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Entry 1: New Game: The Fairy's Call  The save up top is the base for this New Game+ playthrough. The only thing getting carried over for the LP are records of previously viewed cutscenes. Bravely Default has a ton of multi-choice cutscenes, meaning to catch them all you need multiple playthroughs. Let's start.   The fairy is speaking directly to the player. This game breaks the fourth wall. It won't come up often, but keep it in mind.    Usually games are a bit more subtle about massaging the player's ego.   there's something I'd very much like to show you. But...   The game asks to play an AR movie here. Although it asks for an AR marker, if you have none, the game will play the movie for you anyway. If you try it at home, prepare to have an anime character invade your personal space.     Can you hear my prayers?  Wherever you are Whoever you are... Please, you must listen!Everything around her shakes, sending her into a panic.  I've no one to turn to now but you... The walls of the world are falling down around us. All of us were fools. Such a base and hateful snare... Yet none of us saw it! But now... I cannot abandon my injured friends to death. You who hear my prayer... You whom I've yet to meet... If there is still time yet, save them! My friends. This world! Everything quakes again and a crack opens below her, causing her to trip and fall into a newly made hole. She just catches herself on the edge.  I beg of you. Become my warrior of light! And then she falls. That was certainly all out of the blue. Side note: Bravely Default has several AR movies. Aside from this one, five others are viewable using AR cards available on Nintendo's website. The other movies are just fluff character bits, there's no missable plot info or such. Next is the third and final opening movie. Greyarc fucked around with this message at 02:18 on Mar 3, 2017 |
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Feb 1, 2017 05:37
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Entry 2: Opening Movie: Four Tales  A girl is being clothed while women speak in the background.    Something must be done!  The girl from the AR movie looks and sounds significantly less panicked here.    Servant and vestal to the crystal of wind. Despite being a new series, this game remains firmly attached to Final Fantasy.       Lady Agnès!       That was character one. Three more to go.      I've no memory, you see.   But its pages hold no history--only the future. Priorities.  Someone's popular with the ladies.      Character two, resident goofball. Two more to go.    Please do me this honor... One final test of skill!    Yet, my father...  You've a long road ahead.   For your father,  you must apprehend her at all cost. wear this at your side. This is your finest blade. Ise-no-Kami.  We've switched from the sparring arena to Edea on the ship, being sent off by a cheering crowd of soldiers, including Master Kamiizumi and...  Dad's got a lion-like look to him. Wait, what are the soldiers wearing...? I think their military needs a new armor designer.    One thing you can always count on Final Fantasy for -- fantastic looking but completely impractical airship designs. I don't want to imagine the wind chill she's facing up there. We've got our priest-type, the Lothario, and the warrior-in-training. One more character to go.      Til is a ditz.  Tiz is acting appropriately like an older brother.  *Rumble*    Run, Til! Just don't trip and fa... oh, right. Ditz.  A flash of light later:   Let me go! We'll both fall at this rate! I'm not losing you. Ever! Now hurry and give me your hand! Another large quake, and...        Next, gameplay. Greyarc fucked around with this message at 07:34 on Feb 24, 2017 |
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Feb 1, 2017 05:40
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Entry 3: Everything's Not Great Obviously we're in for a light-hearted romp.  The screen fades in and out for a few seconds.    I serve as captain of the Caldislan guard. My name is Owen. Can you tell me yours? You were found unconscious in the ravine near Norende. Your village is gone. A great chasm opened in the earth and all of Norende was swallowed up in darkness. You were spared, but the others... Pray, do not think on it now. You need your rest. There will be time for mourning later.Tiz says nothing, understandably. Owen leaves the room.   Aye, and all alone in the world. And past that solitude, what? Guilt at surviving? Pitiable lad... Owen exits.  We switch back to Tiz, out of bed and now playable!  While standing/walking around, the 3DS lower screen displays a map of the area. White shows where accessible area. Yellow circle is player character. Blue shows area exits. Yellow exclamation shows where to go next for main quest. The marker on the left edge of the screen pops up a secondary menu, which I'll cover later on.  Standing in place long enough will zoom out the camera, showing off the game's often quite outstanding art.   No need to worry, ma'am and sir, Tiz has the fortitude of a JRPG protagonist. But before we leave...   Tiz scrounges around in a planted pot for some loose change. Every bit helps when you've just lost everything and everyone. Stepping outside gives us a pan of the city:      The staff icon indicates a magic shop, vial icon an item shop, and sword icon an equipment shop. There are few interior areas in towns; checking the shop door brings up a shopping screen. Minimal, but it works. The pink hat icon with the tiny S next to us is the man in red, the Adventurer.  The Adventurer will appear all over, save our game, handle some online game features, and later act as a shop.  Huh? Not the Adventurer, I assume.  Ah-ha, it's our Don Juan friend from the opening movie. How long has he been loitering around Caldisla? RIght now he's speaking gibberish and seems wrapped up in his own thoughts.  Attempting to leave town to find adventure and glory in battle results in resistance from Tiz. Let's head to the castle first, chatting with the local populace on the way.  Good to know.  They're saying Norende's lost. No survivors. ...Huh? You're from the village? Might have been when the nearby village fell into a 50-mile diameter glowing sinkhole.  A nice graveyard in the corner of town.  Someone left a potion next to the church door. Wouldn't want it to go to waste. Also, a phoenix down was on the other side of the graveyard. Someone in this town has either a sick sense of humor or is very naive.   The in-game encyclopedia entries often have neat details, so I'll be posting those.  The entire sea? That should be cataclysmic.  The palace is at the top of the hill.   It seems like a relaxed court as far as visitors are concerned.  The kingdom is under attack from the Knights of the Eternian Sky at present. There's a large lake to the southwest. The Sky Knights seem to have taken up camp there. Hm, so things aren't peaceful in the kingdom at the moment. Let's speak with the king.   I offer my deepest regrets for your loss. I cannot ease your pain, but time may. Stay and rest all you need. Your Highness is so very kind, um... but my plan is to leave for the village straight away. Admirable lad. But danger hounds the road to Norende. That gaping maw has drawn beasts of all stripe to it. It's overrun with monsters.  ...Very well. Though it shames me to send you off alone.  I'll manage on my own. Thank you, Your Highness. Do be careful, child. And know that you've a place here when you return. And that'll do it for a start. Now we've got a goal. Next time, the first battles of the game. -- Event Viewer scenes watched: Awakening Caldisla, Land of Beginnings An Audience with Caldisla's King 
Greyarc fucked around with this message at 07:35 on Feb 24, 2017 |
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Feb 1, 2017 05:50
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Monk E posted:I could have sworn that this was a sequel to Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light. The project had some of the same key players working on it, so it was rumored to be at first, but producer Tomoyo Asano decided to start a new series separate from Final Fantasy instead.
