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Lotus Aura
Aug 16, 2009

KNEEL BEFORE THE WICKED KING!


Look at this thing. Look at it. It's really simple but effective. It's almost a movie poster in how its framed. It's almost as if it's trying to go "Doesn't it look really cool? Doesn't it seem like this game is going to be awesome?"

Whoo boy, do I have some bad news for you...



Strange Journey is the fourth game in the mainline Shin Megami Tensei series except when it isn't. Just think of it as 3.5 and move on, because that's what I do. It was released in 2010 for the DS and is not very good. It's not BAD either, mind you. It's just... kind of mediocre overall. It has some things to like, some things to dislike but on the whole it's really nothing to get fired up about one way or the other.

Also it's really, really easy which is like the biggest sin it could commit.

Welcome to Antarctica
Aboard The Red Sprite

Sector Antlia
Rescue Jimenez
Engine Restoration
Antlia B1F
Master Morax
Antlia Clean Up

Sector Bootes
Emergency Signal Inquiry
Rescue Zelenin
Morality Pet
Bootes Rosetta Search
Master Mitra
Bootes Clean Up

Sector Carina
Mastema's Request
Graviton Radio Recovery
Master Horkos
Carina Clean Up

Sector Delphinus
Treatment Development
Delphinus Parasite Treatment
Delphinus Rosetta Search
Master Asura
Delphinus Clean Up

Sector Eridanus
Find the Vanishing Point
Signal Investigation
Mother
Ouroboros Maia
Eridanus Clean Up

Sector Fornax
Defeat The Three Demons
Jack's Squad HQ
Mother Tiamat
Fornax Clean Up

Sector Grus
Pacify Jack's Squad
A Decision
Eliminate Jack's Squad
Mother Maya
Grus Clean Up

Commander Gore
Find The Four Cosmic Eggs
Jimenez
Sector Horologium
Horologium Clean Up
The World of Law

Intermission: New Game+
The Mother Goddess' Gravestone
Chaos-mic Eggs & Mastema
The World of Chaos

Bomb Materials Retrieval
False God in Chains
The World of Man

Lotus Aura fucked around with this message at 23:26 on Mar 30, 2017

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Lotus Aura
Aug 16, 2009

KNEEL BEFORE THE WICKED KING!
EX Missions!

Like, all of them. Whether they are completed or not. In order of acceptance, rather than the in-game order (which puts them in a weird order that makes no sense anyway).

There's a lot of these things, so I'll keep them on the test poster for convenience. If you really care enough to check 'em out, you can find them here:

:siren: EX Missions :siren:

Note that these only apply to what occurred in the first cycle so keep that in mind before you feel like complaining about something.

Records

Better known as "achievements." There's zero point to caring about these, but they're a fun way to track progress... even though some of them are not remotely doable during a normal playthrough. These'll be in the same order as in-game rather than order done, because keeping track of that is kind of ridiculously hard. And pointless.

There are a lot of these things, so I'll keep them on the test poster for convenience. If you really care enough to check 'em out, you can find them here:

:siren: Records :siren:

Note that these only apply to what occurred in the first cycle so keep that in mind before you feel like complaining about something.

Lotus Aura fucked around with this message at 23:26 on Mar 30, 2017

Lotus Aura
Aug 16, 2009

KNEEL BEFORE THE WICKED KING!


I have... very, very mixed feelings on Strange Journey. We'll get to that in time, though.

I mean I'm sure the OP made that clear but I know not everyone reads that. I even made it short for once!


Opening Exposition
okay for real here whenever you see a video link just watch it if you can it's much easier for everyone (it also won't happen very often)



You may have noticed by now that a lot of Atlus games begin with this. Yeah, that's just a thing that they do for some reason.


Eternal Throne





















End

...I see what you did there, game. It's not very funny nor clever!

Chaos Theme



They are talking amongst themselves while staring at a large monitor...



The civilian populace is still unaware. Our information control program is going smoothly.
Ah, we're just in time for the broadcast... The news should be reporting exactly what we want.





We're here to discuss the newly received data.
This... This is what it looks like inside that thing?
But that's ridiculous! How could there be a battlefield THERE!?





This is a shopping mall, for God's sake! Someone must have gotten the signals crossed.





What is this, some sort of red-light district? Wrong data or no, I find this in very poor taste.





Waste material, sludge... nonsense. We still don't know what that land in the South Pole looks like...



All nations with nearby bases have been reviewing their options in light of its tremendous force...
A joint decision was reached and carried out today to temporarily withdraw from the bases.



If word of that got out, there'd be a panic. And if they knew it was growing... I shudder to think.
Horrifying to think of them going in there, isn't it?



Be that as it may, our decision cannot be overturned.
We have no other way but to send humans in to investigate...
Our only choice... is to go into the Schwarzwelt.

The South Pole

The Beginning of the End





So, about that "them"?



It's these four APCs. That's it.





Naturally, we will be focusing more on one of these than the others...





And there's our destination, looming ominously...


End

Silence



We at the Schwarzwelt Joint Project will be praying for you on behalf of all of humanity.
It's in your hands now, Commander Gore. Be safe, and make sure you complete your mission.

Morale



Then I look forward to good news from you upon your arrival. Excuse me...
......



We will arrive at our destination, the Schwarzwelt, in thirty minutes.
Our mission as the Schwarzwelt Investigation Team is about to get underway.



But it's only going to be harder from here on out, so get used to it.



If we all lend each other our support and work as a team, this mission will go smoothly.
Enough pep talk, though. It's time for our last formal briefing before entry.
First, to tell us about the land we're about to enter, the Schwarzwelt...
I'd like to introduce to you First Lieutenant Zelenin.





I will now explain what observed data we have on the Schwarzwelt's inner structure.



Oh, right, uh, you will very quickly notice that everyone with an actual name and face has exactly one sprite. Also the opening half hour is basically one giant, extended cutscene.

But this phenomenon is one of a kind. We have nothing of its like to compare it to.



It is an unknown spatial anomaly that destroys and absorbs its surroundings as it enlarges.
When it first appeared, it was a cylinder only one meter in diameter that stretched to the sky.
Since then, it has spread radially, swallowing surrounding observation bases and any investigators whole.
Today, it occupies a sizable footprint with a radius of several hundred kilometers.
As we speak, the Schwarzwelt continues to expand...
If we cannot engineer a reversal of the process, then it will inevitably swallow the Earth.



There is a several thousand meter wall surrounding the Schwarzwelt's outer rim.
This barrier is a plasma cloud that dismantles all approaching objects at a molecular level.



Unfolding within the anomaly is a bizarre landscape we've had a hard time getting readings on.
This is due to some sort of property the interior has that repels foreign bodies...
Whatever this property is, it's destroyed each and every unmanned probe we sent in.



It paints a bleak picture for our mission, no matter how one interprets it...
But as many of you know, we have effective ways of dealing with each of those obstacles.
The Joint Project assembles its team and equipment based on the data we've collected so far.
I am certain that if we all work as one, we can carry out our duties safely and efficiently.
This concludes my report.
Thank you for that clear and concise explanation, Lieutenant Zelenin.
Now, Arthur will confirm our mission. He'll be the one managing the assignments and duty roster.



I will support you by coordinating our systems with those of the other ships to devise a strategy.



It may feel strange to take orders from him at first, but you'll quickly get used to it.
Please continue, Arthur.
This team's mission is to conduct a detailed investigation of the Schwarzwelt's inner structure.
The Schwarzwelt Joint Project is currently reviewing plans to destroy the anomaly.
However, due to a lack of data, no sound plan for its definitive elimination has been submitted.
If your investigation sheds new light on the Schwarzwelt...



Lieutenant Zelenin's briefing may have caused some pessimism.
To investigate the Schwarzwelt's interior may seem an impossible feat at first.
But with the amphibious assault ship we are all currently aboard, our mission becomes feasible.



It can also go airborne for brief intervals.



So the plasma cloud barrier destroys things at a molecular level... but is a non-issue because you can just fly over it? Then why make a big deal out of the barrier?



Our ship, which is in command of the overall mission, is Ship 1, the Red Sprite.
Ship 3, the Elve, houses many scientists who will be pivotal in our research.
Ships 2 and 4, the Blue Jet and Gigantic, will serve as combat support should emergencies arise.



Okay, so Red Sprite, Blue Jet and Elve are all named after weather phenomena involving electricty and lightning within the upper atmosphere:



It's not super clear from this diagram for Elve or Gigantic though. Elve is most likely referring to ELVES:

Emissions of
Light and
Very low frequency pertubations due to
Electromagnetic pulse
Sources.

...That's still not the dumbest acronym we will be seeing in this very update. Maybe. It's super close though!

Gigantic is almost certainly referring to Gigantic jets, which are just the points of a thundercloud where lightning can originate from up to 70km in the atmosphere.

Now, that's a lot of information to take in at once (and not only do I expect you to not remember it, I also expect that I remembered something wrong).


A detailed survey of the anomaly, previously impossible with the unmanned probes: this is our duty.
I look forward to all of your support.



With all the ships working in tandem, investigating that place is far from impossible.
Our mission may be to challenge the unknown...
But we can make of it a unique experience of saving manking, and go home proud of what we've done!
Yes, Sir!
Yes, Sir!
Yes, Sir!
Let's see here...
We have a few visiting team members handpicked by the UN for this investigation...



Welcome. Another American, eh?
Why don't you get up in front of the group and introduce yourself?



Sure, okay. Being an SMT game, this has multiple routes and endings to contend with. We'll be doing all of them and I'll switch names between runs. For the first, I'll be going with the closest thing there is to a canon name... and it basically just means "some guy."

There ARE alternatives in the US manual, and I'll be using them in the future. Good? Good.




You will serve on this ship, the Red Sprite, under my command.
You've been assigned to be part of the strike team.



I realise I'm showing lots of screenshots of things that basically boil down to "the folks here are the best of the best of the best." It's because I want you to remember this. The game wants you to remember this.

I'll expect you and your teammates to act according to the code of conduct.



It's also worth bearing in mind that basically every single dialogue option is important. Handshake Simulator 2009 is among them.

I've heard a lot about your service record. I expect much from you.



We're shaking all the hands, obviously.

Strike team members, your briefing isn't quite through yet.
Meet me at the deck.
Those assigned to other duties, take your places aboard your respective ships.

