something else he said. Rowen seems to like this Marcia fellow, so... I have met the woman several times over the last year. And I did sense a certain loneliness about her. It is quite possible that the Marcia of our dimension is a similar situation. True. The prime dimension and fractured dimensions are usually kinda similar. If the prime Marcia feels the same her fracture counterpart....then her dream for the future seems quite similar to ours. That would be great news! Yep! Perhaps this knowledge will grant us the opportunity to open a dialogue with her. Again, flattery. Oh, you flatter me. I'm just doing what anyone else would do. After all, the future of millions hangs in the balance. Until Marksburg can fulfill every facet of its purpose as a bridge between the two realms...this old fogey will still have some work to do.Speaking of old fogeys...we have Old Man Gaius to meet in Trigleph, don't we?  Ah, one more skit, of course. L1 raises Alvin's affection, but R1 will increase Elize's. Seems Elize might have a thing for the color pink...  Ah yes, where else would we find an incognito royal than in the middle of a crowd of his adoring fans?  To prove oneself Oh, hey, Erston. Good news. It looks like your friends finally arrived. Thanks for the info. Let me know if you hear anything else. Maybe next time, we can chat over drinks. Sure. First round's on me. I should've guessed that Gaius was the cause of that hubbub! Oh, right-- I was just showing Milla around. She wanted to learn more about Elympios. You people can't do anything without spyrix... You have fun mingling with the locals, Gaius? Yes. Elympions are really no different from we Rieze Maxians, once you get to know them. So, if I may, I would like to briefly introduce Gaius before we make this particular choice. Gaius is a guy who takes himself real serious, and provides the classic "Straight man" in comedy bits in this game (not so much in the first, when he served as the primary antagonist and you rarely got to see him outside of highly charged situations). He does have a dry sense of humor, and acknowledges and appreciates jokes even when they're at his expense, but when he's serious, absolutely nothing can shake him from his present course. It was this that set him and Jude's group on a collision course in the first game, and he brings that same resolve to Ludger's predicament. He doesn't have a particular lot of time for any one person, save for his sister who he protects without question, as basically his sight is always facing toward the future. As king, he believes the strength and resolve to lead his people are all that matters. As such, even the highly tribalized people of Auj Oule in particular are highly loyal to him and view him as something worthy of their unquestioned fealty. However, for this choice, as I said, he's not such a wet blanket he doesn't appreciate humor every now and then. This also raises Leia's affection. Heh...what a very Elympion way of thinking. You really get a sense of people when you stop to talk with them. Yeah, I hear you. Rowen brought me up to speed with what's been happening. So, you're the former Maxwell. And you're some sort of big-shot, is that it? The biggest shot. He's a king, for cryin' out loud. Whoop-de-do. I'm the Lord of Spirits. Beat that. I must admit... I'm fascinated. So these fractured dimensions undoubtedly do exist. But, I digress... Ludger... I need to know if you're truly worthy of carrying the fate of the world on your shoulders. Seems like he's in Serious Mode now. Best not to upset him, and see what he thinks if the appropriate punishment if he doesn't approve of us. Death. Seems fair enough. Dying isn't allowed! How exactly do you want him to prove it? Bring me into a fractured dimension...so I might see his actions for myself. Vera here. We've detected a new fractured dimension. The rift is in Kanbalar. Please depart for it immediately. Heh... Perfect timing. I'll come, too. I want to watch you end a world. You know, Ludger's been doing a pretty good job out there... I hope you're right. So... That would completely blow my cover. Oh, no problem. I won't run it until after you finish your work. Finishing it could take years. No worries. I can wait. In that case, do whatever you deem fit. Awesome! Thank you! This'll be the story of a lifetime! But hold on. If you just wanted to talk to Ludger, why didn't you just call him on his GHS? I can give you his number if you don't have it. No thanks. Rowen was kind enough to program this, but... Lemme guess. Technology's not exactly your thing? It's time to show me around one of those fractured dimensions. Best story ever! Of course, remember to equip your new recruits with skills. Also check their Extractors, to make sure they're making the most of the Elemental Ores you're gathering.  Before we begin our trip to the snowy capital of Rieze Maxia, just gotta check Gaius' artes line-up so it's something I'm comfortable with. My first playthrough, I basically played as Gaius as much as I possibly could after he joined, and you'll soon see why Gaius is so drat awesome in battle. Also, check that artes usage. Gaius' Demon Fang is one of the most cost-effective artes in the game. You think any Tales hero's Demon Fangs were impressive? They've got NOTHING on Gaius.  First of all, his weapon is his katana, as players of the first game will well recall. This particular choice of weapon gives him a really long reach both toward the enemy and around him (at least in front of him). Milla and Ludger's swords, for example, are about half as short as Gaius'. But because it's a longsword, I wouldn't just spam X to attack. You have to attack very deliberately to get the most out of his swings.  Second of all, his rockin' duds. Gaius is a fierce proponent of my theorem that "If you can't fight with style, you have no business fighting at all". When it came to the biggest fight of his life, against all of Jude's group at once alongside Muzet at the end of Tales of Xillia, Gaius really brought out his fashion sense. And yes, this is Gaius as he appeared at the end of the first game, as the final boss. Because he's wearing this particular costume, the regular battle music even changes to Xilla's final boss theme.  Oh yeah, and I got a couple of skits on the way to Kanbalar, including Gaius' first affection skit. That sure was fast.  I just love Elle's girlish fascination with meeting an actual king. She's very well-read in fairy tales, y'know. That line got a laugh out of Gaius, I'll have the record reflect.  Of course, as the Xillia world's most eligible bachelor, Gaius is not above taking an interest in the female body. He's a complicated fellow.  But of course, such a man as Gaius can became intensely serious at the drop of a hat. Milla was accusing him of being the stalker-type because Gaius was talking about her hair, and how it differed from the Prime Milla. The King has no time for that poo poo.  