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Feb 1, 2017 07:09
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theshim posted:Are you planning on linking the music? Because you really should. Just a heads up, I will not be linking music or videos. Only plain and simple screenshots (and a few other related images). But everyone's welcome to find the music somewhere else and jam out when we get to Hartschild.
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Feb 2, 2017 02:28
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Entry 4: Mostly Tutorials This duchy/Sky Knights/Knights of the Eternian Sky seems to be giving the kingdom of Caldisla a lot of trouble. Nothing to do with us, though. Now, how to get back to ex-Norende? Hmm, it's a bit dangerous, but if you make for Norende, use the canyon pass.Thanks, Captain Owen.  To prepare for the journey, Tiz risks catching fire to scrabble out some more cash from a torch. A vial of eye drops are stuck in the throne room's western statue. He also takes a complimentary potion from his former bedside, and finds an antidote someone stashed in the bush outside the inn.   They may be grubby, but no sense passing up free items and money.  A trip to the armory gets some upgrades, including the shiny new buckler seen here. Main and off-hand items are visible during battles. Our gear situation now includes:     Tiz has no need to equip The Best, he's still in tutorial land. Besides, that invisible rabbit fur trim pointy hat is snazzy. Time to head out. but before that, what about the guy from the opening movie who was hanging around?  ! He's knows Tiz!  ...Nevermind, time to go.   Safe guess the giant black circle is ex-Norende. We're the fuzzy yellow dot, so we've got a ways to travel. Tiz pauses to ponder the oily-looking ocean...   Until night falls. Enemy and town NPC availability vary depending on whether it's day or night.  This game has random encounters like many JRPGs. Where this game improves is in the ability to change, at any time with menu access, without penalty, the rate at which random encounters occur. This includes switching to -100%, which will stop random encounters from occurring altogether. This feature will eventually be a necessity to keep the game tolerable. But for now, random encounters are fine.   Tiz finds a zombie. The basic battle system is the JRPG turn-based standard, with Attack doing a basic weapon attack, Abilities doing fancier stuff, Items allowing access to inventory, and Run (away).  We start with just one ability: Examine. Tiz decides to get a closer look at the zombie.  Examine shows HP, weaknesses, family (as in type of monster), and more. Zombie doesn't like fire or light, and is undead.  Zombie protests its privacy being invaded with its own special attack.    Luckily, Tiz the shepherd took out sheep thieves regularly, so this is no big deal.  6 money, 3 experience, and 1 job point. Although money and experience are good as ever, JP is key.  Jobs are what the game is all about, gameplay-wise. There are many jobs, you level the jobs using JP, you learn a new ability with every job level.  The dots on the wheel indicate how many jobs we'll get, eventually. But for now, we're stuck with Freelancer.  As with items and equipment, every enemy type defeated gets its own description.  North of town is the broken bridge we were told about.  Tiz takes his warm-up stretches very seriously.  He probably faced these when he herded sheep.   A basic slime. The enemies at this stage are not very exciting.  Here's the canyon pass Owen told us about. Norende should be just beyond.   Area maps fill in as we explore.  The ravine is mostly a single path.   The lower path leads to a potion in the chest. Along the way, the game opens the Brave and Default battle commands. These allow a character to take up to 4 turns in a row (Brave) or save up to 4 turns while taking less damage (Default).  The BP counter under Tiz's face shows how many extra actions he can take that turn. With Brave and Default, that BP counter can be manipulated. Normally, an action like attacking brings the counter down to -1, then every turn adds +1, allowing a normal attack every turn. Tiz -> Monster -> Tiz -> Monster. If we Braved once as shown, taking two attack actions in a row, we'd then have to wait 2 turns to get back to 0 BP. Tiz -> Tiz -> Monster -> Monster. It'll really shine once we get more abilities.     The place is littered with goblins, including their more advanced brethren.  Tiz vanquished all who dared get in his line of sight.  Second area map. The treasure opposite the first contained 200 pg, a valuable donation to the buy-one-of-everything-in-the-shops fund.   In the third and final area, a green adventurer and the yellow plot marker await. Next time: The second playable character and a boatload of double entendres. -- Event Viewer scenes watched: None quote:
Greyarc fucked around with this message at 07:35 on Feb 24, 2017 |
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Feb 3, 2017 06:29
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Aces High posted:Only downside about this being screenshot only is we're going to miss out on some hilariously on-point voice acting Yeah, the voice acting in this game is fantastic. They're especially good for the comical bits. And boy am I glad Ringabel's voice isn't like the Japanese VA, who uses a deep exaggerated macho voice. Pittsburgh Lambic posted:One particular detail I liked about Edea's intro: She only lost the fight with Kamiizumi because her sword snapped, so she was given the sword that broke it. She's a dangerous little bastard. Darn, I hadn't thought of it like that. I should've kept that screenshot in. That fight scene was difficult to show without dumping in a ton of images; it really should be watched in video form.  Nuramor posted:So how do you 'activate' wether you're using Brave or Default? That screenshot wasn't very conclusive. Aside from the L/R thing ThatPirateguy mentions: there's a screenshot earlier in the post showing the menu commands (Attack, Items, Run...). Brave and Default are two of the options. Xander77 posted:Huh. I had no idea that was what happened, due to lack of video links. Then again, I generally feel there's something off about the way things are conveyed here. This is my first time writing an LP, so I'm learning on the fly and things might be rough. If there's something specific bugging folks, let me know and I can attempt to fix/acknowledge it.
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Feb 3, 2017 15:12
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Bingo. It's technically possible, but practically speaking, unfeasible. I've learned to work with my method otherwise, but this is one of the big downsides.