Prayer



Alright, and now we have some degree of control. The start of the game is not really all that slow, but it can feel like it if you're not just holding X to skip through dialogue.



Speaking of dialogue, we can talk to these three fine individuals. One of them you should have recognised even before I brought up the options.



General crew dialogue, like this, updates fairly often and I will try to get as much of it as I can. The crew are cool and likable people, and are actual characters.

It's shocking, I know.


An American, eh? This team really is international.
We have all kinds here, but every one of them is the best of the best from the world's soldiers.
There won't be any trouble here, that's for sure, eh?



I'm going to presume he means learning the ropes with regards to how things will work about the Red Sprite, because they are very different and unique. The alternative is the game contradicting itself in less than 5 minutes.

Well, I'm sure if we stick together, we'll get through this just fine, eh?



Huh...? You don't know what the Demonica is?
Oh, you joined later... Guess you wouldn't have heard yet, huh?
Well, no matter. Commander Gore will explain it all soon enough.
For now, better go on over to the deck. A soldier always moves double-time!
...Or so they say, haha.

I'm beginning to notice... something, but it could be coincidence. Let's just talk to Mysterious Lady Zelenin now.



In my office's view, there is no doubt the Schwarzwelt poses a serious threat to mankind.
But what is man if not resourceful? Through cooperation, there are no problems we cannot overcome.
I am eager to do my part here for the future of mankind.



We must shake all the hands. This is basically the sole reason why I didn't just go right to the deck. Maximum handshakes will be important!

Oh, my apologies! How rude of me.
I very much look forward to working with you, Hitonari.



It's nice to meet a military man with such manners. You and I will make a good team, Hitonari.
With soldiers like you supporting us, how can we fail?



Okay, NOW we can leave the command room. We could go to the deck, but first there are two other places to check out!



Unfortunately, the sickbay is unavailable right now.



As is the, uh, lab. Welp, the deck it is I guess!


Malevolence and Benevolence



This is a scientific mission to investigate the Schwarzwelt.
Despite that, we must make allowances for the unpredictable.
That is your role. The strike team will patrol outside the ships to keep the area secure.
I know it sounds dangerous, but you've been given special equipment to help you in your task.



Developed as next-generation weaponry, the Demonica suit lets you function in harsh conditions.
Our early tests show that they're viable here in the Schwarzwelt.
I'll now give the floor to Crewman Jimenez to explain how the Demonica works.
He's already been specially trained in its use in order to pass it along to the rest of you.
Why don't you come up and show us, Crewman Jimenez?



Back in my outfit, I was a warrant officer, but I guess here I'm just one of the crew.
We're all part of the Schwarzwelt Investigation Team, so obviously, we're here to investigate.
Could be the science types might not even need us around.



So pay attention to what I'm about to tell you, even if it's just to dig your own grave.



But they weren't just talking about its ability to resist harsh conditions.
It's loaded with high-tech features.
To start with, you've got the fundamental AI system that supports your movements...
It boosts your existing strength and protects from harm according to your style in battle.



This is both not entirely true and also the worst thing about the Demonica!

But we'll get to that shortly. Very, very shortly.




It's extensible, so you can add features to your HUD by installing applications...
Enhanced vision, map markers, even battle data...
You can adjust it to show you all kinds of things.
So that's point two. The Demonica is smart, it evolves along with your battle performance.



But I'm under orders not to waste supplies. This op's expensive, y'see.
If you're smart, like the Demonica is, you should have no problems out in the field.
Just cross your fingers the brass doesn't value the inhuman resources more than the human ones.
......



Hey man, you pay me, and I'll do any mission you put me on... Long as it doesn't get me killed.
Thank you, Crewman Jimenez. Your personal philosophy aside, we'll all be relying on your skills.
If you put in the work, I'm sure you'll get everything you want.
You may even get the crew's gratitude as a bonus... but perhaps you don't much care for that.
Pff... Whatever.
All right, now that you've been briefed, you should begin initializing your Demonicas.

The End



So now we have most of our HUD already. Handy, that.

Yes, most. Just take a look at that obvious gap in the top-left.



And here... HERE, we have the stupidest acronym of the update. Maybe. Maybe you think ELVES is stupider. I give it to this one because it has bonus Engrish.


Welcome to the Demonica settings.

Before proceeding, there will be a personality test to best match this Demonica to your needs.

Please respond to the following scenarios naturally, honestly, and without deliberation.

Scenario One:
You are the sole survivor on a battlefield. You are hidden, with no ammunition in your pistol. You detect a single enemy approaching.



Now these questions are important for the, uh, second worst mechanic in the game. I am going to grab a very specific outcome in each instance we go through this too.

Scenario Two:
While infiltrating enemy territory, you spot the man who killed your comrade and closest friend. You can kill him easily, but the gunshot will expose you and your infiltration will be compromised.



Remember, we are not answering these with what fits correct military procedure.

Scenario Three:
You have been in a remote area on a mission and your relief has not arrived on schedule. You can abort the mission and go home now, but you have enough supplies to stay here longer.



Scenario Four:
You are piloting a helicopter to refuel. En route, an ally under attack requests help. You can help him, but it will take your remaining fuel, and it will be difficult to leave afterward. Other pilots have also received the distress signal, but you are closest to his position.



Scenario Five:
On a mission in occupied territory, you are asked whether to capture a religious leader who may be a spy. Catching a spy would be a great achievement, but the people may riot if this leader is captured.



This is the final question.

Scenario Six:
You have benen sent to the Schwarzwelt, where conditions are expected to be harsh. Yet you have advanced equipment, a strong ship, the latest tech, and dependable comrades.



Now this question is different. We'll answer the middle option again, as we did the past five times.



Yeah, so in this case you have to pick the first option. This choice is a non-choice so it doesn't affect anything.


There are no more questions. Thank you for your cooperation.



Okay, so! This quiz determines your chances of gaining specific stat gains at level up. Yes, rather than pick ourselves - like in uh every other SMT game ever - we get random level gains. Jimenez told us this, but implied that your actions affected it. They don't. This does. Luck support is the (debatably) best option because it gives you the following odds of the stat getting any given stat point.

Strength: 19%
Magic: 19%
Vitality: 19%
Agility: 19%
Luck: 24%

In the very, very, VERY long term you can ignore this entirely but until then you have no further control over level gains. In-game, at least.

There are no bad stats for the MC in this game which is why this is arguably the best support type to get. Ultimately, they're all random so it's fundamentally irrelevant which type you go for. The game does seem to also try to weight the odds so a stat doesn't fall
too far behind, but it's hard to say for sure when it has such inherent random chance.



But do not let that daunt you. You have your Demonicas, and what's more, you have iron wills!
Yes, Sir!
You're all relieved until we reach the Schwarzwelt.

Prayer



Alright, now we have a bit of a respite before the next scene. Like before, we'll take advantage of this to talk to folks.



I feel like there's no mission I can't accomplish with this thing on.
Hah, listen to me. I better look over the briefing notes before I get too lovestruck with the thing.
I can view those in the Documents folder in the Mission Log, right?
Isn't this your first time using the Demonica, too? You really should check this stuff out.

If you care about Documents, uh, don't. They're mostly just tutorial things that, bizarrely enough, are way too hand-holdy, so if you read them they make the game infinitely easier. And it's easy enough as it is.

Also they're irrelevant for an LP anyway. Which is way more important I think.




So you volunteered, I hear? Heh... Me, I only signed on to this gig for the money. That's all.
For all we know, the brass at the Joint Project are sending us out as meat shields.
And I'm sure you have no idea what I'm talkig about. Semper fi, right? Heh...



We shall never escape Handshake Simulator 2009.

At least not while we're meeting new people, anyway. A new person is a new hand to shake!


......
I have this thing about not getting too friendly with people before a risky mission.
When the crunch comes, you may need to leave a comrade behind for the sake of the mission.

So, we didn't actually shake Jimenez' hand but that's fine. We tried at least and that's what counts!



We have noticably less options overall in the Deck compared to the Command Room. We could try the Sickbay or Lab again, but the result would be the same as last time.



So we'll just head back to the Command Room and talk to this random guy.




The drones we sent in ahead of us were destroyed "in a manner inconsistent with accidents."
...Well, it's just a rumour. Our job is to find out the truth.

More important and required to advance the game is talking to Zelenin.



..."Schwarzwelt" is a term from a 1933 theory of Hammerschmidt's a German professor.

Just so we're absolutely clear, this is something that is not real. I do feel the need to point that out, yes.

I'll explain...
When human activity exceeds the world's natural capacity, and the balance of energy topples...
A corrective reaction occurs. It's simplest to think of it as Earth's antibodies attacking humanity.
Dr. Hammerschmidt's theory involved a prediction...



Now the Schwarzwelt has appeared, proving the existence of other dimensions...
And the destruction of the drones implies the possibility of intelligent life inside...
Or so some are saying. I'm still wondering if it's actually true...
Do you think they're out there?
I don't know.
...Not committing one way or the other yet, mm?



Quibbling over evidence and proof is everything for us scientists. You haven't been trained for it.
I am sorry to have imposed on you with such a strange question.

Alright, now we can go to any spot on the ship. It does not matter where we go.

Silence



We will soon be entering the Schwarzwelt.
Take your assigned posts.
Commander Gore, you are needed at the command room.



First Lieutenant Zelenin, Crewman Jimenez, I thank you for your participation in the briefing.
Everyone, return to your ships and prepare for entry.



Well everyone, it looks as though we must part ways for a while.
We scientists in Ship 3 are all looking forward to your support.
Let's work together for the sake of humanity!



Remember... you're on your own out there in the field. You gotta be strong, or you're toast.
If you're not confident in yourself, I suggest you get off now, while you still can.
But if you ARE... Well, I'll see you in the field.



The future of the world hangs in the balance! Never forget that!

Entering the Schwarzwelt





So, as we approach the Schwarzwelt at last our shield is raised and we prepare for entry.



Which involves being propelled upwards by thrusters. A whole four of them. Sure.



Plasma Shielding ready for in case its needed, I see.





The giant barrier around the Schwarzwelt is actually very tall, and also happens to draw in electrical storms? Huh.





And so we get up and over...



Which is not necessarily a good thing!



Just because the top is open, does not mean it is an easy entryway.



The Red Sprite immediately goes into alert status.



For very understandable reasons, as you can imagine.