Back to battle. Gaius' Calamity Stance is one of the very best artes in the entire game. No exaggeration whatsoever on that front, and why Gaius one of the best characters. When you activate Calamity Stance, Gaius will throw up a defensive stance and a small circle will shoot out of him. This indicates how long the counterattacking stance is active. If an enemy attacks Gaius during that period, or begins any attack, Gaius will snap out of the stance, sidestep with a slash, then slash again with a wider swing. While not 100% guaranteed, there is a very good chance this second slash will insta-kill a generic foe, even several at once, like he did for this bunch.  Let me repeat: Gaius has a very easy and practical use arte that can insta-kill potentially mobs of dangerous foes. This is NOT a glitch, it is 100% something Namco intended for Gaius to be able to do, that no other character can. And it's not like I recorded some super rare happenstance here. Calamity Stance insta-kills more often than not, actually. I'd say, roughly, about an 80% chance of the insta-kill. It is amazing how overpowered this arte is, but it's just so perfect for Gaius. Do note it's quite a bit weaker against bosses, since obviously, you can't insta-kill them. The second slash will just knock a boss away. I mean, if you're gonna have the final boss be playable in the sequel, you drat well better make him awesome, especially a game with a great final boss like Tales of Xillia. Technically, bosses, but Gaius was a one-man army. Muzet only backed him up, and I'm willing to bet 9 times out of 10 the player would defeat Muzet before Gaius. Namco-Bandai has succeeded amazingly on that front. Gaius has three big weaknesses: 1. He's pretty slow. Not quite Guns Ludger slow, but he's pretty far down there. 2. He eats through TP like crazy to get good combos going. His TP is a fair bit lower than other party members, so you really have to watch his usage. However, this becomes less of an issue later in the game. 3. Especially early on, you can't get really good combos with Gaius going. Of his artes right now, he only has Savage Beckoning (Fire) and Eradication Sweep (also Light). He'll get Soaring Demon Fang for me shortly, which is Wind-elemental and Hydra Strike, which is Strike, but he can't naturally hit Darkness, Water, or Gun. However, you can weapons switch mid-combo to hit new elements. Also, as a note about elements, the innate element of an attack overrides any passive elements. For example, Hammer Toss is a Fire-element attack, and even with a Darkness-based hammer, it still counts as a Fire attack first. Shortly, Gaius will get a fire-based sword, which will change his normal attack element from Slash to Fire. He can still use an arte like Demon Fang, which will always be a Slash attack, regardless of the element Gaius of the katana Gaius is using, because it is marked as such on the artes menu.  Gaius' special skill is Retribution. When Gaius blocks an enemy's attacks (even applies to spells if you Magic Guard them), his sword will glow blue (ignore the fact it's glowing red right now, I shall explain). When that happens, do a forward dash and Gaius knee his enemy and then deliver a mighty slash upwards. If you perfectly guard an enemy's attack, Gaius' sword will glow red and Retribution will deal considerably more damage. With normal Retribution, you can just hold down block and get the glow, but red requires you to guard basically right as a foe attacks. And, if you don't do the forward step, you'll lose the Retribution. Gaius' support skill is Chivalry. It's kind of hard to describe, and the game doesn't do a great job of explaining it, but basically if Gaius is your partner, and he's forced to protect you, instead of the standard Protection where he just protects you from a combo, he'll imbue you with all three Power Charges instantly (does not include AC, however). Now, we only have Power Charge 1 and 2. 3, which we won't have for a bit, allows your next attack, whatever it is, as long as it is not blocked, to stagger your enemy. Unbelievably helpful, as you might imagine, and Chivalry is the only way you can get it at this point in the game.  Time to see what's so "fractured" about this dimension...  Feeling in the air Waymarker response detected. Commence retrieval. There's a Waymarker here! What do we do? First we try to find the thing that sticks out the most from the prime dimension. That's usually the catalyst. Isn't this your hometown? Notice anything unusual? It's as if there's a pall in the air. Well, the first step in reporting is to ask around! There's a couple skits to be had after the above scene, but it's time to figure out what exactly is going on here. Gaius' instincts are top-notch, so something is off.  One of the skits reveals Gaius has his own Fortress of Solitude. Gaius is like a combination of Superman AND Batman at this point. Truly formidable.  Before moving on, I decided to make a new blade for Gaius to help a bit with his elemental problems, since Savage Beckoning is hard to combo with. Thankfully, you can buy the elemental rings, including the Garnet of course, from accessory shops.  Talking to a few people reveals the Gaius of this world followed quite a different path...  More ominously, it seems ol' Wingul has assumed the throne. Wingul was a good subordinate, undyingly loyal to his liege, but it seems he's just not cut out for kingship, as the citizens are being oppressively lorded over by their king, and all live in fear of him. Not good...  Outside of Castle Gaius, we have a couple of bothersome sentries in the way.  Break-in plans Li Ying, of course, is Wingul's real name.  The passive approach isn't going to do anything here, and who cares if we cause trouble? This world has not long to live. It also raises Leia's affection for whatever reason. Also, before I took this screenshot I didn't even notice both choices are checked. Not entirely sure how that happened...   Long story short, it went poorly for them. Also, one really good thing about Gaius' Demon Fang is that it can lift downed enemies back into a combo. A bit more handy than using Focus Attacks to do the same, although there are a few normal artes that can do the same. Demon Fang is just Gaius' bread and butter arte, especially since it can pierce through a target.  Jeez, Castle Gaius is...there's no one here. Looks like Wingul really is a recluse in this world. I think we're going to invite ourselves into the audience chamber. Doesn't seem like anyone will mind.  What might have been  It wasn't supposed to be like this... This is wrong... Why do you vex me so?! Huh? Who are you people? Wingul?! Hmph... More would-be assassins vying for my head. Rest assured. No guards shall fly to my rescue. I'm a lonely king who deserves to die. But first, I will make you rue the moment you dared to set foot in my throne room!  