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Feb 4, 2017 01:00
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Entry 5: Meet a Special Character  Here... Keep this with you always. This is hope, you see. It's from those who care about you. This device allows Bravely Second, which gives extra turns during combat. It's powered using SP, which are gained every eight real-time hours the game is in sleep mode. You can also spend real money to get some instantly, but that's completely unnecessary. Anyway, Norende should be just through that entry next to the adventurer. Maybe Tiz is right. Even if the chance is slim, there might be someone left to save, something left to salvage--   Or not. Wait...  There is someone there. Can you hear my prayers? Familiar lines. Can you see the wound torn open before me? Please, let the walls of the world collapse no further. Let me be strong enough to stem this flood.She then prays silently.    If you know something, tell me. Please. What caused that chasm? Did anyone else survive? Surely at least a few others... I need information. Anything! I won't accept that all those lives have ended. Not without a search!  You alone survived. I am sorry. I am sorry... A strange mechanical noise comes from above...   ...and we switch to this odd crew.   I've the eyes of a hawk, ha ha! And the nose of seven wolves!  Now stop yapping and go fetch. What a pair.  ...! The Sky Knights! I thought I'd covered my trail...!  What? Why!? I'll not involve an innocent bystander.   Aah! Gah, cannonfire!? This is madness! Ngh...  And with that--   We have our second party member.  She comes equipped with a new type of armor. She's not a fighter-type, it seems. Nowhere to go but back through the ravine.   While under cannonfire.   With two party members, it's easier to show off one of the most basic uses of the Brave/Default system: Everyone Braves three times, then attacks 4 times in a row, all in one turn. Without Defaulting it'll reduce BP to -4, but so long as all enemies die during that turn, there's no downside -- BP resets between battles.   The game encourages this type of play with Battle Bonuses. The orange and green bonuses listed (for winning the battle in one turn and taking no damage, respectively) give corresponding bonus EXP and JP. You can also get chain bonuses for doing this multiple battles in a row. This'll come in handy for grinding later.  Further down the ravine path, we find out how the Saturday Morning cartoon duo are doing. There are only two tactics a real warrior needs! Frontal assault, and death by frontal assault! Hah! Listen to yourself. In a froth over a little girl.  Mmm, good boy. Bring her back, and I may just reward you. But be quick about it. I'm opening fire as soon as I forget about you, and I've a short memory for dawdlers. Y-yes'm!The soldier runs off... and jumps down in front of our heroes.  Pause. They don't seem like the type to listen. Here they come!  Despite the dramatic opening, Sky Knight soldiers are only slightly stronger than the other enemies around here.  Will Tiz and Agnès (yes, her name was mentioned in the opening) make it out alive? This update's getting split into a smaller portion to spare the first page, so we'll find out later. Next: PLOT,  , and endless '.......'-- Event Viewer Main Scenario: A Maiden's Prayer On the Precipice of Despair The Sky Knights Attack! The Sky Knights Descend quote:Norende Village: Greyarc fucked around with this message at 07:36 on Feb 24, 2017 |
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Feb 5, 2017 10:29
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Dartonus posted:Are you planning on showing off the more obscure cutscenes? You noted that you're carrying over cutscenes for the Event Viewer, so I assume so, but just wanted to check. Showing off the writing is my top priority, so yes. Still hashing out the details of when I'll post what, though. Since some cutscenes virtually require starting a Glazius posted:Yeah, the airship crew are really selling "comedic recurring antagonists". Dunno if they'll actually pull that off given how willing this game is to collapse the ground from under people. RIP Til, it never pays to be the relative of a JRPG protagonist. Xander77 posted:What happens if you try to talk to the Adventurer while under fire? Adventurer is a living save point, so he's usually oblivious to plot and gameplay. Greyarc fucked around with this message at 16:33 on Feb 6, 2017 |
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Feb 6, 2017 16:27
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Hobgoblin2099 posted:Agreed. I'm probably one of the few that liked Second more, but more on that topic when we get to that LP. I haven't actually played Bravely Second. As for getting cutscenes, having story to analyze/criticize is about the best bait I could have for myself. I have Strong Feelings on this game which likely haven't come through because I don't want my commentary to drown out the game itself.
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Feb 7, 2017 06:37
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Entry 6: Tiz Finds the Plot Yes, lovely. Though I'll grant the boy does handle himself well. I'm less bored than I was a moment ago. On my way, ma'am! After another quick fight, Tiz and Agnès keep running.   Whaaat!? We're spent? Already? Hmph. Isn't that always the way when you're all passion and no finesse...? The great Barras Lehr, quickest cannon in Eternia.The writers/translators must've done this entire segment with a permanent eyebrow waggle. Ha ha ha ha! The two deadliest guns ever made are still right here! Where steel fails, muscle never falters! Yessir! Third time is not the charm for these fellows.  The second type of Sky Knight fought here. Poison doesn't wear off after combat, so having an antidote or two is handy.  Like our airship? You're the only one who can steer this boat, you dumb ox. Holly Whyte! Must you dash all of my dreams!? ...Fine, you go get her, then. Me? Go crawling down in the dirt like a filthy henchman? In these white robes? Please. All of my dreams, Holly Whyte. As soon as the duo leave, a new feature is introduced. For those familiar with Tales games, these are basically skits. For non-Tales players, these are short optional cutscenes between party members using minimal animations. I'll show these off as soon as they pop up.   ...... Are you alright? Are you hurt? They were clearly after me. Why did you not run? Er, it didn't cross my mind I guess... I was a little distracted. But more importantly, are you hurt? ...I am fine. You...you have my thanks. But they will be back for me. I'm certain of it. For your own sake, it is best our paths diverged here. But...there's only one road back to town. ......Agnès zips offscreen.  Technically, she's still in our party. But for plot's sake she ran off towards the ravine entrance. Tiz runs after her.  Agnès... Agnès Oblige.  Ahh! A miniature monster! Augh, rude! I am not a miniature monster! I am a cryst-fairy! Fire, water, wind, earth. Four crystals. Four pillars of the world. Vestal of wind? Priestess, bride, and servant to the crystals. A weaver of prayers who ensures their eternal glow. The vestals' rites purify the crystals, warding the world from natural disaster. The crystals reveal the way to the vestals, and the vestals pass that on to the people. They guide the world. And what purpose should bring a vestal here? A week prior, at the same time the ground parted here, the Crystal of Wind was consumed by an unnatural darkness. The crystals are the source of all life and all energy in the world. Our lands, our seas, and all that inhabit them exist through the crystals' bounty. They sustain us. But a foul corruption has overtaken them. The wind lies still, and the oceans rot. Fire runs wild, and the earth, well... I had to see the chasm for myself. What is it? What caused the ground to fall? ...I do not know. But I do know how to unmake it and stop the coming dark. I must hurry back to Ancheim.  