Meanwhile a different ship just explodes immediately.



We still have our shield though, and are now descending. Despite the thrusters still being on. And pushing us up.

Y'know what? Okay. Fine. We get into the Schwarzwelt and that's all that matters.

Whether or not we landed in one piece is a different story though...


End

Lotus Aura fucked around with this message at 07:52 on Feb 13, 2017

TheOneAndOnlyT
Dec 18, 2005

Well well, mister fancy-pants, I hope you're wearing your matching sweater today, or you'll be cut down like the ugly tree you are.
Excellent choice of thread tag. Now, choice of game, on the other hand...

I really wanted to like this game, but I ended up giving up at the final boss because I just got sick of all of the bullshit it throws at you. Good luck.

tithin
Nov 14, 2003


[Grandmaster Tactician]



Oh man, I just got done reading LuisFe's version - will this have the post game stuff / new game stuff in it too?

Araxxor
Oct 20, 2012

My disdain for you all knows no bounds.
Mediocre, huh? Hm, I heard Strange Journey was a fantastic game, according to a lot of people. I guess I can find out for myself through this LP. :v:

Tallgeese
May 11, 2008

MAKE LOVE, NOT WAR


The game itself is all right mechanically.

Gwen
Aug 17, 2011

If you can stick with Strange Journey to the end, it's a great entry point for the series.

Ningyou
Aug 14, 2005

we aaaaare
not your kind of pearls
you seem kind of pho~ny
everything's a liiiiie

we aaaare
not your kind of pearls
something in your make~up
don't see eye to e~y~e

as someone who thought 'oh wow this game looks neat!' but could not *force* myself to play it for long, I am happy this LP exists. :3:

Kaboom Dragoon
May 7, 2010

The greatest of feasts

It's not a bad game, but it's not a fun game and the second half will make you question the existence of a kind and loving god.

Sally
Jan 9, 2007


Don't post Small Dash!
I really liked this game!*



*despite its numerous issues of which I couldn't fault a person for despising it for

Lotus Aura
Aug 16, 2009

KNEEL BEFORE THE WICKED KING!

tithin posted:

will this have the post game stuff / new game stuff in it

I am going to do every side quest at the earliest available opportunity, technically, yes. I'm not going to claim my order for that is ideal, mind you, because it probably almost certainly isn't.

Lotus Aura
Aug 16, 2009

KNEEL BEFORE THE WICKED KING!
Crisis





They're changing course, Sir... They're getting separated from the formation!



Our ship's being pulled in by an unknown gravitational force!
Control system alert! The nav systems have been compromised!
...I'm picking up a problem with the shield as well, Sir!
The plasma shield's output has dropped! It can't withstand the impacts from outside!
We'll be sitting ducks at this rate!
Arthur! Analysis and report!



It may have clashed with the organic defense system. Details at this time are unknown.
Analysis in progress...
..."Pursuing"!?
Am I to understand the Schwarzwelt is attacking our ship!?
This is ludicrous...!



That's enough of that! Cool it!
The drones we sent ahead got in fine, and the Red Sprite will too! This turbulence'll stop soon!
Man, I dunno... I don't think this is any kinda normal turbulence.



We're fighting men. This sort of danger comes with the territory.
...Here, you seem composed enough, Hitonari.
Feeling relaxed, are we?
Deep down, I'm praying.
Ah, more devout than you look, eh?
Well, give me a humble man any day over those whose bravado reaches nigh toxic levels...



Picking up an SOS from the Blue Jet! No response from the Elve or Gigantic!
The engine reactor is down!
The thrusters have stopped! We've lost navigation entirely!
drat! Get me Engineering!
Arthur, where is that analysis!?
The cause of the interference has yet to be determined.



Priority One is a soft landing. We will use our remaining energy reserves to control the ship.
...We're in for a crash landing!?



We're going down, Commander!
...Stay in there! Maintain evasive maneuvers!
It's us or nothing! We can't afford to be sunk here!

And thus the Red Sprite fell with a deafening roar...

Fear



There are three gentlemen sitting here with you...



Do they know who it is they are dealing with?
They cannot. If they did, they would not attempt this...
'Tis true. After all, there is no stopping the world's end...



Leave him. He is but a soul that will soon crumble.
No... no, this man... he may prove interesting.
Now that you mention it... he does look like a hardy one.
His soul will not be devoured so easily.
If the two of you say so, I will let your opinion sway me...
Up, yound man. We shall send you back.
But first, tell us your name.



Tadano Hitonari, yes. We shall remember that.
Now then, Tadano Hitonari.
Here in this blasted land of ruin, what will you find...?



But first, you must fall. Fall and struggle.
If a glimmmer of hope exists within you... show it to us.
Hey...
...Hey...!

You hear a voice calling from outside the room.

...Hey! Hitonari, can you me!?
Dammit, he's out cold! Hitonari! Hitonari...!
Tell no one of what you saw here.



Silence



Alright, he's breathing again! We can rest easy now!
Are you okay, Hitonari!? Are you lucid? Do you know who you are?
You were in cardiopulmonary arrest!



What was that...? It hit me like a ton of bricks...
Is everyone okay?
...Well, I guess he's still breathing.
Hitonari! Can you move?
This might hurt, so sorry about that. Doesn't look like you'll get a rest in this situation.
The electricity is shot. It's... Well, it's bad.



The ship has suffered a system crash of unknown causes while entering the Schwarzwelt.
As a result, we lost control of the ship and made a crash landing.
All the ship's engines have stopped, and Arthur, our command unit, is also out of commission.
We have yet to regain proper control of the ship.



All strike team members who hear this message must report to the command room immediately!
You'll receive further orders through the Demonica's comm. Keep it on at all times!
You may be exposed to the outside atmosphere at a moment's notice. Do NOT remove your Demonica suit!
I say again: Strike team members must report to the command room! That is all.



But without electricity, we can't even check to see what it's like out there!
That was a rougher landing than I expected. Guess the Demonica's our only lifeline for now...
Alright, Hitonari, let's move it and groove it to the command room!

In The Master's Name



We were sucked into a gravitational field, and now we're shipwrecked inside the Schwarzwelt.
Ship 2, the Blue Jet; Ship 3, the Elve; and Ship 4, the Gigantic...
All three are unresponsive. We're on our own, ladies and gentlemen.
But we are not sitting here and watiting for help to come. We have to get ourselves out of this jam.
Right now, we're trapped inside a powerless ship.
But if everyone works together, we can get out of here and on to the next step!



First order of business: the restoration of the Red Sprite's power.
We seem to be having trouble resetting the main reactor at the moment...
But the emergency sub-reactor should be bootable.
Once we get some energy flowing, consult Arthur for your next orders.
Engineering, do you read? Report!



Reading you loud and clear, Sir. Over!
Copy that, Terry. Glad you're all right.
I want you to start up the sub-reactor ASAP. Can you do it?
We need to get the ship's power up and running for Arthur.



The plasma armor, too, sir? That, I'm afraid, will take awhile.
Then get started. We need it.
We don't want to end up like the drones that got wrecked by "artificial causes," now do we?



There's no telling WHAT'S out there at present, but we should prepare ourselves while we can.
If we can keep the outside world at bay with our plasma armor, then whatever's waiting...

Silence



What's going on? Talk to me!



Why in God's name are you opening the hatch? Belay that right now!
I... I can't! There's no power to work the mechanisms!
Is someone... opening it!?
...Huh? I don't see anything...

Crisis



M-Man down! We're under attack!
One officer down! Unknown assailant!
Terry! What's going on!?
...I can't see him! I can't tell who's attacking us...!
Wh-What do we do? Commander, your orders, please!
......! Another man down!
Wha--!
Arrrrrrrrgh! ...Ahhh... ...ugh....



No, not Terry!



Get to the deck, on the double!
Secure Terry's safety and the rest of the deck crew's at once!
We can't die here! Am I understood?



We'll be seeing a lot of main missions throughout the game. They are all "here's the next main plot event."

We're counting on you, Hitonari!

Prayer



Alright, so now that we've gotten a plot change, that means available dialogue has changed. This is going to happen a lot. The Red Sprite crew are honestly really great so we'll get to talk to them a bunch!



Well, whoever it is, it's an invader of some kind! Never mind us, go provide backup!



You head to the deck and help them fend off the enemy there.



But you mustn't forget, everyone here is the elite of the elite.
There's nothing a force like that can't accomplish.
Now get to repelling those infiltrators! Go to the deck, soldier!

Well, you heard the Commander. Let's move on out!



Sadly, the Sickbay and Lab are still completely deserted so we really only have the one option right now.


Silence



Strong winds, huh? Gonna keep that one in mind.



Looks like we were too late to save Terry. Dammit, and he was my favorite too!




Oh...! You're one of us! Did you come to save me?



I know what you're thinking at this point. There's no way to identify any specific one person from their Demonica alone, right?

You're mostly right, yes. Hitonari here is a bit... different though. His Demonica is unique:



If it's not really super-obvious what makes it different, just compare it to every other Demonica we've seen. Or look at the image in the music videos sometime, or check the OP. It's more obvious in them. Either way, there's one feature that should stand out.


I'm Terry, with Engineering!

Oh and Terry's okay! :swoon:

Be careful... Whatever attacked us should still be in the area.
We have to restart the sub-reactor and get the deck and armor up and running again!
So if you're on the strike team, you must have weapons on you, right?
I'm going into the reactor room from the side of the deck to restart the sub-reactor.
I need you to stop any attacks from coming into the reactor room! I'm counting on you!

> Terry went into the reactor room...

Okay, great. Our first mission is guard duty. Sure, whatever. Hard to mess up, at least.

...Hitonari. Hitonari...



Hey, backup! Sweet! Now we can fulfil the ultimate guard duty cliché and just take a nap.

I heard your Situation. We just have to stand guard here, right? Alright, keep quiet, men.
What ARE those guys, anyway...?
...Terry? How you doin'? Got that reactor restarted yet?



Roget that. Speed it up, if you can...
...Everything okay, Hitonari?
C'mon... We're almost there... Stay away just a little longer, you bastards...
Hey...! Alright, I got it!
Starting the sub-reactor now!



Alright! Mission clear too, sweet. If I know my D&D rules as well as I think I do, we just nailed an easy 50 EXP out of this.

Good one, Terry! The power's back on!
Now get back to the deck!