What the heck?! Jeez...not giving us much choice here, are ya Wingul? Still, the way he was talking, I guess Gaius thinks some sort of reason could be reached here. However, Ludger is a man of action. Stay your hand. Give us a moment. (Peace, Li Ying.) (You dare to assume such an impudent tone! You must have a death-wish! Haven't you the slightest idea who I am?!) (I would pose the same question to you, Li Ying.) (Erston)?) Erston! You came back! Please, Erston, try to forgive meWingul changes back to his normal black-haired look for this. He goes crazy like that whenever he's getting ready to fight. Also, since they start speaking English after Wingul transforms back, I should note that, according to Wikipedia at the very least, the language Gaius and Wingul were using to talk was the Melnics language from Tales of Eternia. Ooookay. I mean, that's a pretty cool detail, but who the hell would actually notice that? What happened? Must you make me say it? It started when you began talking about abdicating the throne and abandoning your people. Why would Gaius do that?! Karla was fading. You wanted to be with her at the end. Karla... Her illness.. Who's Karla? Gaius' little sister. I know that once you make a decision, you never waver in it. So I begged Karla to help you refocus your attention on your kingly duties. She agreed to help, but I-I never thought that she would... To prevent me from going through with abdicating, she took her own life. I never dreamed that would happen! You must believe me! Please! Her death broke this world's Gaius, and he left the public eye forever. What? You're not Erston! I'm not the Erston you know, that much is true. But believe me. I understand how he must have felt. Bite your tongue! Erston Outway was my only true friend! You could never understand him! Clearly, he didn't feel the same about me! He's the catalyst! Ludger didn't even need to help this time. Are you really up for this, Gaius? This brutality is what it takes to destroy a world, right? How can I presume to judge Ludger without first having walked a mile in his shoes?  So Wingul here's main thing is he's extremely fast, and attacks as quickly. While none of his blows are particularly powerful (save for his Mystic Arte, and yes, he can hit you with one), they do very quickly add up, making him worthy of your respect as an enemy. However, weakness-wise, he's vulnerable to Slash damage, so Gaius is a good choice as your main playable character here.  This is Chivalry in-action, by the by. It's kinda strange to get it to activate, which is why I'm very glad it popped up here. Also, reminder that Demon Fang counts as a Slash attack, and hits multiple times and at range. It's a very good arte to stagger Wingul on.  Gaius also gets an arte called Chakra Circle where he pauses for a moment and throws out a wave of energy, restoring quite a bit of HP to anyone in radius. Comes out very quickly, and while it doesn't do any damage (unlike Guardian Field or Hammer Ludger's Sanctuary), it's much better than nothing, and he'll also get an arte down the line that can revive from KO anyone in a similar radius, but that requires a short charge.  Wingul's Mystic Arte looks cool, but the blast radius is unimpressive. Basically, as long as you're a fair bit away from the victim, characters that are thus will not take any damage. Group Mystic Artes are considerably more dangerous.  Overall, Wingul's not too tough, and is a good boss to introduce Gaius with. Welcome to the wild world of King of Rieze Maxia rear end-kicking. You're gonna be here for a while.  To sit upon that throne means embracing the needs of the many, and forsaking the needs of the one. To rule is to accept a lonely life. A king must discard his own sense of self. It was too much for me. Indeed. Ludger, I leave the rest to you. Well...certainly Gaius' affection will be raised by choosing L1, and indeed it does, but I want to learn more about Gaius' resolve. Turning this little trial back on him. Have you already forgotten that my reason for coming was to judge you? Hey...  Farewell, Li Ying. Ah, another Waymarker. Still, we're still at 1, since Julius has Maxwell's Temporal Blade...  A king's help I, uh, hey! You did pretty good there. Nya Good job back there. So that was a fractured dimension. It's true. I spent many sleepless nights wondering whether I should abdicate the throne for Karla's sake. But, when it was all said and done, I chose to remain king. Do you know why? Well, Gaius sure is strong, but... I mean, you know Gaius has to go to enjoy being king, so keep doing it for so long / against so many hazards, both great and small. Heh heh... Spoken like a true Elympion. But, I suppose you are right, in a way. I cherish my contact with people. It's a source of great personal strength. I suppose that a king's duty to offer guidance to his people is what appealed to me about leadership in the first place. Mark my words, Ludger. There's a lesson for you in this. Destroying worlds requires a sense of detachment, one that will corrode the strongest souls. If you continue to fight on your own, the isolation will consume you someday. Isolation means being alone, right? So there's no problem! Because Ludger's got all of us! Nya That's big talk from a little girl. Talking is my speci-ELLE-ity! Hm? You know, Gaius... They say "the more the merrier" about a lot of things including support. Heh... I suppose you're right. Feel free to call on me if you ever need help. Or, if you just feel like grabbing a drink. Whoa, nicely done, Ludger! It's not every day you become drinking buddies with a king. You picking up the tab? Hmph... Guess you're not that close of a buddy. Man... I'll be an old lady before I can finally publish this story about Gaius.This line starts a bonus scene, just like the first scene of this chapter.  Apparently I just don't have a very Leia-like mindset, since L1 raises her affection but I chose the opposite. Maybe you don't know this about him...but I have it on pretty good authority that if you cross Gaius and he finds out...he'll cross you right out of existence!Not...impossible for a guy like Gaius, if he sets his mind to it. In any case, the Waymarker we acquired was the Long Dau's Dust, which was mentioned as one of the recipes in an inn in Tales of Zesitira. Zesty, much like basically all other Tales games, references previous games a LOT with items and accessories and such, and simply other random stuff like that. In a more direct connection, there's a dusty old Teepo doll you can find in a market in one of the late-game towns. Incidentally, that's one reason I really like the Tales series. All Tales games, great and small (for the most part) are usually referenced in some capacity in the later games. For example, very few people would say Tales of Legendia is their favorite Tales, even though I thought it was a perfectly fine game that would be considerably improved with a remake. Even in this game, which is vastly more popular, Legendia is acknowledged. There're connections everywhere in this series.  Moving on, Nova informs us of yet another seahaven opening up. The Lakutam Seahaven leads to the Xian Du / Kanbalar area of Rieze Maxia, so we've got a big new chunk of land to hit the trails on for the remainder of this chapter. Which, hm... Turns out that chapter was a bit longer in the word count than I anticipated. I guess all my Gaius Gushing spiked quite a bit, but to be fair, Rowen's first chapter was not an insubstantial part of that. Well, we'll have a clean slate to start the post-story Chapter 8 stuff next time. Update 14 alternate choices compilation Sylphid fucked around with this message at 07:10 on May 25, 2016 |
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May 21, 2016 03:21
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Skit video is private?