Pause.  Maybe Tiz was taking a minute to soak all that in. But we aren't done yet.  ...... Hear me out. This isn't the place to go charging on alone. The crags are dark even by day. It's always been a nest for monsters. Airy, are you truly certain this boy is the miracle bringer? Absolutely! Right time, right place; he's your miracle man. I'd bet my wings on it! He saved your life, didn't he? Just like my prediction said he would! I'd call that pretty darn miraculous. Yes, but... Er...Mr. Tiz, was it? Just Tiz is fine. Tiz, then. Was it you that my prayer reached? I don't know about "reached," but I heard you say it, anyway. He's the sole survivor of a village swallowed up whole. How much more miracle do you need? That was no miracle... There was nothing miraculous about it...! My family is gone. All my friends. Everyone... That was no miracle... ......A short ways further down the ravine:  I will do what only I am able: purify the crystals and release them from the darkness. Once this blight has been purged from all four of the world's crystals, order will be restored. Vestals have been pouring their prayers into the crystals for generations. Agnès is going to release all that at once!  Agnès, please. Let me help you. ...My task is not your concern. It is my concern. The chasm, it just swallowed up my village. My family. My friends. I lived the same routine all my life, and that was just stolen from me in an instant. Please. You're... You're a light. My ray of hope! And I want to help. ...I cannot accept. This burden is mine alone, and alone is how I'll see it done. But why? Please! I shall see you back to the city, and there our paths will part. You are not meant to carry this load.  (if a party chat screenshot has that plain papery background, I'm pulling it from the event viewer, not mid-game) ......I truly appreciate your desire to help. But... ...... Do you intend to just leave your village like this? No! Of course not. I'll rebuild it, someday. ...... I am wanted by the duchy. Eternian assassins may lurk in any shadow, at any time. What's more, I must leave this place at once to purify the crystals. If something were to befall you, who would be left to put your village to rights again? I'll rebuild it... I will. You don't have to tell me I'm the only one who can. Then surely it's best you stayed and-- But Norende will never be whole again until that chasm is gone. And here I meet you, the one person who knows how to make that happen. It seems the obvious thing to do is help you, keep you safe, and solve this thing together. Yes, but how do you propose-- I don't know yet. First, the king needs to know what's happened. ......After hashing all that out, the party exits the cave.   Ah, this? It was given to me by someone...special. It's something of a lucky charm. ......That pendant's shown up quite prominently before.  Now that we have the fairy Airy with us, she occupies the lower half of the menu screen, letting us know about the next story objective. The four-gem contraption in the center is connected to Airy as well, though there's no explanation for it yet.  Airy's on the touchscreen, so a nice addition is that she turns to look towards your touch.  Let's head into Caldisla during nighttime.  There are no townspeople out, but the city does look very warm and welcoming. But let's check back during daytime.  The ladykiller from the opening movie is stranger than ever. He obviously knows more than he's letting on, but for now he doesn't have much interest in us.   If we were stronger, the captain would be free to go fight the Eternians off... There's only one competent soldier in the entire kingdom. This doesn't seem safe. Next: Agnès makes a tough decision and Norende is a realm reborn. -- Event Viewer Main Scenario: The Sky Knights: Second Wave The Sky Knights: Third Wave The Sky Knights Withdraw The Vestal's Quest Unmaking the Chasm A Lovely Pendant Party Chat: A Common Destination The Miracle Man Rebuilding a Village quote:
quote:Kingdom of Caldisla: Greyarc fucked around with this message at 07:36 on Feb 24, 2017 |
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Feb 7, 2017 10:21
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theshim posted:they removed her vagina bones Lucky I looked at the Tokyo Mirage Sessions thread or I'd be incredibly confused. Ugh, I forgot about the outfits debacle for this game. More like I must've forced it out of my mind... If it gets out of hand, I will stick in a rule limiting censorship talk. The topic of censorship's interesting, but keep it casual and don't be a creep, folks. Greyarc fucked around with this message at 22:52 on Feb 7, 2017 |
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Feb 7, 2017 22:43
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Entry 7: Shopping, Chatting, Building, Stabbing Tiz shakes his head. ...I take it from your grim countenance our fears were confirmed. Well spoken, lad. I shall support the effort however I can. Take this. It will serve as a token of your new office as chairman of the restoration effort.  Tiz bows. It's an honor. Your Highness... Isn't there any way to drive the Eternian military from the borders of your kingdom? Bah. They've been a curse upon us all of late. And never more than this last week. They're in a lather over this search for the wind vestal. They've berthed their ships at the lake southwest of us with cannons trained on the city. It galls me, but there's little I can do. ......  I am Agnès Oblige, the Vestal of Wind. You! I shall resolve the matter. I give you my word, I will cause you no further grief.  You need worry on the matter no further, Your Highness. Farewell. Agnès walks off.   The Sky Knights have occupied the lake. Their boldness is an affront, but they hold my people hostage.Seems like a pretty one-sided fight. Still, Agnès's decision to stop the Sky Knights is concerning. Let's have a chat.  ...... Don't tell me you're thinking of storming the Eternian camp at the southwest lake alone... Don't be ridiculous. I'm well aware that I am no match for an airship. Good. It sounds like they have this city in their crosshairs, besides. As long as these people are held hostage, I have no choice. They didn't seem the types to talk this out... ...... Wait... You wouldn't. You can't! ......The party steps out of the castle.  Get captured! Then they'll take you aboard their airship. That's your ticket across the sea! You can't really mean to-- Agnès, they'll kill you! I'll not ask you again. Leave us. You are too eager to meddle in the affairs of others. Farewell. ......? It seems you've need of a guide. At least let me show you the way there. I think it's a grand idea! It could take weeks with Agnès's sense of direction. Airy! ...Very well. Then I ask you to serve as our guide. Only as a guide, and only as far as the lake. Is that clear? Tiz is abnormally enthused about heading into a camp full of enemy soldiers. Before heading to the lake, there's side stuff to do. I'm going to talk pure gameplay for a while, so those uninterested should skip ahead to the screenshot of Airy talking.  As mentioned earlier, tapping the button on the left of the lower screen opens a small menu. Starting from the top:
 Each of the little icons is either a blockade (the exclamation points) or a shop. In order to finish rebuilding the town, all blockades must be cleared and all shops must be fully upgraded. These two activities are both done by assigning workers to the appropriate icon. The number of workers available are shown in the lower left corner.  The village starts with a small area -- two blockades and two shops -- accessible. Other regions and the shops within can only be accessed after clearing the blockades between the starting area and them. So, why rebuild Norende?  The shops deal in real merchandise. Upgrade a shop, and you get access to new goods sold by the Adventurer. Any upgraded shops will also routinely give gifts of relevant wares: upgrading the item shop could eventually have you drowning in basic curing items without buying a single one, for example. The trick? The village works in real time. As shown, the first armor shop upgrade takes 30 minutes. Many of the blockades take days. Also, the game must be currently running (sleep mode is encouraged) to count the passage of time. I'll offer updates on my Norende rebuilding every once in while, but that's about the gist of it. The top shop rewards are fantastic, so if anything it ends up feeling like cheating for throwing so much free junk at the player. You can get more workers using Street Pass, and more workers reduces the amount of time projects take, but I'm not sure I'll bother. Now, then...  What? Surely it's not so-- How many times did you get lost in that ravine? There was only one path! Then it took you two hours to find me at the top, despite perfect visibility. Er, the canyon path was... very twisty. I'm certain it's a maze even to the locals... Ha ha ha... Not really. ...... But at least this way I have an excuse to tag along and... Er, nevermind... Stay close. The lake we make for is said to be unreachable by any but the most knowledgeable. R-right! Of course. Mmm-hmm. I'll bet. So, um... What do you plan to do once we get there, Agnès? ...... That is no concern of yours, Tiz. I've no choice... Not as long as they have the people of Caldisla in their sights. It will be fine. Enemy or no, they are men, not monsters. ......A naive vestal and the bloodthirsty shepherd who has a crush on her.  Tiz has made a name for himself in the city.  This is the girl with the obsession over mystery opening cutscene man Ringabel. That said, she's not wrong.  ...But talking to the man himself reveals he's busy with more important issues.  I buy one of almost everything in the armory, just missing the rod (basic magic attacker weapon) and bronze helm (useful but oh well). Shopping spree follows:        Now to go test it all out.   Autobattle can be turned on/off during battle using the Y button. It doesn't just make your characters attack, it will try to repeat whatever you did during your last manual turn (characters still can't act if they start their turn below 0 BP). Handy. With encounter rate set to max and autobattle set to 4x attack for both characters, grinding is a breeze.  The last random encounter in the Caldisla region, currently. Like the zombie, only appears at night.   The goal was to level to 4 and have Tiz reach Freelancer level 2. This gains him the ability Treat, which restores 20% of an ally's HP and can be used while silenced.  Meanwhile, in Norende, upgrading the item shop to start netting free merchandise. Next:  It's time to gracefully surrender. -- Event Viewer Main Scenario: Entering the Palace Airy's Grand Plan Party Chat: Agnès's Intentions Tiz the Navigator quote:
quote:quote:Greyarc fucked around with this message at 07:37 on Feb 24, 2017 |
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Feb 9, 2017 13:21
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Junpei posted:Greyarc, will you be doing, like, Job analysis or something along those lines later on? I'll be posting summaries for each of the jobs, starting once we get our fourth party member. Also, next update won't be until after the weekend.
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Feb 10, 2017 17:45
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Entry 8: Surrender at the Southwest Lake Time to head to the lake and meet these Eternian Sky Knights face-to-face. Hopefully now they're open to peaceful talks. Fun fact: the background for the following cutscene has the appropriate lighting changes depending on whether you go to the lake at day or night.   Hm, seems we've been saved the effort. Have a look below. Hm? Ahh, the vestal's come to us!  Ugh, let's be done with her and back to the villa already. I'm liable to go on a killing spree if I don't get a proper shower soon. Watch the ship, boys! Aye, sir!    This blue light--what's happening? A part of the asterisks' power, boy! You've nowhere to run. Not till I'm finished with you! What!? I live for fighting, woman! Let me have this! My heart's fuse is lit! You can't unlight my heart fuse! Ugh, must you always shout? Daft or loud, man. Pick one!  ...I understand that. I've no intention of resisting. Whaaat!? No soul-searing combat? No white-knuckled fisticuffs? No smashing!? Now, come along, vestal. I'll see you're well taken care of. Well, that was a surprisingly reasonable yet bittersweet parting.  You. Sky Knights. Will you promise me she won't be mistreated? I've said it once. I plan to take care of her myself. I'll see the beatings aren't fatal. Beatings! Finally! Ha haa, count me in! What!? She's dragged us all across this backwater for weeks. Surely I'm entitled to vent my frustrations? Hm hmm, but fear not. I'll see she's brought back from the brink each time. Though I fear my magic won't keep the girl's mind intact.  Are you listening to this, Agnès? I told you before... You're my hope. I'll not hand you over to these monsters! Ahh, youth. So passionate. So sincere. So thoroughly stupid. Barras! Show these starry-eyed brats what they're up against!   Time for the first boss battle of the game. Holly is a standard Final Fantasy white mage who heals and casts buffs on her party. Barras, likewise, is a standard Final Fantasy monk who... punches things.  Holly spends her first two turns bonking people on the head with her stave...  Before getting serious and using Protect on herself and Barras, raising their physical defense to 125% for a few turns.  She also casts Aero, a damage spell.   Barras, meanwhile, uses Invigorate to raise his physical damage, then attack several times in a row. Nothing a potion can't fix.  Holly goes down first.  Barras finishes himself off with an explosion that damages everyone on the battlefield.  The reward is more than enough to level both party members, as well as have Agnès hit Freelancer level 2.  Barras and Holly drop appropriate Final Fantasy items.   Ever wondered what ethers were made out of? Yum yum.  But that's not all...   We also unlock our second and third jobs. Summaries for each job will be coming once we get our fourth party member. For now, the main thing to know is that switching to these jobs lets us use/learn the abilities Barras and Holly showed off plus more, and change base stats to make us better at punching or spell-casting, respectively.  It certainly is lucky Eternia sent a pair whose bark outmatched their bite. Tiz... I swore I would involve no others on my journey. The task I face is mine as vestal, and mine alone... I had thought I'd steeled myself to face any peril. To withstand any pain... But had I faced those two alone, I'd have faltered. My journey would have ended in a cell, or worse. I am grateful to you, Tiz. And grateful for you.  Hmph, I did that a while back, silly. Tiz... I thank you. That just leaves the problem of how we're crossing the sea. We need to get you to Ancheim, don't we? I've another plan! This one's better still! If riding their ship as a captive's out, why not as a captain? You want us to steal an airship!? We've no way of knowing where it went. Let's head back to the city for now. We can ask around there.The airship should still be above the lake unless someone besides Barras knows how to pilot it and drove it away during the battle. The game never explains, though there are some guesses one can make. In any case, the airship isn't here now, so back to Caldisla. Next: How to use jobs, a book, a fire, and the third member of the party. -- Event Viewer Main Scenario: The Monk and the White Mage My Ray of Hope We Go Together quote:
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quote:Greyarc fucked around with this message at 07:38 on Feb 24, 2017 |
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Feb 14, 2017 00:28
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I'm playing in advance to keep up a buffer, so the deciding's already done, but Agnès monk may be a thing, yes. Speed randomization puts a serious dent in planning turns with no fun upside. It's especially a shame in this game, because the battle system's otherwise designed exactly to carry out elaborate, perfectly synchronized strategies. Greyarc fucked around with this message at 01:44 on Feb 15, 2017 |
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Feb 15, 2017 01:31
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Entry 9: Pyromania and Social Oddballs Not yet, Airy. Welcome to Bravely Default: Let's Learn Jobs. As mentioned earlier, jobs make up the bulk of the gameplay. A character's job determines their stats, their equipment proficiencies, and the abilities they can use. There are 24 jobs available in this game. When leveled with JP (job points), jobs reach their max at level 14. Because a new ability is learned every job level, this means each job has 14 abilities to learn, and there are 336 abilities total. Abilities fall into two categories. Let's call them skill and support. Skills are abilities usable during combat as an alternative to the Attack command. Skills are tied to their parent job -- characters must be using the job to have access to its skill abilities. Supports are abilities which give passive effects during combat or on the field. Supports are not tied to their parent job. Instead, they must be equipped. Their limitation is in equipment cost. They can be equipped and unequipped at will from the menu, but the cost of the total amount equipped can never exceed the character's limit. This will be shown in detail later. Let's move on to what we can mess with currently.  We can now pick between three jobs: Freelancer, Monk, and White Mage. Tiz will stay freelancer, but Agnès will change to monk so she can protect herself against kidnappers and assassins.  After picking a job, next up to tinker with is the ability menu. There are two manipulable items here: Job Command and Support Abilities. Job Command allows the use of a second job's skills in addition to the character's current job.   By selecting Freelancer as her Job Command...  Agnès becomes a monk who is able to use the Freelancer skill abilities Examine and Treat. Note that Job Command abilities are still limited to what you've learned while playing the job as your primary class, so no using top level white magic unless that character's leveled White Mage. Even the few levels and jobs available so far give some versatility. Tiz the Freelancer can now use basic white magic. And that'll do for the moment. Support Abilities deals with... support abilities, and will be explained in a few updates once there's something worthwhile to show off.  Time to head back to Caldisla and announce the good news.   One brief stop on the way to the castle to pick up all the white magic they offer. You only have to buy each spell once for it to be learned by everyone, however like other job skill abilities, it can't be used unless you're the appropriate job or have it set as Job Command, and have gained the ability to use magic of that level. White Magic Level 1 is White Mage's level 1 ability, so all three spells here are usable right away.   The king is so excitable.  Has there been any word of where the ship has gone, Your Highness? What have you heard from your men, Owen? Lontano Villa... Then that's where we're headed. I'm afraid you'll not get there now. The bridge they shot out is still in ruins. We'll mount a full-scale offensive the moment it's repaired. For now, we must be patient. Go and rest. I'm not sure the airship disappearing is a good thing.  Their ship has left, for now. You have my thanks, Tiz. We shall do our part as well!The kingdom is significantly cheerier now that they don't have cannons pointed at them. As Tiz and Agnès walk away from the throne...   Hm? Oh, ah... I've just never before walked through such a lively city as this... Oh, really? I don't suppose it's anything special for you... You grew up here. But to me, this is all-- Actually... Me, too. I'm sorry? I grew up in Norende. Norende has...sheep. And grass. Nothing like this... It's kind of overwhelming, to be honest. So I think I can relate pretty well, actually. Oh... Oh, I see. Well, yes, then. What parts jump out at you the most? What's the strangest? Hmm, well... The number of people, and buildings. And the fact that they all seem so tranquil astounds me. The seas are rotted, the duchy has invaded, and still... I suppose it's a testament to their faith in the king's rule. A far cry from the kingdom I left... Hm? Ah! I'd nearly forgotten! Owen informed me just before we left. Apparently the innkeep is preparing a special feast for us this evening. Best we did not keep him waiting. Ooh, right!  Taking one last look back before we exit, the throne room is emptier than before. Maybe most of the guard's out celebrating.  A shepherd and a nun had more success than trained soldiers. JRPGs. So, next...  ...we, uh...   All right, to the inn. The party settles in for a good night's sleep. *inn music plays*     Something's wrong outside. Wait, is that...?   And you'd best be quick... F-f-fire spreads so easily! Heh heh heh heh!A fellow we haven't seen before.  And someone we have. The swordsman-in-training from the opening movie.  You're under my c-command now. You'll f-f-follow my orders! But sir! Eee hee hee heh heh! Burn, BURN! We can s-sift the vestal's ashes out from the rest!Black pointy hat, black robe, pyromaniac... hm.  Looking for me. If I go, they'll stop this madness. Karl is brave, considering the fire is just next door to his inn.  If the whole city's c-c-complicit, the whole city can burn. Just watch. My f-ff...FIRE will have this place charred black by morning. Black Mage Ominas Crowe! ...What now? We've sent these people a clear message. It's time to withdraw.  Eep! F-f-fine... Bully. Women always are. And every night until you g-g-give up the girl!The soldiers run off. Black Mage, huh? And we've finally seen the fourth person from the opening, though she doesn't seem too happy. The next morning:  The spellcaster was one of their officers. He's holed up in the ruins of Centro Keep, north of the city. The hostilities will end once I step forward. Tiz Arrior, eternal optimist. Then again, they've taken down one group of Eternian soldiers. Why not another?  Wait, that goofy yet suave voice...  