Now that hatch can--



I guess that counts as animation...? Kind of? Maybe? If you squint I mean.

Anyway, oh no Strike Team B has died! Somehow!




You can't discern who the attacker is!

Crisis



Where!? Where is it!?

The strike team member fired wildly around!

This doesn't even get half-hearted fauxnimation.

*pant* ...!

And then Strike Team A died as well. Man they're bad at this, but at least we still have Te--



TERRY, NO!


The enemy... I can't see it! What am I supposed to do!?

You feel something approach you...

A program has been sent to your Demonica!



Sure is convenient we got this just in time to prevent the MC dying horrifically to a cutscene fight, huh?

You received a program on your Demonica through the ship's control system!

You check the program name displayed on the Demonica...



You already knew that this was the case. This IS an SMT game after all; it was inevitable.



The enemy! I can see them!
Hitonari! They're right on top of you!



...poo poo, we're being attacked by pixels. What's the best defence against an awful even-for-an-Adam-Sandler-movie movie?

First Encounter

An Honor Befitting That Name :siren: :siren:
sj has a couple really sweet themes here and there this is one of them



So, welcome to our requisite Tutorial Fight. It implicitly teaches us a bunch of things at once. First, combat is dirt simple because it's a turn-based RPG.

Second, whenever you encounter a thing for the first time you do not know what it is. There ARE exceptions, but they're just that. Exceptions.



Being a soldier, we have a Sword which is just a basic physical attack with your melee weapon and nothing else.



Being a soldier, we also have a Gun. This is basically the MC's spell-equivalents. We can make a basic attack with our ranged weapon or spend MP to do extra things. In this case it's "hit a dude with Fire and not Gun elemental damage."



There is a bit more to it than that but we'll get more into it later. For now, we'll check out that Fire Shot in part because I know what these things actually are and in part because it costs MP so it's gotta be good, right?



Well, uh, no. Our Unknown enemy here is weak to Fire but that just means these things take 25% more damage. You might also notice that this doesn't actually give us any benefit other than this minor damage increase. It will later, but right now it sure doesn't.



Since we're fighting piss-weak enemies, we're not in any risk of actually dying here.

Note that our basic Sword attack outdamages Fire Shot, but either will two-shot these things right now. The Gun's basic attack hits everything but deals slightly less damage than Fire Shot. Thus, the Gun's basic attack wins here since its 3 hits max to take them both out as opposed to 4 with anything else.

Guns being the best option is going to be kind of a trend!


The End



We don't quite get enough EXP to level up from these two Slimes unfortunately. Analyze is kind of a simple system that we'll cover more when it matters more. All that's relevant right now is that a demon is only Unknown until you kill one.

End

Silence





...What do you mean "we"?

Wait... they were visible at the end there... Is that because of the program we just got?
"Demon Summoning Program"...!? What the hell is this!?



But we mustn't let them go any further into the ship!
Close the hatch at once!
Well, with the reactor running again, that shouldn't be a problem.
Leave the hatch controls to me, Hitonari!







We'll be clearing a lot of Main Missions, of course. I'll mostly gloss over this part from now on because it's kind of redunant.

Also, sadly, we don't actually get any Quest EXP or anything. Lame!




The next mission is in the planning stages. Strike team, report back to the command room immediately!
We need to find out who's attacking us... and we should know more about that program we received.



But be careful, Hitonari. There may still be some left in the ship.

We then get auto-transitioned to the Command Room to continue the scene, rather than get a bit of a break.

Malevolence and Benevolence





Kato, hurry and reboot Arthur.
Williams, get the plasma armor back online.
Roger that, Sir. I'll make restoring Arthur my top priority.
I'll coordinate with the strike team to restart the plasma armor.
Strike team, I want to commend you for a job well done in repelling the enemy force.
Excellent work out there, Hitonari.
But I want to know what this program is that lets us see our invisible enemies...



But Commander, do you think it's okay for us to use?
The "Demon Summoning Program," huh? Strange name.
A program that controls demons...
I take that to mean it was demons that attacked us?
Once we get Arthur back online, we'll have him analyze it.



He's been a little haywire since the crash. There might be some structural damage to the CPU...
It'll get a little rough, but I'm going to try hacking in.
...Hm? What the...?



Looks like the program got distributed by overriding Arthur's administrative systems.
There's a log...? Kato, can you identify the sender?



But beyond that, it's impossible to say. There's a message here, though... let me play it back.

Kato displayed the message from the log on the main monitor.

Silence



You have arrived here in this Land ruled by Demons due to the Karma of Mankind.

But Despair is not all that remains. There is still Hope nestled within your Fear.

The Demons you will encounter are your Enemies as well as your Allies.

Will you stand against them?

Will you make of them your Demon Allies?

That will be decided by the Demon Summoning Program.



As your fellow Bearers of Karma, we assure you of this.

We existed before... and soon...



So the enemy WERE demons...
Preposterous. This situation has become absolutely preposterous, but...
Our fate's in the hands of this Demon Summoning Program now.
......
Attention, all hands.



Should you encounter any problems or malfunctions with the program, call them in immediately.

Crisis



Help us... Someone, help us!
Calm down, soldier! What's going on there!?
The enemy... We're under attack from the enemy!
I... I've never seen anything like it! Please! Send help...!



How were there still any left inside the ship!?
Sickbay, do you read? We're sending immediate backup! Hide until they arrive--do not engage!
Strike team, move out! Get your asses to sickbay!

Prayer



We now have a new objective (complete with a new main mission that really doesn't matter), and things have changed a bit. Which means the Red Sprite crew have new things to say!

Probably.




But all that can wait! Let's mop up the rest of the demons inside the ship!



I don't see how we have a choice other than to rely on the Demon Summoning Program for survival.



If you're hurt, though, it's better not to fight while injured.
Pick up some medical supplies at the lab and prepare yourself for engaging the enemy.

Don't mind if I do!





Also, uh, we actually do have to. We don't need to use any of them; just collect them.

But either way Medicine is the most basic of healing items. It won't remain super useful for very long and even then it's only really helpful in two situations - one of which we're still a bit away from.



And, of course, if we try and head to the Deck right now, we just get booted right back out.


Crisis



I was just attacked by these... these THINGS!
...There! They're right there!



Lady, just because Slimes are mistakes made manifest and abominations not meant to walk this Earth does not make them any less human than you or me!

Kill! Kiiiiillillll!

An Honor Befitting That Name



Two more slimes, completely identical to last time except now we can see them. That's it.

The End



The good news here is that this time we do get to level up.



Or, rather, our Demonica does? Sure, whatever. No damage output increase isn't that big a deal right now, honestly.

Anyway, yes briefly:

Strength affects damage done by Sword and Gun attacks.
Magic affects damage done by attack items (yes, really) and received by magic. For demons replace attack items with, y'know, magic.
Vitality is HP and physical defense. Very standard.
Agility is accuracy, evasion and turn order. You'd think Gun damage but you'd be wrong.
Luck is a lot of things; ailment chance, drop rates, accuracy, evasion, escape rate and critical hits.

Also note that because we leveled up, we regained all of our HP and MP. This is, bar none, the best way to get a full heal.


Silence



Okay... okay... I can't lose it now. Gotta calm down...
There'll be injured to treat... I need to get this place ready to receive them!



Great work!
It seems our demon analysis reports become more detailed the more we fight them...
I guess it's one of the perks of the Demon Summoning Program.

Crisis



They weren't just going after sickbay!
You've been hit...? The demons!? What happened!?



We're still trying to sort out the details now...
But we believe some of them have been taken outside of the ship!

Who gets kidnapped by SLIMES?! I mean, really now.

Understood. We'll devise a response plan immediately.
All strike team members not engaged in active duty, return immediately to the command room!

Like before, we don't get much of a choice in the matter.



It's at times like this when we must keep our cool to make the right decisions and act on them.
We must get our men back.



All indicates show that there aren't any demons left inside.
All right. Maintain the current alert status and keep those men patrolling.
Ops, give me a report on the missing crewmen.
One from comms, one from monitors, one from maintenance...



I'm sure this Irving guy isn't going to be very important. I mean, just look at Terry!

Irving too!?
This gets worse and worse... Without him, we have no way to restock supplies and munitions!
Monitors! Give me a feasibility on a field excursion. What's the atmosphere like out there?



As our earlier report mentioned, we should be unaffected so long as we wear our Demonicas.
...All right. Then let's hustle.
Strike team, I hvae new mission orders for you.



For lack of hard data on our surroundings...
We'll designate each battlefield we come across as a sector, followed by a codename.





Commander, we've managed to get the plasma armor online!
Excellent work, men! Now we can secure the ship's safety.
Srike team, your orders stand: focus on rescuing those missing crewmen!



I know it's a rough situation, but we can't afford to lose you too. Stay focused out there!



The fate of the Earth rests with us. We cannot fall here!
Draw medical kits at the lab before heading out.

Prayer



Don't worry, it seems like there's a lot of talking in general but it's pretty much over and done with now. Even the crew's dialogue won't be updated this much this quickly ever again.



I'm counting on you, Hitonari. Bring 'em back alive, okay?



So... is whoever sent it telling us to communicate with demons...?
Is that even possible...?



Begin the search and secure the crew's safety at once.

So now we'll head on over to the lab for those free med kits. Could come in handy at some point.



It'd be nice if I could replenish your supplies or strengthen your weapons, but...
Oh, hey! I CAN get you medicine if you need it. Just let me run and fetch some from in back!

This nets us 10 more Medicine. Sure, whatever.

Right... if you're hurt, please go rest up in sickbay.
Well, good luck!

Before we head on over to the deck, we'll take a small detour to the sickbay.



Now, hold still...

Right now, Zoe gives us a full heal for free. How generous but completely unneeded.

When you're wounded in battle, come see me and I'll fix you up.

So that just leaves the Deck. Let's go then!



Yes.
Okay, you're clear to go outside! Good luck!



Antlia is named after the constellation in the southern hemisphere. It is comprised of 53 stars in total, but only has 3 main ones.



Its name means "pump" as in the air pump. When it was discovered in 1751(ish; the book I have says 1751 flatout but it could be anywhere from 1750-1754), by French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille, it was originally named Antlia Pneumatica. Which you can surmise from Antlia being Latin for "pump" means it was named after the French invention of the pneumatic pump. Needless to say, it's not an old-school classical myth constellation but it was only made one of the modern 88 Constellations in 1922.