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May 21, 2016 03:38
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wdarkk posted:Skit video is private? Dammit, I realized that like 10 seconds before you posted this. They were all private before just a moment ago, actually.
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May 21, 2016 03:41
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Is that what Chivalry does? poo poo, that's actually a lot more impressive than I expected it to be. If I didn't already spend every second of fighting as Gaius with Ludger as my partner to raise his affection I would be now.
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May 21, 2016 03:59
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Other references: The inns in Zesty are named after the six Great Beasts from Rebirth, which we didn't even get in the states. Oh, don't forget to show off the cameo sidequests that give the Sealed Weapon's descriptions.
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May 21, 2016 06:25
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Speaking of final bosses... This is what the face of defeat looks like, from the true form of the final battle of Zesty on Chaos difficulty. I was 1-2 seconds away from defeat when this was taken, but I managed to stop him right after this moment in the battle. I mean, sure, the fight has awesome music and is suitably climactic, but on Chaos difficulty the final boss has 600,000 HP, by faaaaar the most of any boss in the game. Doesn't get much more tense than that. Sylphid fucked around with this message at 02:02 on May 22, 2016 |
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May 22, 2016 01:53
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Gaius bears Shoulder Yuri with a quiet dignity.
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May 22, 2016 21:30
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Apologies in advance if the next bunch of updates are pretty slow coming out. I've been feeling like crap lately, and have kinda gotten burned out a bit working on this thread, so until such time as I can work on updates a lot more than I do now, things will be slow.
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May 25, 2016 20:47
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Sylphid posted:Apologies in advance if the next bunch of updates are pretty slow coming out. I've been feeling like crap lately, and have kinda gotten burned out a bit working on this thread, so until such time as I can work on updates a lot more than I do now, things will be slow. Ugh. I've been there.
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May 25, 2016 20:49
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Sylphid posted:Apologies in advance if the next bunch of updates are pretty slow coming out. I've been feeling like crap lately, and have kinda gotten burned out a bit working on this thread, so until such time as I can work on updates a lot more than I do now, things will be slow. Tip: If you get the time, take a bubble bath. It sure helps me when life gets stressful and I'm not feeling well.
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May 30, 2016 04:27
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While I'm feeling much better than when I wrote that post, I still apologize in advance for how long this is taking to restart. Good news: I'm nearly done with the next update and it should be done within the next six hours or so.
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Jun 1, 2016 22:56
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Sylphid posted:While I'm feeling much better than when I wrote that post, I still apologize in advance for how long this is taking to restart. Did a bubble bath help?
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Jun 2, 2016 04:01
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Part XV: The Man Who Understands So, as you might expect we've got a ton of new jobs / character quests to take care of after finishing the chapter. Let's start that long road here in Duval, continuing Alvin's story.  Reluctant salesman  Hey. How's it hanging? Of course, the inquisitive remark on the right is what you want to raise Alvin's affection. Not what I went with... Trying to make money, of course. It would help if my partner showed up.Right on time, Vera calls. I doubt that's who Alvin had in mind... Vera from the DODA. We've detected a new fractured dimension. Great timing, as always. It's my job. Ha. Please review the coordinates that I've sent you. The rift appears to be in Duval. I look forward to hearing your report. They found a new one for you, huh? You gonna take the gig? I wonder what sorta dimension this one'll be? Trying to entice me into coming along, huh? Heh. It worked. So this character chapter, like Elize and Milla chapter 1, has no fighting whatsoever in it, unless you want to, that is. Let's get the skinny on what's going...  This guy is referring to the Rieze Maxian-Elympion pair (Yurgen and Alvin respectively), of course. Seems the Alvin and Yurgen of this world are a highly successful merchant duo, and that Yurgen is getting married to Isla, who was fiancee in the first game, but passed away (at least from what I remember. That's one subplot I'm kinda murky on the whole details on). So, all in all a not too shabby fractured dimension.  Ah...so we're going to be going after a pile of rocks? Interesting. Well, it wouldn't be the first time I've fought a stationary, non-violent, pile of rocks as a "boss fight" in a JRPG. Anyway, after you get this message Yurgen will be standing just outside the train station.  An unsettling development  Did you already finish the delivery? Yeah, about that... The delivery date's changed. Something about a scheduling conflict. Really? That's awfully sudden. Oh, isn't that Leia? What've you been up to? Oh, hey... You know, work and stuff. That reminds me, how's Isla doing? Pretty well, considering. Baby's doing great, too. Kicking up a storm. You're having a little baby?! Wow! Well, it's only polite. Thanks. I can hardly believe it myself. Hightail it home already! I'll hold down the fort here. Your old lady's probably eating everything in sight. You're sure you can handle things? Trust me. I've got this. I'll check over the inventory and everything. You got the key?Yurgen hands it over... And Alvin... Yeah? You're a good partner. Thanks. Alvin looks troubled over something. Not hard to see why, but we might as well make sure with him. I cannot say my motives were entirely altruistic for this choice, however... Nah... Just thinking about the past. Are you okay? Couldn't be better. Except I feel like a jerk for lying to the guy. Yeah... Aww, is someone worried about me? Not if you're gonna make fun of me for it! Well there's no point in you feeling down about it. Besides... We haven't even gotten to the hard part yet. The key Yurgen gave us is for a storage room in Helioborg, so that's where we're going next. I find it funny that Leia mentioned trying not to get lost this time, where the biggest part of this challenge is getting lost in Helioborg looking for the drat room. At least it was that way for me. Anyway, skit (plus Alvin's affection increase choice), before we hit the road yet again.  