Mr. Amnesia... Is that foreign? I mean the boy has no memories. He just turned up in town a week ago, no clue who he was.   I'm fine, though I thank you for your gracious concern. More to the point, you two are Tiz and Agnès, yes? ...!! But why...? I don't recall giving you my name, sir. It was written in this journal. The only thing I had on me when I was found, apparently. Full of strange things, this book. Like word of your aims to plug up that great sinkhole. What? What's more--and this part is key--the journal states that you two will encounter a certain female. If my suspicions are correct, it's the girl who was accompanying that Eternian firestarter. Pardon my asking, but how do you tie in? It appears you make for the Centro Ruins, no? Then bring me along. That girl tugs at my mind. Oh, we've met before.   Ahh, my heart races! I insist you let me join you. It simply must be so. What!? Why? This is an upstanding gentleman's heartfelt plea! I'll not slow you down... I cannot trust a man such as yourself. My answer is no, sir. Still, in a fight, three people are better than two... His personality leaves a bit to be desired, but I'll vouch for the man's skill. He once helped us hunt down a wild boar. ...... If you're certain he'll not pose a problem, Tiz. Lovely. Do you remember your name? No, thank you.  Ladykiller has become party member number three. He's carrying a new weapon.  Very appropriate. Tiz and Agnès, however, are focused on other things.  Sure. What's on your mind? That Ringabel fellow. I'm just not... Are we truly certain...? True, he doesn't seem like the most dependable guy. Nice enough, though... That isn't my point! He knew our names, Tiz. Before we'd ever spoken. Right. He said they were in that book of his or somesuch. Our names alone is troubling enough... But he knew I was the vestal as well! What!? Hmmm, now that you mention it, he knew we were out to seal the chasm, too. I'd noticed him mumbling strange things in the streets ever since I arrived. Eep! Er... Mr. Ringabel. Please. No need for formality. Would you tell us how you knew Agnès was the vestal of wind? Hm? Oh, that. All written in this journal, my good man. Simple as that. And would you mind if I had a look at this journal? By all means. Turn it over and shake it, if you like. See what falls out. And what is your tie to the girl traveling with that pyromancer? I'm to save her, apparently. Don't ask me how or why. I just know. Save her? You realize our errand at the Centro Ruins is to put an end to the firestarter's threats, yes? Quite. And I understand the girl may have something to say about it. In any case, I'm confident I won't be a burden. And I certainly have no intent of stopping you, if that's a concern. Why don't you hold onto the journal for now? Investigate it to your satisfaction. And, once satisfied, I hope you'll choose to place your trust in me. Well, I...I suppose we'll see. ......Next update, we'll all see: D's Journal. -- Event Viewer Main Scenario: Victory Report Put to the Flame The Black Mage Withdraws Mr. Amnesia Party Chat: Two Bumpkins A Man of Mysteries D's Journal: Ruins of Centro Keep posted:These ruins located along the main road stretching north from the Caldislan castle were once considered a vital strategic point between the northern and southern regions, but they were abandoned after being rendered obsolete by the unification of the kingdom. 
Greyarc fucked around with this message at 07:38 on Feb 24, 2017 |
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Feb 16, 2017 06:29
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Pittsburgh Lambic posted:As one other note, are we going to talk about job specialties? They're often the one thing about a job that you have to switch to that job in order to take advantage of, like the Freelancer's Late Bloomer specialty. Yes. The job system is complex enough I don't want to cover everything in one go, is all. Commander Keene posted:Also, Ringabel's actual name is pretty good. Let's just leave it at 'Ringabel' for now.
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Feb 17, 2017 01:37
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D's Journal: Overview Today we're taking a break from the regular game to look into D's Journal. The journal is essentially this game's encyclopedia, though with more flavor than usual and an actual tie to the plot. This will be in two parts due to Enigmatic Writings.  The journal is accessible via the side menu, below Norende.  Starting from the top:
 The item, enemy, character, location, and term pages shown so far have come from D's Journal. Everything not yet covered but currently in D's Journal will be shown below. People: D's Journal: Ringabel posted:
D's Journal: Tiz Arrior posted:
D's Journal: Agnès Oblige posted:
D's Journal: Airy posted:
Bosses D's Journal: Barras posted:D's Journal: Holly posted:Terms: D's Journal: Crystals posted:
D's Journal: The Crystal Orthodoxy posted:The Crystal Orthodoxy: The Orthodoxy was born of the desire to reform Crystalism, the worship of Luxendarc's four crystals. It was 2,400 years ago that crystal temples across the world, along with their vestals and acolytes, were brought under the Orthodoxy's central control, creating a world religion that would change the course of history. D's Journal: Vestals posted:Vestals (Entry 1): Those who bear the name Oblige serve the crystals, offering prayers and recounting their blessings to the faithful. Said to be brides to the crystals, they dedicate their lives to them. The Orthodoxy seeks out candidates at a young age, and those seen as having the requisite qualities are brought to the temple to be raised as vestalings. D's Journal: Duchy of Eternia posted:Duchy of Eternia: Founded fifteen years ago on the continent of Eternia, west of Caldisla, this new land has placed the crystal there under secular rather than religious control. Under the banner of Anticrystalism, the duchy has used its advanced science and military might in many ways to pressure the lands that still espouse Crystalism. D's Journal: Anticrystalism posted:Anticrystalism: Advocated by the Duchy of Eternia, this philosophy holds that humankind should actively utilize the crystals, rather than relegating them to useless objects of worship or treating them as religious and doctrinal crutches upon which society is dependent. It brands the Crystal Orthodoxy as a heretic faith, and the vestals its minions. Some adherents even suspect the Great Chasm was the vestals' doing. D's Journal: Airships posted:Skystones: This special kind of stone, first discovered under the Orthodoxy's head temple some 700 years ago, is so named for its unique ability to make objects float in the air when it is placed in a mystic enclosure and heated to a certain temperature. D's Journal: D's Journal posted:
Greyarc fucked around with this message at 07:38 on Feb 24, 2017 |
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Feb 18, 2017 07:54