But that's actual Antlia. Sector A is... different.

We'll go check it out shortly, but first let's talk to Dent!




But I guess I'm not cut out for this job if I let things like that faze me.
I'm counting on you, Hitonari. Save those crewmen.



Our Antlia appears to be a frozen cave and contains demons. We have folks to save so let's go!

Lotus Aura fucked around with this message at 14:39 on Jan 27, 2017

Mraagvpeine
Nov 4, 2014

I won this avatar on a technicality this thick.
I remember seeing how mediocre the game is from reading the other LP of this game. Are the characters portraits the same ones from that LP? Also, Demonicas aren't just the helmet, they are the helmet and suit, right?

Gwen
Aug 17, 2011

Mraagvpeine posted:

Also, Demonicas aren't just the helmet, they are the helmet and suit, right?
I've always assumed they were like sentai suits.

marshmallow creep
Dec 10, 2008

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

I have never heard someone say this game was easy. Usually opinions I encounter lean towards frustrating.

Tallgeese
May 11, 2008

MAKE LOVE, NOT WAR


It is possible to be both easy and frustrating.

marshmallow creep
Dec 10, 2008

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

Is it like "I know the thing I need to do, and the thing I need to do is not challenging in any intellectually or reflex-based way, but rather is just a chore" kind of easy-frustrating, or is there something else about it?

Tallgeese
May 11, 2008

MAKE LOVE, NOT WAR


You nailed it.

Lotus Aura
Aug 16, 2009

KNEEL BEFORE THE WICKED KING!
A Scorched Nation



Welcome to Antarctica. Here's your requisite Ice level, so be thankful we're getting it out of the way now.



Inexplicably, this needs to happen the first time we enter any sector. It's kind of pointless and redundant because all it does is enable the HUD. That we already had enabled.




So we ARE in Antarctica... though I've never seen a place like this.



Good thing I have m Demonica here to help me get around!



No, it's still inside the Schwarzwelt... and we're...
(A) Hey this is no time to panic! Get it together!
(A) Let's move double-time and rescue those crewmates!

So now we actually have full control and can explore Antlia at our leisure. Kind of. There's not many places to go right now, so we'll just walk forward two whole steps...



And get forced to talk to this guy. He doesn't do much, and we can ignore him forever afterwards at least.



He's just here to give us tutorials on the Mission Log (irrelevant), the Demon Proximity Indicator and the Automap.

The DP Indicator is that blue bar that's at the top of the screen. The one in the middle. It changes color as you walk and once its red, you're about to get into a fight. It's a very Etrian Odyssey way of handling random encounters.

The map is entirely automatic and on the bottom screen. It updates itself automatically and there's no way to make notes that you'd want to or anything. If the developers deign it worth mentioning, it'll get added as/when you find it. If not, you gotta remember it yourself.


The Fear of God



The instant we step through the door, we run into this thing. It's our third fight so it can't be too difficult, right?



Well, that's different...


Malevolence and Benevolence



So c'mon, let's play!

Encounter



So... let's talk!

We'll just gloss over this, because it's the only time in the series where we explicitly get what this is. It's a tutorial. For talking to demons.



All that's actually relevant from this is that Pixie forcibly joins us at the end of this.



It's so bizarre that this is the only way they could figure out how to force a Pixie into your stock right away. It's not like it was even a thing that they had to do either.


A Scorched Nation



Regardless, now that we're done with that CAN actually begin to explore Antlia. We'll just immediately hang a right, and then head south at the first opportunity.



This immediately has something ping up on our Demonica. Let's just run down here and see what it found.






I tell ya, they came mighty quick, so I ran outta there without so much as a gun.
Demons, huh...? We're sure up against some tough varmints.
Critters like that, you gotta treat 'em like we treated coyotes back home... a faceful o' shot!
Promise me you'll stop by my lab when ya get back to the Red Sprite, y'hear?

And with that, Irving heads back to the Red Sprite. That's one found, three go to!

Encounter



As we head back to where the Demonica found Irving, we get into a fight with a Pixie and an Unknown. We could easily end this fight in any number of ways but let's try talking to the Unknown.



.....That wasn't supposed to happen. This almost never works and that's by design. I skipped over the dialogue options here for two reasons by the way. They're complete jibberish, and it doesn't matter which one you pick. Conversations are semi-random, as per usual, but there's a few things that are a bit different. We'll cover those later though, so as to avoid too many game mechanics infodumps in rapid succession.



Instead of anything bad happening, we immediately get a free Revival Bead. Okay then, sure.



Oh right and while I remember, here's Pixie's initial stats. She's surprisingly... okay well no, she isn't good or anything but she's functional. Easily the best thing we could've just been handed for free at least. Can heal, hit a single thing with light Fire damage and has no weakness.

Except weaknesses on your demons don't really matter much. You'll see!


The Fear of God :siren: :siren:
hey this is the random encounter music it has an insanely metal name and is pretty good



These guy'll do nicely as test dummies. We know they're weak to Fire so they're perfect.



First, Pixie can hit one with her Agi. The damage increase from hitting a weakness is semi-variable and almost always underwhelming. Fortunately, the main mechanic related to weaknesses makes up for it!



Demon Co-Op is a strange system. It's poorly thought out at best, and seemingly untested at worst. It hits every enemy who's weakness was hit with unblockable, undodgable Untyped damage. This is done by everyone in the active party except the initial attacker. The only things that can participate in Co-Op is whoever shares the attacker's alignment, because making that gameplay based is not going to cause balance problems. I mean, it's not like there's an obvious objective right choice for alignment now or anything. That'd be silly.

Demon Co-Op's damage is stat dependant so it can be increased/reduced based around that at least. You can use or ignore this system as you wish, but you're simultaneously expected to be using it and yet nothing is statted on that presumption. You'll see. You'll see!


A Scorched Nation



Anyway, directly north of where we found Irving is a door that's currently locked. We'll be able to open this a short while in the future.



Directly opposite, is an open door that we... run into another fixed Unknown right outside of. Sure, why not.


The Fear of God



This fight is here exclusively to... tutorialise Demon Co-Op. Oops.



Anyway, that Unknown is also weak to Fire. Convenient, really.


The End



So now we know that Slime is weak to everything but Physical, Gun and Dark. For Fire, Ice, Electric and... Wind (yes, really) this amounts to taking 125% damage. For Light, this means Slime has a 300% chance of being hit.

Also the Unknown was a Knocker, huh? We know he's weak to Fire. This means he takes.. 110% normal damage. Yes, really. I told you weakness damage was unimpressive.


A Scorched Nation



A little ways south of the in-game Co-Op tutorial fight, we can find a random floaty cube that contains a Chakra Drop.



While heading back to that door from before, Pixie got fully analyzed. Right now this doesn't mean too much but each stage of analysis does let us know something new about demons.

First stage is their race, name, level, max HP and max MP.
Second stage is their abilities and elemental weaknesses/resistances.
Third stage is their drops. If you go menu-diving.

Thankfully the third stage does also have something else special to it... but we can't access it yet so we'll get to that later.



Every random encounter demon has 3 drops that almost all follow this simple pattern. Their common drop is something we can't use right now, but it's almost always unique to each demon.

Their uncommon/semi-rare is... a Life Stone. That's not just Pixie. That's not just Antlia. That's almost every demon. Why? I'unno.

Their rare drop is virtually guaranteed to be a consumable item of better use; in Antlia, it's a Chakra Drop or Revival Bead. Not only are rare drops not that rare, but this is two-fold useful. They're good consumables in general but also they sell for 500 Macca a piece. This is a great way to earn money early game.

Or you can just not bother because Strange Journey quickly decides that it wants to shower you with tens of thousands of Macca. Constantly. :v:



Beyond the door, we run into this guy who hands us a datalog note on Analyzing and Unknown Demons. There's some new stuff in there, but it's kinda irrelevant right now. Cliff notes of the important stuff is that your demons analyze quicker from longer fights. Enemy demons analyze quicker from being hit with Co-Ops.



Just past that guy is someone else, huh?


In The Master's Name



A demon is looking this way...

Th-These demons... They're going to kill us all!



Forced fight against another Knocker and Slime. It's functionally identical to before in every way; use Fire, win fight.

Malevolence and Benevolence



I'm MacCleary, on the monitor team. You just bought me a little more time to live.
Real demons... what kind of place is this...?
I'm not so sure anymore I'll be able to do what I'm supposed to...



I'll send a writeup over to your Demonica.
I gotta get back to the Red Sprite and check in... Thanks!

Rough summary of moon stuff that matters right now: can't talk to demons on a full moon. There's more moon related things (it does get its own part of the HUD after all) but they're not relevant right now.

A Scorched Nation



Anyway, there's another locked door in this room. We'll have to come back here later as well, I suppose.



There's also another floaty cube that lets us snag a Revival Bead. This seems to be a dead-end, so we're gonna have to head on back to the first open room again.


The Fear of God



...And get surprised en route. This just means the enemy gets in a free shot first. Normally here it wouldn't be too dangerous, but I'm running low on HP and Pixie's got enough MP for one more spell.



So instead I'm gonna talk to the Knocker. Slime's Dark-Chaos so he can't be negotiated with at present. Knocker's negotiation is mostly boring save for when he does this. Sometimes, demons randomly ask for exorbitant amounts of Macca. More than you will potentially have at that point in time, but very quickly your earnings outstrip their scaling.

You can tell it's not meant to be serious from the third option being there.



Anyway, it goes off without a hitch, because negotiations here are dirt simple, and we get a Knocker. He's.. okay, I guess.

And because we have one now, his Analyze gauge shoots up to the second rank by default.


Prayer



We'll take this opportunity to head back to the Red Sprite and get a free heal from Zoe. Irving's chilling in the lab now and forever. This means that he has dialogue now and Chen's has been updated.



I'm trained to make supplies, not war.
But if we leave the fighting to you guys, everything should turn out just fine!



Though believe you me, I'm stronger'n I look. That won't faze me none.
So never mind me, and go tend to the others who need yer help.
Go on! Git!



The other change that Irving being back makes is that we don't get free Medicine from Chen any more. Instead, we have to buy it at 50 Macca a piece. It's the only thing we CAN buy right now so there's that at least.

Oh that thing at the bottom left? Ignore it for now. It doesn't mean much of anything at present.