However, we do have a cool optional scene to take in before we head to Helioborg. That's a good question, too. To trigger it, just head to the front door of Ludger's apartment building.  An alternate side Hm? Well, this is an unexpected guest. In spite of his tough-guy exterior, Alvin's a total softie, especially when it comes to people who call him a "friend". Hey there. Sorry for just dropping in. Any friend of Ludger's... So, business seems to be booming? Yeah, no complaints. Who'd have thought Little Alfie Cries-a-Lot would become such a big deal. Little Alfie? Cries-a-Lot? Uh... Come again? Have you forgotten? You used to tell me everything. Of course, you were a lot littler then. I remember when Balan used to make fun of you for being shorter than all the neighborhood girls. Huh? He always had all the brains, even as a kid. I doubt you ever outwitted him. How... Catch you later, Alfie. Don't let Ludger do anything I wouldn't do. What was that about? Well, that was odd, that Julius and Alvin know each other in this dimension. Might as well mention that to him. Maybe ol' Alvin is keeping something from us. I'm as confused as you are. Now that I think about it... When I was younger...this older kid used to babysit us. And he was always humming that song. Really? So your babysitter was Julius?! Just because it was Julius here doesn't mean it's true in every dimension. But there can't be that many people who knew me when I was kid. Wow, can't say I expected this.No one could, Alfie... Anyway, onto Helioborg.  So the warehouse is on the first floor of the Development Wing, i.e. the building with the elevator. It took me like 15 minutes to find this drat place...  On a different path Quite a haul! Someone's been busy. What are you doing?! Hey, relax! What's the problem? The buyer never got his goods! Why, Alvin? Why did you lie to me? What were you thinking? How can you do this so casually... Ludger! Stop! Why, Alvin? You traitor! Sorry man. It's gotta be this way. I... Oh, hey... What's up? Listen, about before... I'm sorry about what I said. I never meant to imply I didn't trust you. Oh, that... I was kind of a jerk about it. Well...you weren't exactly wrong. It's true that I tell lies like it's no big deal. Um, Alvin... I was afraid it sounded like that. I'm sorry. Quit apologizing! Sorry. It's okay. Anyway, I just wanted to say that. I didn't mean to interrupt.Yurgen takes off... Alvin... It's easy when I'm just telling people what they want to hear, but when I try to get along for real... I'm pathetic. C'mon. We're not gonna kick a guy when he's down. You got the do-gooder thing going on too, huh? Guess I'll never escape getting pep talks from kids. Guess I'll just have to redeem myself the hard way, through honest work. I don't have to hit it big from mining ore to make my business a success.That's the spirit man... Anyway, 20,000 gald is our reward for finishing up that chapter, but we've got quite a bit more work to do this chapter, even though the required payment is 100,000 to proceed with the game.  Maybe not the spirit, though...  Elle's fascination with books continues, sometimes in strange directions.  Next up, returning to the Deepwood (the North region, to be specific). We have an Elite Monster that has sprung from the earth since the end of Chapter 8, and we need to do a bit of pruning for a sizable monetary reward. The monster itself is at the same cliff that I showed you the nice view of the last time we were here.  Yikes... Ghastly Stump  In spite of his size, and very powerful attacks, this is one of the easiest bosses in the game. His vulnerability is to Fire, which explains Gaius' presence, and just is the world's biggest punching bug. It's even really easy to heavy stun him and knock him to the ground, which makes this even easier.  It really is almost insulting how easy he is. Oh well, an easy 40,000 gald and 12,000 merit points for me.  Thanks for the vote of confidence, Nova...oh well, we need to be in the Sharilton area anyway for the next Elite Monster. Oh yeah, and we have our skit. Vera is telling us to head to Aladhi Seahaven to make contact with Rideaux's pursuit team to go after Julius. Yeah, we'll get right on that.  Like I said, we have an Elite Monster to take care of first, among other errands. Arrow Folzam  So this guy, if you tried a straight fight, would be extremely hard: he flies around, throws out status effects constantly, and is generally really powerful. However, he does have one critical weakness: when he uses a move called Trample Drop, he'll zoom off-screen high into the sky, then drops down on a target. If he does not hit anyone, he'll get stuck momentarily, then a few hits (he's vulnerable to Fire, which is why Gaius is here again) later, you'll heavy stun him and you'll be free to kick his rear end. There's really nothing to this fight other than that.  And yep, after 3-4 times of getting a heavy stun, you should be able to take him down, or at least take his health 85-90% down. A little rough, and you have to know the gimmick, but his failure is complete. Also, speaking of Sharilton and the Cumar Trail, we have one more thing to do around here...  Back in town Rowen, you're back! Lady Driselle has been worried sick about you. Please, pay her a visit so she knows you're okay. Why, I intend to do just that. Ah, Ludger. I should probably explain. Hmm? I once served Lady Driselle. She's an heiress of the Sharil family that has long ruled this city. I was just about to visit the manor and pay my regards to her, in fact. Hey! We wanna go! I want to see her, too! You should come with us! I seem to recall L1 raising Rowen's affection and R1 Elize's, but it seems I was mistaken, and L1 does nothing of consequence. Of course, if you can raise affection you should, no matter the character.. Edit: I got this right initially, thinking L1 raised Rowen's and R1 raised Elize's, when the guide I'm using saying R1 is the only worthwhile choice, because it raised Elize's affection without mentioning the Rowen choice. I was right the first time. Hee hee. I'm glad you're coming with us! Ludger will do our bidding! Ho ho ho. It's settled then. Hm, pardon me a moment. I must respond to this text. Rowen types up a storm. You know, I like using my phone to type stuff, but the auto-correct is so sensitive. It doesn't even like "I'm"! Do forgive me.However, as soon as you approach the manor, another scene...  