A Scorched Nation



Anyway, back to Antlia we go and we'll head to the far north of the first chamber this time. There's a door there we just glossed over before.



Immediately after stepping through it, we get forced into a conversation.


Oh, thank God you're not a demon! Whew...
I'm Muccino, on the Comms team.



I saw the demons chase her a bit farther away from here!
I'm not armed, but you... you can save her!
I'm going back to the Red Sprite. Help her, please!

Muccino makes three. There's exactly one path I can see that leads further in, so first we'll head over to the left.



This just lets us grab a couple hundred macca, but that's never a bad thing to have.



If we head a little bit further north from where Muccino was, we can see this thing. That's another locked door AND it's a different color to the previous two as well!



So we'll head head over to the right and follow the wall. Yep, looks like Maebe is over here.




In The Master's Name



I'm Maebe, in Maintenance!
Help me... Help me...!



Same as before, except Knocker can use Bufu on the Slime to take advantage of its Ice weakness. Doesn't help against the Knocker itself because he resists it, and resists are insanely good here. On paper that means he takes 50% damage. In practice however...

Malevolence and Benevolence



Look at this boulder, though... The demons were climbing over this rock to get here.
Could be their nest is beydon the boulder...
...Yeah, I'm thinking I don't want to stay here any longer than I have to.
I'm going back to the ship. Don't worry about me, and good luck with your mission...

A Scorched Nation



The crewman you rescued just now seems to be the last one who was unaccounted for.
Well done, soldier. Your mission is complete.
I'll deliver further briefing at the Red Sprite.
Come back ASAP.



We do, of course, have to manually walk back to the Red Sprite but it's not that big of a deal. It's not too far and it lets us examine this "boulder". This marks it on our map as something important.

That done, we'll just head on back to the Red Sprite.


Malevolence and Benevolence



But the mission has also taken its toll in lives. A moment of silence for your fallen comrades, please.
......
Now, on to the next order of business.
Comms has got the radar working again, and they've performed a scan of our surroundings.



I think we can safely assume it's one of the ships we lost contact with before.
Though there's been no sign of the other two yet...
But as for the ship we just found, worst-case scenario, we'll have to send reinforcements.
...Commander, as stated in my report earlier, the casualties have left us short-handed.



So I'm aware, and I've already devised contingency measures.



In our emergency state, I have little choice. Strike team, I look forward to working with you.

Silence



What!? Patch it through to our Demonicas!
Copy that, Sir! Patching it through now!

The Fear of God



Hey, is anyone out there...? Any survivors...?
Someone... Anyone...!
Arrrrrrrrrrgh! Someone answer me, goddammit!
This is Commander Gore of the Red Sprite!
We have picked up your signal! Do you copy?



Are you a member ofthe Blue Jet crew? State your name and team!
What's the status of the Blue Jet?



I don't give a drat who you are, just hurry and send help!
Jimenez...? Did I hear you right!?
Calm down, soldier! We'll confirm your location and dispatch reinforcements!
What's the status of the Blue Jet? Is it still in one piece!?



It was those monsters...! Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!
We lost contact, Sir!
There's no time to waste! Have you got a read on his position yet?



Well now, that's both convenient and tells us that the ship found by Comms was most likely the Blue Jet.



Not only is he one of us, he's a witness to what happened aboard Ship 2.



The fate of the earth rests on your shoulders. Never forget it!

Gore is kind of awesome, jeez. He's not a Strike Team member but he's still more than willing to go out there just to rescue Jimenez. His original reason might be superfluous now, but he's still got a job to do, goddamnit!

So I suppose that just means that next time we're going to head on over to the general area of what is almost certianly the Blue Jet and see if we can't help out Jimenez.

grimlock_master
Nov 1, 2013

Fuck you, suzie
Gore is a bad dude who doesn't afraid of anything.

Digital Jello
Nov 2, 2012

Now I have a machine gun. Ho! Ho! Ho!
I actually really liked this game; it's very creative. Not too easy, not too frustrating, I just found it to be extremely long, is all.

Night10194
Feb 13, 2012

We'll start,
like many good things,
with a bear.

Gore is cool as hell.

StrixNebulosa
Feb 14, 2012

You cheated not only the game, but yourself.
But most of all, you cheated BABA

Oh man, I am excited for this LP. I've beaten Strange Journey once and I got distracted by other games before I could complete any NG+ runs. It's a solid jrpg, but yeah, there are better ones in the series and elsewhere. Still, there's something incredibly charming about it to me - probably the affectionate 90s-esque tone it has to it, with the plot being this bonkers roadtrip. Compare/contrast it with SMTIV which felt more standard jrpg-esque, or with Nocturne which was its own beast entirely.

Lotus Aura
Aug 16, 2009

KNEEL BEFORE THE WICKED KING!
Prayer



Before we step on out to go rescue Jimenez, we should talk to everyone. Because we can, you see.



I still think it's too dangerous for him to be on the front line. It's against regulations.
Should I stop him?
There are exceptions.
You're right... extraordinary situations demand extraordinary action.
If this is his decision, I'll go along with it.



It's set up like a communication module, but there's a custom protocol to connect to demons...
Sorry, in layman's terms I guess that would be "summoning" them.
You can summon demons as allies and carry them around. And of course, they can fight with you.
It's looking like the best way to expand our forces will be to ally ourselves with more demons.
This program, though... It's full of black boxes. It's so hard to get a handle on...
When I remember we're going to be using this, entrusting it with our very lives...
Sends a chill down my spine.



I was seriously on those demons' menu back there...
Hm...? What's with the face? You don't believe me?
Here, you pretend you're a demon, and take a good look at me.
Don't I look plump and delicious?
Uh... not really...
hahahahaha! It is a joke, only a joke!
But in truth, you shouldn't underestimate hunger on the battlefield. Remember that.
Of course, I'll protect our food supply with my life, so there's no need to worry about that!



Oh right, I didn't mention it before but Maebe is going to be chilling in the Sickbay for the most part from now on. She's only here about half the time or so, though.



I had imagined them to be more violent and animalistic, so this is very interesting.
I'd like to talk to them sometime myself.
If you need healing, come anytime. I'll give you proper care.

Oh right, much like how returning Irving to the Lab stops freebies there, Maebe being back to the Sickbay stops freebies here. It's not too big of a cost right now ever, at least.



This sure is turning out different than what we heard. We're supposed to be investigating...
How much use can a recruit like me be in conditions where we're struggling just to survive?
I... I don't really have that much confidence in myself...

Requisite reminder that everyone here was selected or accepted as volunteers from amongst the best of the best in their respective fields.



I think in the future, I'll skip this part in the Lab since it's always going to be Irving and Chen. Never more, less nor different in any way.




You can count on good ol' Irving for everythin' from weapons to items to apps!
Or, that's how it used to be... but the dang material fusion equipment don't work without Arthur.
Real shame, ain't it?



I was asked along for this mission to support Irving and everyone else in Supplies.



That just leaves the Deck which has someone new in it! Blair is a pretty tall dude, jeez.



If you can save them, I know it'll do a lot for our morale.
Whether or not we succeed this time could turn the tide of the whole mission. I think so, anyway.



Based on how he was acting then, I'm not surprised he's still alive.
Though he won't last long against the demons...
...Let's go. I don't want to lose a valuable fighting man.

Alright, let's head back into Antlia and see if we can't rescue Jimenez!

A Scorched Nation





Usefully, where Jimenez sent his distress signal from is now placed on our map. At first glance, it's somewhere we can't get to right now though...

(A) Those demons took us by surprise once, but it won't happen again!
(B) Now that Irving is back, we can deploy some C4.
(B) We only have enough for one blast, but if we need to, we can blow a path open!
All right. It's up to you, team. Move out!
Let's find that man Jimenez!
Yes, Sir!

We could blunder around pointlessly for a while.

Silence



Or we could just skip right to the "boulder" where we found Maebe before.

All right, men, we have to get through here.
The only way to the Blue Jet is through this blocked path...
We have to get past this boulder!



Let's give those demons a little taste of human technology...
We'll show 'em there's nothing man can't do!
Alright, the charge is set... Everyone get clear!

The C4 exploded! The boulder blocking the path has been destroyed.

I'm sure you'll be surprised to learn that there is no animation for this. It's just a fade to white and suddenly the different texture is removed.



(B) Screw the Schwarzwelt, and screw the demons!
(B) Human power all the way, baby!
......! Who's there!?
Watch yourselves! Fall back!

In The Master's Name



The demon attacked the crew!



Pshrrrrrrrr!

The demon roared and ran deeper into the field.



That thing... it knocked everyone back like they were stuffed toys...
What are we supposed to do against that thing...?
Stay calm!
Call sickbay and get a med team on it!



But to do that, it may be necessary to clear the area of demons. Keep that in mind!
I'm going in.
The fate of the Earth is on our shoulders...
Strike team, on me!

Commander Gore traveled deeper into the field...

A Scorched Nation



So, uh, Gore is kind of a badass. He just ran off ahead solo after a thing that appeared in a cutscene to chump dudes. That was savvy enough to know to not trigger an actual fight!

Well, might as well follow to see what cool poo poo Gore does.




Oh, it's you, Tadano... Sorry for pointing my gun at you.
I... *sigh* Look, I've seen my shares of bodies during my own tours of duty.
There's no reason why tis mission should be any different than all the rest...
...No reason, but still, I can't stop shaking.
What if... what if the demons come after me next? I keep thinking...
......



We're gonna have to fight it if we want to save the Blue Jet's crew.
Let's stay focused.
...I see...
When I die, tell my wife I loved her...

Don't worry, that guy is never going to move from that spot so he's safe. Whether we go left or straight forward here doesn't matter because...



They lead to the exact same spot anyway. The only difference is that heading south lets us know that this is where the first locked door leads. I'm sure you can guess now the entire reason why that door exists.

Speaking of doors, that one ahead has a weird green symbol on it. Let's see where it leads!






Analyzing... Information on its use found in the Demon Summong Program libraries.

Accessing data... Translating data to known language...



Pretty sure most people reading this at least know what a Terminal in general is. These ones aren't much different.



They're save points that can also warp you places. In this case, all Terminals we find can only warp us to the start of the sector. This is good for leaving quickly, but not much else.



Anyway, we'll worry about that if/when we need it. We'll just head north from the Terminal and then hang a right at the next intersection.



This leads us to another fork. One side is blocked off by yet another locked door.



The other side leads to a downed ship.


It seems to be the Blue Jet.

You can hear the sound of battle from the other side...

So we found the Blue Jet. But the wrong side of the Blue Jet. No, we can't just climb over it or go through its ruined hull or something. Stop being silly. We gotta go around.



Which means returning to the terminal and going south instead. There's two obvious places we can go from here. The door round that pool of green liquid or an open corridor slightly to its left (from this perspective).


The Fear of God



Dybbuks are, like Slimes, Dark-Chaos so our only options here are to fight or flee. As per expectations, they're weak to Fire (125% damage; this is the average result so I'll only point it out when that's not the case from now on). But they also have a couple interesting quirks that makes 3 of them Dangerous right now.



For starters, this is their basic physical attack. It can inflict Sleep.



Sleep is dangerous for a couple reasons. It prevents dodging (most of the time!), taking actions, etc. etc. but at least they're woken up if they ever get hit. You don't want that to happen though unless you're the one using Sleep.

Not just because it grants a percentile HP/MP recovery.



Oh and they can cast Dormina as well. So they have two ways of inflicting Sleep on a single target. At least this one doesn't damage on top of inflicting its ailment.

Nah, all Dormina does is inflict Sleep on one target. It has a 80% chance to do that before factoring in resistance. It costs a whole 4MP as well. Remember these numbers. They will be important later.



Sleep is good and powerful because it straightup doubles all damage received. You can do some insanely wacky things by having your own dudes be put to sleep if you're set up for it. The hardest part of that, though, is being asleep in the first place.

You'll see. Eventually!


A Scorched Nation



Past that door, we come to a giant open area with nothing in it but this random bird. This demon does not belong in Antlia! What the hell?!



You'll be gobbled up for sure if you wander around a place like this.

Yes, that was definitely worth its own side area. :geno:



So we'll leave totally unknown old-man faced bird demon to hang out all on its own and take the other real path from the area. This lets us find something else new and another turn in the path. We'll ignore that for just one moment.




Verifying age... Carbon dating indicates that it is over 100,000 years old.

Analyzing... Information on its use found in the Demon Summong Program libraries.



Accessing data... Translating data to known language...

...Translation complete. This structure is known as a heal spot.



Heal spots basically work like Zoe but with marginally less convenience, because there's no Irving for other stuff. 99% of the time they're just as good though. Healing costs are super simple and very cheap; 1 Macca per point of HP and 3 Macca per point of MP.

We'll heal up here and head around the corner.


The Fear of God



It seems to be the Blue Jet.



Hey, I know you... You're Tadano, from the Red Sprite!



...Whoa, careful there!
There was a nasty sonofabitch here just a minute ago...
We're sitting ducks. Let's get moving and--



poo poo! It's him!
Run, or he'll kill us all!
You won't escape! Wrrrraahhh!
I'll kill all the humans!



Commander Gore took on the demon!

An Honor Befitting That Name



So, Gore is going to solo Orias here. This is going to be awesome.



It's not super-obvious since this is almost certainly going to be the first time you've seen it, but that icon means Gore is using a Gun elemental attack. In this case, he's just casually shooting Orias. It deals way more damage than our gun can deal. Go Gore!


Fwoohhhhhhhhh! Die, humans!



It's a good thing Gore is clearly a higher level than we are, because he takes 45 damage which is just shy of 1/3rd his max HP!

How dare you do this to my men! You won't live to regret it!
Grrr... gaaahhhh! You...
See what a human can do to you!
Gah... grrrr...! Why, you...! I'll leave here... for now...



So with Orias having fled, we're probably gonna have to hunt him down later. But that's fine; we're not here for him right now anyway.

Silence



Why... Why was that monster here!?
They're demons! Get that into your head!



Yo, Commander! Behind you!
...Dammit!



Crisis



Commander Gore was caught off guard!

Grrr... Wrrrrrrrrrraaaaaahhh!
Human pests... You will dieeeeee!

The demon attacked!

Fallen Orias

An Honor Befitting That Name



So, because Strange Journey (and, really, more modern MegaTen games in general) finds it hard to have unique ideas our first "boss" is Orias. Though he's really more of a miniboss. You might think of it as a cute reference to Shin Megami Tensei 1 on the SNES/Super Famicom but I'm going to disagree for reasons that will make sense later.

...And, honestly, despite my griping he has better build-up here and a better fight too. He's not a complete walk-over this time.



Even if his redesign IS loving terrible. Seriously, the original Orias design is way better! It's even more fitting of his actual description from the Ars Goetia:

quote:

The Fifty-ninth Spirit is Oriax, or Orias. He is a Great Marquis, and appeareth in the Form of a Lion, riding upon a Horse Mighty and Strong, with a Serpent's Tail; and he holdeth in his Right Hand two Great Serpents hissing. His Office is to teach the Virtues of the Stars, and to know the Mansions of the Planets, and how to understand their Virtues. He also transformeth Men, and he giveth Dignities, Prelacies, and Confirmation thereof; also Favour with Friends and with Foes.



Regardless, he's weak to Fire so we can take advantage of that with both Hitonari AND Pixie... but only in the first turn.



Thankfully, Orias does not resist Ice so Knocker can still contribute actual damage outside of Co-Ops.



The reason why we only hit him twice with Fire attacks in the first turn is because Orias is powerful. He's, in my opinion, one of the hardest fights in the game. Purely because if he hits someone twice, they will die. He can only do basic attacks but with that kind of damage that's all he needs to do.

Thankfully, even if he crits Pixie she should survive.



You might be thinking that Pixie has Dia so she can be our healer since her Agi was outdamaged by Fire Shot right? Wrong. There's an important reason why we use Medicine here and not Dia. Several important reasons, even.

First is that Agi costs less MP than Fire Shot. Half the cost, in fact. Second is that Agi+Co-Op with Hitonari in it outdamages the Fire Shot+Co-Op without him in it.



Third is that actions have hidden priorities. Items functionally always go first. They're actually (tied) second on the priority list with Guarding being the only thing to ever go before an item. This means that... the MC's best role here is to be our healer. Regardless of his Demonica and stat distribution.

Pixie's Dia can go before Orias' attacks, but she's slow. Very slow. More often than not she will go afterwards instead.


The End



So, just heal whoever gets hit and Orias cannot win. Unless you someone how run out of Medicine or Pixie runs out of MP before wearing down his 250HP. Neither of these should happen at this point, unless you're doing something fundamentally wrong.

Being a mini-boss, Orias gives a decent chunk of EXP and some adequate scratch money. We can earn more than twice that from any given random encounter though...



At random, on level up, demons can do a couple things. Their stat distributions are based on a percent change of that stat going up as well... though their stat percents usually add up to 74-76% for no reason whatsoever. For fun reference, Knocker's stats chances are

St: 12%
Ma: 17%
Vi: 17%
Ag: 06%
Lu: 23%

So taking that at face value, there is a 25% chance of a stat not going up. Which is impossible. I'unno, I don't get this one. :shrug:

But hey, they also have a chance of giving you an item, and what item that is... depends on the moon phase. Knocker has a 17% chance of giving us an item at every level, and a Mabufu Stone (low ice damage to every enemy; damage dependant on MC's Magic stat) is the one thing he can give us regardless of moon phase. On a Full Moon like this one, or a New Moon, he could've given us a Bead instead.


End

Silence





...Okay now I'll concede that this is pretty clever. Well done, game. That Ars Goetia I quoted before? It's the first book of a grimoire called The Lesser Key of King Solomon. It's more commonly/casually referred to as the Lemegeton.

Though because he left a big ol' Citation Needed on his work, it can be argued that Johann Weyer first wrote the Ars Goetia as part of his Pseudomonica Daemonum before it got added to the Lemegeton (but he had Orias as the fourty-ninth demon and not fifty-ninth, and he had less demons in general too). His book WAS written and published about a century earlier than the first collected version of the Lemegeton...



Oh right, uh, we have more pressing things to worry about though!


It's no use... he's not gonna...!
Hitonari... Hitonari...



Our investigation of the Schwarzwelt... is vital to the fate of mankind... of the Earth...
We must complete our mission... at any cost...
I'm entrusting you... with that duty...



Their fate... is on our... no... your... shoulders...
......



Congratulations on completing the quest!



Though he met his end, the brave and noble Gore has returned in high honor!

Sorrow





I can't... do what you asked...



He was too brave... too kind... for a Commander...



Without a leader, what's going to happen to us...?



The Red Sprite was still in danger itself!
We were in no condition to provide aid to the Blue Jet!
......
Hey... Hey.



Oh... you're Jimenez from the Blue Jet, right?
What're you gonna do with the Commander's body?
Do with it...?



...Good to hear it.
Be a shame if the man who saved me got buried outside for the demons to dig him up for a snack.
H-How could you...!?







Commander Gore, return to the command room.
Hey... Arthur's back...



Accessing strategy matrix for contingency plans in the event of the Commander's loss.



Your feelings are noted. However, I cannot respons to assumptions.
It is vital in hazardous situatons such as this to discard decisions stemming from heightened emotion.
Let us rationally discuss methods of raising our chances of returning to Earth.



It's scary how composed you can keep yourself.
If that was a compliment, I am grateful.
I will devise the optimum strategy for the successful completion of your mission.



...The entire reason we're in the Schwarzwelt?

What's this thing talking about!?
I dunno what the hell it thinks we're gonna accomplish!
I mean, we got demons hunting us down and killing us!



You listen to me, you hunk of junk--find us an escape route!



I know you heard him, Hitonari. We all did.
It'll be a long time before I can forget what he said...
......
Look, Jimenez, everyone on the Red Sprite probably feels the way you do, deep down.
But as long as I wear a Demonica, I'll follow Commander Gore's final orders.



How 'bout it? The rest of you happy charging into a swarm of demons, if that's the mission!?

Hell yeah!



So you wanna run, then? Or you want us to give you a nice funeral with whatever's left of you?
I mean, that's if the demons don't make a tasty meal of you, suckin' on them bones of yours and all!



What do you think, Tadano?
You think we should just go on with the mission? You gonna waste that second chance you were given?
We can always load up on stuff, come back prepared, man.
Tell me, what's it gonna be?
I'm sticking with it.