Mysterious grandpa Please, go on ahead without me. I'll follow shortly. What is it? Oh, nothing important. It won't take but a moment. He sure left in a hurry. What's ol' beardo up to? I'm sure Rowen, if he were here, would appreciate the concern L1 shows. Huh? Why? He did say to go without him, but I dunno. Yeah, I'm worried about him. Let's hurry. He went towards the Culmar Trail. The cost of doing business Well, he sure didn't get too far. Ludger... I wish you'd gone ahead as I asked. Another easy choice. I shall feel this tomorrow, but no injuries of consequence. Thank you. Did these people attack you? But why? They're from a group of extremists who oppose peace between the realms. They don't seem particularly fond of me. I took the opportunity to settle our political differences. At their insistence, of course. Well, if neither choice raises affection, might as well add our own commentary on things. Those proposing radical change never take the safe path. I was fully prepared to contend with this level of resistance. At my age, I have little time for regrets. I will give this cause everything I have. Yeah... Pardon me. I've received another message. Ah, if it isn't Marcia. Marcia the Chancellor?! You two are pen pals?! Incidentally, yes. I reached out to her after the last fractured-dimension incident. I'm happy to say that now, we like to exchange messages from time to time. Of course, we must acknowledge Rowen still has some skills, even at his age. It's not like we're exchanging state secrets. We just discuss the works of Bradbury and such. Charming. So what does the message say? I'll read it aloud. "We've received intel that Elympion extremists intend to make an attempt on your life. Please respond with your current whereabouts immediately. I will do everything I can to help." You sure are Mr. Unpopularity! Wait... But help's on the way, right? No help will be forthcoming. I have declined her offer. You declined? What?! Are you nuts?! I know that she means well. And for that, I am most grateful. Yet I fear the opponents of peace might take advantage of the situation to undermine the diplomatic process. Therefore...  However, we're quickly surrounded... They're already here?! Things are moving too fast! Time to take out the trash.  That was scary. Oh... Thanks. Ah, Chancellor Marcia. What's it say?! "Part of me wants to call you a fool, but... I know that's not true. I had the same concerns as you. Be safe, Rowen. I look forward to sitting opposite each other at the next diplomatic conference. P.S. You are a most impressive man, as is this King Gaius you so honorably serve." It sounds like you've really gotten the Chancellor to trust you and Gaius. How I wish I could believe that... L1 raises his affection, but R1 to cheer him up, as it were. He's right! At your age, you need all the heart you've got left! After all, "Widespread joy is a greater joy for all." Right? Thank you, everyone. Now, I do believe we're late for an appointment with Lady Driselle. Let's not keep her waiting!And keep her waiting I did not...  The Lady of Sharilton It's so good to be home! You both look well. What a relief! We happened to be in the neighborhood, so we thought we might impose upon you for a moment. You know you're always welcome here. And you too, Ludger. What about me and Rollo? Of course, I'm delighted to see you, too! You have the best timing. I've been planning a little activity I was hoping to share with you. An activity? What do you have planned, milady? Well, you see... Woo, what could it be? It's a time capsule! A time capsule? I'm sure Ludger knows what one is, so I don't think we'll have to ask. I'm sure Rowen will appreciate the sentiment for L1, and I was right. Of course. The more, the merrier! What's a time capsule? It's a casket filled with all sorts of items. We'll bury it and dig it up years from now for nostalgia's sake. It's great fun! Hey, that does sound like fun! But why the sudden interest in time capsules? It's not sudden. I've been planning this for ages. I wanted to do something together that we'd all remember. Something unforgettable... I love it. Then it's settled! Everyone pick something you're willing to part with for a while. What should we bury? How 'bout you, Teepo? No way! I'm claustrophobic!Didn't stop Elize from putting Teepo in a small box and putting him away in Xillia 1's epilogue video, though. I kinda don't think they intended for this game to exist in the first place after Namco-Bandai was done with the first game, but by all accounts Xillia 1 was a huge success, so here we are. Hmm, what should I choose? The harder your decision, the more memorable it'll be! Ho ho ho. Very well said, Lady Driselle. Okay, go figure out what you'd like to have buried, everyone!But before we make this oh-so-critical decision, we have Rowen's second affection skit. Apparently Ludger is 20. Guess they do say... Well, he's old enough to drink in Japan, and I believe a few states, so I guess Ludger can indulge with some alcohol if Alvin brings him out drinking sometime, or decides to pal around with ol' Erston. Bugger...after making the skit I forgot to include it. Next time.  There's really no need to sweat this decision, though Driselle's enthusiasm is appreciated.  And this is why. All of these items are utterly worthless to me now, so choose whatever. I chose the Blades for their nostalgia value, as it were. Great, everyone's ready! Let's bury the capsule right here.  How long do you intend to leave it buried, Lady Driselle? Good question... I figure an even decade will do. Ten years... You'll be a grown-up, Elize! Me too! I'm afraid I might not be around. Hush, Rowen! This just means you're stuck staying alive for at least another decade. I expect you back here in ten years, no matter what! Lady Driselle... That's an order! Yes, mistress. Hehe, ten years... I hope the time flies by! I wonder what the world will be like then? And that's that. Not to give away *too* much, but that's not the last we'll be hearing about that time capsule this thread. Anyway, for now...  We're headed to the Lakutam Seahaven, to head to Kanbalar for real. Along the way, we'll have to pass through a town called Xian Du, which has another path that leads from it. We won't be taking the latter part, and will leave the Kanbalar area as our last stop this chapter. In any case, once you've captured this kitty and have stocked up on new weapons / armor / accessories as you see appropriate, time to hit the trails again.  So, another trail, another lotta nothing to talk about. We do have a cat, hidden in a cave.  This one, to be exact, in the second-to-last region of the trail. This cat in particular is called Sir Meows-a-Lot. I'm pretty sure people have been making Lancelot jokes ever since he was a thing in Arthurian legend.  