Maybe it was because of Gore's sacrifice and helping weaken him beforehand, but I got the kill on Orias. No matter how tough the demon is, we can take it down and move on. Or we could just negotiate. Not everything has to come down to violence.

I saw 'em smash the Blue Jet to pieces, and y'know what that taught me?



C'mon, man, let's all talk this out like reasonable people. We can come up with a plan...

Silence



What!?
"Where are we?"
Our coordinates are unknown.
"How did we get here?"
There is no navigational log of the course we took to reach here.
"How can we get out?"



You are strangers here in this Schwarzwelt...
There is no way out.



No! No way...!
I've had it with this place! I'm getting my rear end outta here!

Malevolence and Benevolence



There may come a time when you must make such a decision...
But now is not that time.
At present, you have no choice but to continue the investigation.



If you want to survive, you'll have to follow orders.



This here's the lab. I hear right that Tadano got his hands on some rare stuff?
Y'think he got it from that demon he just smoked?
That's it. That, er... Lemegetonite.
Just thought I'd mention it to Arthur...
Understoof, Crewman Irving. Receipt of the item acknowledged.



Crewman Irving, I look forward to the breakthroughs that will undoubtedly come out of your lab.
Thanks, Arthur. Heh... no pressure, right?
I'll need a li'l time to myself to run some tests on it. I'll call y'all when I'm done.



But if you find anything else, it'll be up to you to bring it to the lab yourself.



Chen left for the lab.

Let us review the data.



We must get the engine working in order to regain mobility.



Once it starts up, it'll stay active indefinitely... but it takes a lot of power to get going.



A Tokamak Motor is one of the more impossible things we've seen in this game so far which is impressive. A tokamak reactor produces energy via nuclear fusion (and there are dozens of them in use right this very moment). It primarily uses deuterium and tritium - a couple isotopes of Hydrogen basically - and needs to keep a plasma confined via either a magnetic torus or inertial confinement using laser or ion beams.

Anything past that and I get confused because I am a dummy but the short version is that a Tokamak engine of any kind would need to be a perpetual energy device (which I think would make restarting it at this point kind of impossible on its own) and thus is relegated exclusively to thought experiments and things like this.


The engineer's report is accurate. We cannot move the ship without a Tokamak Motor.
Since ours is nonfunctional at present...
The best solution would be to obtain a Tokamak Motor with the help of another ship.
...Of course! If we use the Blue Jet's booster, then...!



...Scavening corpses. Boy, you can just feel the excitement.
Crewman Jimenez, you are not technically a part of this ship's crew.
However, you have an important role to play in leading the Red Sprite to safety.
Was that a compliment? Well, thaaaaaanks.



If you consent, you will receive the same treatment as the other crew members...



I'll... get to use demons to fight...?



If you are to join this crew, certain obligations and duties will be expected of you.
One of these duties is to cooperate with the other crew members.
...Ah, what the hell.
If I'm gonna survive long enough to get the hell outta here, I'll need power like that.



Thank you, Crewman Jimenez. We welcome you to the Red Sprite.
...It'll be good workin' with you, Tadano.



Let's you and me make it outta here alive. Even if it'll take using demons...
Crewman Hitonari, allow me to report.



This program has proven very useful to us, but please exercise caution when using it.
I look forward to the successful completion of your mission.

Ah good, so no pressure. Back to the Blue Jet we go, then.

Lotus Aura fucked around with this message at 21:19 on Mar 15, 2017

Item Getter
Dec 14, 2015
I'm really surprised to see someone else tackle this game after Luisfe's 4+ year struggle with it. Godspeed

Kaboom Dragoon
May 7, 2010

The greatest of feasts

As unfun as it can be, this is probably the one game I'd like to see get an adaptation more than others in the SMT series. Moments like Gore's last stand really set the tone for the game as a whole (though I could've sworn it happened later) and there's bits later on I'd love to see animated.

With all the redshirt corpses we find scattered about the game though, it makes me wonder how many people were on board each ship. There's no way there can be more than a dozen soldiers left by the end, and that includes the named cast.

Section Z
Oct 1, 2008

Wait, this is the Moon.
How did I even get here?

Pillbug
Oh Gore. You were too reasonable and cool at the same time to live :smith:

I have this collecting dust on a shelf because I got basically nowhere in it a million years ago, but then that's still more than I've played any other games in the series :v:

As much as opportunity, part of why I grabbed it at the time though was the sense it was trying to do it's own thing compared to the rest of the series. "Hmm, soldier man vs the apocalypse. Yeah, that seems refreshingly straightforward for what I've heard about these games. Even ignoring alignment chat gang wars."

Mraagvpeine
Nov 4, 2014

I won this avatar on a technicality this thick.

Dragonatrix posted:

Congratulations on completing the quest!

Who is this?

Kaboom Dragoon
May 7, 2010

The greatest of feasts

Mraagvpeine posted:

Who is this?

That's Burroughs, your handy AI from SMT IV, who chimes in with that line every time you advance the plot. It winds up being unintentionally funny when something terrible has just happened, and she cheerfully tells you that you just completed a goal.

AweStriker
Oct 6, 2014

Mraagvpeine posted:

Who is this?

Kaboom Dragoon posted:

That's Burroughs, your handy AI from SMT IV, who chimes in with that line every time you advance the plot. It winds up being unintentionally funny when something terrible has just happened, and she cheerfully tells you that you just completed a goal.

Like just now. I think that might be the exact reason she's here.

theshim
May 1, 2012

You think you can defeat ME, Ephraimcopter?!?

You couldn't even beat Assassincopter!!!
Oh, Strange Journey. You're a hell of a mess. I've beaten the game multiple times and I'll have a bunch to weigh in on, much the same as Luisfe's run. It's not as bad as people make it out to be, but not by much.

Kemix
Dec 1, 2013

Because change
drat IT BURROUGHS! I CAN'T ESCAPE YOOOOOOUUUUUUUU! :argh: But seriously looking forward to a level head tackling this game, Luisfe's was good...but so full of anger and hate.

Jen X
Sep 29, 2014

To bring light to the darkness, whether that darkness be ignorance, injustice, apathy, or stagnation.
I remember...Luisfe, I think? LPing this and just quitting out of frustration (or finishing it? I may have quit reading out of boredom, myself). Tedium is difficulty, in its own special way, so I don't know if the statement at the start of the thread is especially accurate.

Neurion
Jun 3, 2013

The musical fruit
The more you eat
The more you hoot

From what I've seen so far, the combat system does indeed look unpolished at best and downright garbage at worst. Does the other DS SMT game (4) use something like Press Turn or a derivative?

Kemix
Dec 1, 2013

Because change

GeneX posted:

I remember...Luisfe, I think? LPing this and just quitting out of frustration (or finishing it? I may have quit reading out of boredom, myself). Tedium is difficulty, in its own special way, so I don't know if the statement at the start of the thread is especially accurate.

He did all the possible routes in the game. He just didn't do certain things that will remain vague until the end of this run and well into the next one.

theshim
May 1, 2012

You think you can defeat ME, Ephraimcopter?!?

You couldn't even beat Assassincopter!!!

Neurion posted:

From what I've seen so far, the combat system does indeed look unpolished at best and downright garbage at worst. Does the other DS SMT game (4) use something like Press Turn or a derivative?
SMT4 has a system very similar to Press Turns, as well as Smirking when hitting a weakness or critting, which gives a buff effectively equal to max all -kaja spells until that character's next turn.

It also did some weird things, particularly stuff like there not being a vitality stat or defense value, but that gets into a much longer discussion.

Kemix
Dec 1, 2013

Because change

theshim posted:

SMT4 has a system very similar to Press Turns, as well as Smirking when hitting a weakness or critting, which gives a buff effectively equal to max all -kaja spells until that character's next turn.

It also did some weird things, particularly stuff like there not being a vitality stat or defense value, but that gets into a much longer discussion.

Lack of Def/Vitality is a major double edged sword, which makes a player focus more offensively than defensively. And also think about "Do I want to waste this turn buffing my stats or go full ham and try to cut my opponents to pieces?", which makes things a bit more tactical since going for a Turtle strategy is flat out a bad idea. And, for those of you just starting? Full Bufu spam for the first real boss (you'll know who I mean when you see the motherfucker). At the very least, any devoted offensive stat (Attack, Magic or Agility) is fully viable as long as you don't go for a "balanced" approach in the game since the three stats are pretty well balanced with skills (Attack for regular weapons, Agility for Gun attacks (You don't pick up your first gun until AFTER the first boss though) and Magic for...well, you get the picture.)

Also, Smirking is, also, a double edged sword. And it can trigger on crits or avoiding attacks. And if you Smirk at the end of your turns? You're all but guaranteed to avoid attacks and waste your opponent's press turns. The opposite is also true of enemies, so if you have a smirking boss on your hands? Pray to whatever god you loving believe in, you're about to have a Bad Time

Kemix fucked around with this message at 20:59 on Sep 12, 2016

Araxxor
Oct 20, 2012

My disdain for you all knows no bounds.

theshim posted:

It also did some weird things, particularly stuff like there not being a vitality stat or defense value, but that gets into a much longer discussion.

How does this even work? Like depending on how damage is handled, everything is gonna have to have tons of HP, or battles are basically rocket tag, and might come down to who moves first.

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theshim
May 1, 2012

You think you can defeat ME, Ephraimcopter?!?

You couldn't even beat Assassincopter!!!

Kemix posted:

Lack of Def/Vitality is a major double edged sword, which makes a player focus more offensively than defensively. And also think about "Do I want to waste this turn buffing my stats or go full ham and try to cut my opponents to pieces?", which makes things a bit more tactical since going for a Turtle strategy is flat out a bad idea. And, for those of you just starting? Full Bufu spam for the first real boss (you'll know who I mean when you see the motherfucker). I died more times than I care to admit to him because I was probably either A. Underleveled or B. Not going full ham on spamming Bufu. At the very least, any devoted offensive stat (Attack, Magic or Agility) is fully viable as long as you don't go for a "balanced" approach in the game since the three stats are pretty well balanced with skills (Attack for regular weapons, Agility for Gun attacks (You don't pick up your first gun until AFTER the first boss though) and Magic for...well, you get the picture.)
Except that dexterity boosted your damage twice as effective as strength for both physical and gun skills. The only thing that strength boosted more than dexterity was using the basic Attack command. (Agility affected turn order but did nothing for damage.)

Like I said, a much longer discussion.

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