And here we are. Shortly after entering, you'll get a skit, followed shortly by another, where Rowen reveals a terrible secret of Gaius'. Gaius fighting spirit is as sharp as ever, and of course, one cannot overlook the massive coliseum in plain sight upon entering. If you know anything about Tales games, you know there's gonna be a cameo battle sooner or later. This game...has quite a few special battles that take place there. There is one in particular, THE cameo battle of this game, that is the final boss of this game in every sense of the term, except for the plot. Basically, you have to overcome every OTHER challenge in the game to earn the right to an audience with this battle, and it's going to be one of the very last things I do in this thread.  Down near the boat that will take you to the coliseum, there is a cat in a fight for its life. It would be unseemly of us to leave it to its fate.  Like I said, a kindly ferryman is the only way to get to the coliseum, and once there, you can sign up for a 2-party member team battle against a gauntlet of monsters. This fight is...actually really hard. Gaius is an excellent choice because of Calamity Stance insta-killing monsters, but once you hit the last stage of the fight, you'll be constantly bombarded by spells and it just turns into a big ol' mess. Well, you can assess my performance from this video.  Oh yeah, and this dragon? It too can be a victim to Calamity Stance, amazingly enough. Also, even if you do complete this challenge (and there's really no need to at this point in the game), this is the only fight you can participate in for now.  One of the passages from Xian Du leads to...  Oh hey, we've been here before. As you might expect, almost all enemies here are weak to Fire, so anyone who can exploit that is a good choice here. Rowen...is not.  When you get to a split path, take the right branch, and you'll end up in an ice cave. After traveling through (head straight, then look for a cave path on the right to proceed to the more wide-open area...  In the following area, there's nothing particularly notable, except for this field of flowers. If I remember Elize's backstory correctly, this is where the house she lived with her parents was located before it was destroyed, her parents were killed, and she was adopted by the criminal Jiao (who, as mentioned, was one of the Chimeriad), and moved into her house in Hamil. I believe there's only a few Princessias you can actually get in the course of a single playthrough. Other than that, unless I'm mistaken / it shows up at some point, there are no cats in this area.  Before you get back on your way, don't forget this easy-to-miss cat. Now how did you get up there, detective? Also, this cat has a collar on it, which is good for one of the cat postings on the job board.  The greatest ingredient After making it to Kanbalar, we have Milla's chapter. However, do feel free to case Kanbalar quite a bit, even Castle Gaius. After all, we are buds with its master, aren't we? Found you. Come with me. Are we playing hide and seek? Nope. Try again. We're heading out. Make sure your gear's in order. Mind telling us where we're going? Someplace in the neighborhood. Why are we going there? To get a bear paw! Correct. I heard they live nearby. You can make a world-class soup stock out of a bear's paw, you know. I'm talking grade-A gourmet. Wait... Do you mean the ones that live in the Nala Lava Tubes? Oh, you've seen one? Is it cute and fluffy? Those aren't exactly bears... They're violent bear-type monsters. Precisely. Why do you think I asked for your help? We could always take the sarcastic tack, but R1 seems like the safest bet at this juncture. Consider it a test of your ability to improvise. You did promise to help, Mr. Second-Best. So it's settled then. Let's hunt some bear!  Oh yeah, a skit before we go. Elle gets along great with Alt Milla and Gaius, surprisingly enough. I can understand Gaius, though. She's the only talking member of the party who is not named Gaius whom Gaius tried to kill (Milla excepted). I can understand the awkwardness of the original Xillia cast toward him.  So onto the Lava Tubes, but first we have a stop here in the Xialen Woods Temple, a cool little area of no particular importance at any point in the story, but it's a quiet little place, so let's stop in.  On the first floor, you can hear a strange "Yo..." sound effect coming from the pews. This one has our next feline companion, Woodrow. Now, he has a familiar color scheme if you are an extensive Tales veteran, either from Tales of Destiny or Symphonia. There was a character who originated in Tales of Destiny named Woodrow Kelvin, who many English-speaking Tales fans probably know better as Garr Woodrow from Tales of Symphonia's cameo battle (he was the archer in blue armor). Although Destiny does have the honor of being the first localized Tales, it was released before the turn of the millennium, during those dark days when Tales of Eternia didn't even get its proper name for the English release, the thought of dubbed OPs were considered heresy and the only appropriate punishment was burning at the Anime Stake, and if you wanted dubbed skits, pal, you were in the wrong neighborhood. Alas, how times have changed, and significantly for the better. Unless I am mistaken, Dawn of the New World / Vesperia's twin releases in 2006 were really the focal point for modern Tales localizations. Argue about the quality of each as much as you want, but for the first time we got dubbed skits, and there was just no going back. Aside from all that, there's really nothing else to do here except head to the upper levels for a free inn (much like the one in Nia Khera), which you should take advantage of. We've got some bears to catch when you're ready to raise the sails.  Into the forest, whose only remarkable feature are these annoying as hell Ice Golems, who are one among a few enemy types that block way too much for anyone's enjoyment (use spells if they're doing that a lot). Also, one of the easiest cats in the game to find. To reach the Lava Tubes, continue heading in the same direction Ludger was facing when we got here. The other path leads to the Ice Caves, which we don't need to go to for now.  After climbing a ladder once you hit a cliff side, you'll get to your destination. The Lava Tubes have some rather tough enemies for this point in the game, but the Gentlefreet here do have a very valuable drop / steal: Miracle Gels, which restores 60% HP and TP and these guys are a free source of them. As you imagine, I've killed a lot of these guys over the course of my Xillia 2 career. They aren't exactly pushovers, but not overly tough, either. Of course, once you're a bit further in the game, you can easily massacre these guys and get tons of Miracle Gels for free. Or, you could be a cheap bastard with Calamity Stance.  Further on, we find another cat, clearly in trouble. Let's get Scratchy out of here, pronto. I leave any and all Simpsons references to your discretion, dear reader.  Next area has our inevitable boss fight arena (hey, it was the boss fight when we Milla's half of the team came through here in Xillia 1).  Bear hunt Then let's split up and search. Any luck?Milla starts running, but trips on something... Ah! Oh no! Milla! Well, there's only one chivalrous thing to do. Increases her affection, as you might guess. Th-Thank--  What happened? Ludger was totally grabbing Milla's-- Wahhh, Elle! That's enough! What? I wasn't that loud... Milla! Behind you! Huh?  Another one of these things, huh... Anyway, just like Graddic and Heavy Claw, you can pretty well anticipate what this guy might throw at you. As you might expect, he's weak to Water and strong against Fire, but Milla's a good choice to control because she can hit a wide variety of elements fairly easily and can start off a combo with a Splash Spirit Shift, which will throw out Aqua Protection for a stagger. After that, it's the same ol' story.  That'll do, folks. That's not the kind of bear I had in mind. Not even close... *sigh* Your cooking secrets. Teach them to me. Immediately. Now?! Consider it an apology for your crass behavior. It's your chance to wipe the slate clean. Well, Ludger's kept himself alive so far humoring Milla and going along with her. No reason to stop now. Smart boy. It's easier for everyone this way. Is everything...okay over here? Couldn't be better. I'm finally ready to make the ultimate soup. Mostly. It just needs a few finishing touches. I have the ultimate secret weapon! And one final affection-raising choice, inquiring about her secret weapon. It'd hardly be a secret if I told you about it! Besides, if I told you, I'd never get to number one. You're certainly in this to win. To be honest, I don't care that much. I just want to see the look on Elle's face. What are you talking about? We're discussing how thoroughly I'm going to trounce Ludger. Really? Really really. Isn't that right, Rollo? NyaI believe that means "Yes". Rollo's heart is a finicky one. Also, thanks to the gald payout from that fight, I'm now over 139k, so Nova is calling up to collect. This time, for bonus items delivered to the mailbox! We'll go collect those next time before we wrap a few things up before heading to the next chapter. Sound good? Update 15 alternate choice compilation Update 14 / 15 victory compilation Sylphid fucked around with this message at 01:37 on Jul 4, 2016 |
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Jun 2, 2016 06:41
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alchargia, we're gonna need a full line-up from you for the next update. I'm talking all nine characters. Think you can hack it?
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Jun 2, 2016 06:42
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You used Teepo's portrait for Veras lines at the start. Also missed a generic lady portrait at the start of Rowan's chapter.
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Jun 2, 2016 07:07
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Rowan is the best character and grandpa.
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Jun 2, 2016 09:20
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Sylphid posted:alchargia, we're gonna need a full line-up from you for the next update. I'm talking all nine characters. Think you can hack it? Ludger is so enamoured by his new best best best friend Gaius that he's wearing Gaius's Hairband and has Gaius's Crest and is in that one outfit whose name is a spoiler because it looks the most like Gaius. Jude is trying to pretend he doesn't know the rabid, raving Gaius fanboy it turns out he's friends with, so he's put a censor bar over his head and is wearing earmuffs. If you must speak to Jude, you must speak to Li'l Jude, who is riding shotgun. Also he's in his scrubs for some reason. Milla is taking this whole everyone-you-know-and-love-is-dead thing pretty well, because it turns out she is actually secretly the Monkey King, Sun Wukong. She put on her headband, Sly Glasses, and Spirit Outfit for the occasion. Elize has been watching a bunch of Clint Eastwood movies and has been practicing Teepo's guttural growl. Ten Gallon Hat. Rideaux's Shades. A Topknot. Yeah, it goes through her hat. Rowen recovered from being eaten. He claims one of his eyes got cut in the process, so he's wearing an eyepatch, but his new tragic backstory of being eaten by a dragon means that he can become Rowen-Man, the new superhero on the block! Throw off your jacket, Rowen-Man, and tune those artes! His eyebrows are so striking! Alvin has achieved Douchebag Level 2, so it's not time for my ultimate weapon yet. That said; Aviators. No jacket. Pipe. Spaz Glasses. That's right. He's wearing aviators and spaz glasses. His future's so bright. Leia is late for school. She's running with her backpack and her half-frame glasses. She did her hair up in pigtails for added moe value. Her cheeks are rosy. Oh... Leia-chan! So kawaii!! If only there was a toast attachment... Gaius doesn't have time for this dress-up bullshit, he's a king. You'll never scratch me. Light squall! (Leia stuck her hat on him before he got away, though.) Muzet is wearing a Chirpee head, a ribbon on back of her Chirpee head, and a glowing antenna. It's not Halloween, Muzet. Get out of the bird head.
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Jun 2, 2016 18:21
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Poor Rowen. Hounded ceaselessly by a bunch of people who think martyring the leader of the peace process is going to stop it.
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Jun 6, 2016 01:13
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Sylph, you gonna LP Atelier Sophie?
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Jun 9, 2016 03:05
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Junpei posted:Sylph, you gonna LP Atelier Sophie? Probably not. I needed a vacation from Atelier LPs after the struggle that was getting to the end of Shallie successfully (I was seriously considering closing it early in the thread), and nothing I know about Sophie particularly makes me think it will turn out any differently. As much work as it takes to make an average update for this thread, Atelier threads were a lot worse, which is why I have to be more selective of which Ateliers I do in the future. Will I always feel the same? I have no idea. It's not like the forum is particularly champing at the bit for more Atelier threads (of the ones I know of, I've done 6 of the games, and Feinne has done 1), so yeah. I mean, I'm sure I'll enjoy the game whenever I'm fortunate enough to get around to playing it, but there's a universe of difference between playing and enjoying a game and doing a good thread on it.
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Jun 12, 2016 22:49
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