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If you're following along with the story, it's highly recommended you read Enigmatic Writings. Yes, it's long. I'm assuming anyone who's gotten this far understands the sheer amount of involved in this game. Yes, it's described by the characters as prophecy. No, it is not spoilers, not in the traditional sense. It's more like a supplement. Plus, you better believe Ringabel's going to keep referencing it and this way you'll actually have a bit of context.I edited out line breaks for readability's sake. The text itself should otherwise be unchanged. D's Journal: Enigmatic Writings 9/20 The steel airlock door creaked shut behind me. Footsteps investigating the noise drew close for a moment, but soon faded. I lowered myself into bed with a sigh. My right hand unconsciously drifted to the back of my head. There, beneath my pillow, it fell upon a picture frame. Within it, a disheveled room full of scrap iron, oil stains, and a single, beautiful flower...  My beloved Edea... I pine for the chance to see a smile unfurl across your face set in equal parts courageous fire and innocence. I long to hear your voice, sweet like a spring breeze. Let it speak my name, and I shall die a happy man. I could hear the nervous shuffling outside my door of someone afraid to disturb me. Not afraid enough, it seems. I returned the photo to its hiding place and answered without bothering to conceal my irritation. "I'm awake. What is it?" I skimmed the manual I'd been given, then tossed it on the bed. I returned to Edea's smile, perfectly preserved within the picture frame. The Eschalot. My lips formed the word time and again as I watched the new ship in tow from my cabin porthole. 9/26 I hurried for the capital as the sun dipped below Norende Plateau. My steps are unnervingly light without my armor, and these clothes hang oddly on me. Most of all, I feel naked without a weapon. I was greeted at the city's edge by the sound of a whistle marking the arrival of a merchant ship. Between the merchants and wholesalers, the dock workers unloading crates, the tired crewmen, and the eager children excited by exotic wares, the port was buzzing with people. As I pushed my way upstream through the crowd and along the avenue toward the palace, I spotted a splendid building, its roof a rich navy. This must be the inn the old fisherman described. Inside, I found a man with a gentle mien sitting behind a well-polished counter. I asked after any vacancies, but he replied with a chagrined, "Sorry, we're all full up tonight." It feels quiet for a full inn, but I don't suppose I can blame him. A walk-in customer, at this hour. Clearly not a local. No one to vouch for me. Any respectable innkeep would offer some version of the same excuse. When I inquired after a place to eat, he said down by the port there should be a cheap pub catering to sailors that's open until morning. Lovely. Back down I go... At hill's bottom I ate my fill at a food cart aimed at drunken sailors. Now it's back up to the inn. I refuse to spend the night kept awake by carousing seamen. I let myself into the empty house next door to the inn. I'll just have to sleep lightly. 9/27 I was awakened by the sound of sword practice, shouts of exertion, and the pleasant smell of toast. One of the king's guard, perhaps? Looks about my age, and reasonably skilled. I lay in my makeshift bed, lazily counting his swings. "Hurry up, Owen. You'll be late." Upon hearing the innkeep's words, the youth replied and made his way down from the misty hilltop and into the inn. The scent of breakfast coming from next door has me drooling... One bite of my rock-hard bread brought me back to reality. The bacon burnt coal black and the murky, bitter coffee made me wish it hadn't. I suppose I can expect no more from a shabby stand in the port. After choking down my fill, I climbed the hill toward the palace. Supplied by a series of lush waterways, Caldisla was once a formidable city-fortress. These days, its hooked central avenue is lined with a magic shop, general store, armory and other businesses. A large gate stands as a vestige of that era, though now it serves mostly as a site for the town bulletin board. "This year's boar hunt is set to begin once the final slot is filled! *Weapons provided by the hunting committee." A boar hunt? With the duchy attacking? I was speechless. As I made to leave, I felt someone grasp my shoulder. "This fellow says he'll join the hunt! We ride today!" I turned, shock and irritation laid bare, only to find Owen, the young man I had seen practicing in the fog that morning. My initial protests were drowned in a rising cheer, and as the smith handed me a broadsword and buckler, I dumbly accepted. Potions from the town chemist followed. Between their expectant smiles and Owen's grin, I found myself unable to say no. On the road, I was told a litany of facts I cared nothing about. The search for food to fatten up before hibernating apparently drives the giant boars to local farms, where they raid crops and injure workers. As a result, the city gathers volunteers each year to hunt them. As captain of the guard (I discover), responsibility for overseeing the hunt falls upon Owen. The armorer was slated to participate, but a leg injury has him on crutches. Owen says he was searching for a replacement when he found a promising candidate during his morning practice. Lucky him. We walked a full, tiring day stalking our prey. First the trader gave out, then chatter dried up between the two young castle guards. Sunset found us upriver from the city, at the entrance to the Norende Canyon. Just as we decided to make camp, a rustling came from the thickets behind us! The boar that leapt out was indeed a giant--a vicious, one-tusked monster that had survived the last year's hunt. In a flash, it gored one of the guards, then the other, leaving only Owen, me, and the trader. The boar stamped the ground, preparing to charge the old man now paralyzed with fear. I expect we'd all given up hope for the kindly old merchant, when the beast suddenly changed course. With only seconds to react, Owen landed a mighty blow, felling the monster in a single strike! I set about treating the young guards' injuries. The trader, clearly still worked up, narrated Owen's victory to the two boys. With every reverent word, I felt as though I was being derided as useless. The others took to sleep, while I sat watch to keep the fire going. Owen rose, and came to sit beside me. "Thanks for before." I kept silent, but he pressed on.  "The boar only changed targets because you circled behind me and channeled your energy at it. It's thanks to you we're not carting home a corpse." He sat waiting, apparently bent on receiving a response. His grin is infectious. "I took the surest course of action," I replied as I held aloft my broadsword. "I had my doubts this blade was up to the task." The weapon's edge was chipped in places, its length bent. With a gentle shake, the pommel gave an unsettling rattle. Owen burst into laughter at the noise. Apparently my response passed muster. He continued, his grin never flagging. "Starting tomorrow, you'll stay at my place. I'll give word to my father to open a room for you." I was dragged on this hunt, but if it earns me a real breakfast, it's a bargain I'd take gladly. 9/28 The innkeep's voice and the smell of coffee being laid on the table roused me from my thoughts. "You're from Ancheim, eh? You'll be wanting extra sugar, then." Politely declining, I took a sip. Quality beans, roasted to perfection... Exquisite. After the hunt, we'd carried the wounded back to town. We tied the boar to a high tree branch; Owen said the townspeople would come for it later. After seeing to the boys' treatment, Owen invited me to his home, the inn. "Savior" was the title he used when introducing me to his father. I was mortified. I was on a journey of personal discovery, originally come from Ancheim... They bought my arbitrary lies without hesitation. They welcomed me. That evening, we dined early, and well. The boar had been carted back to town, and our share of the meat filled the table. Once Owen returned from the palace, we sat down to feast. The innkeep was a brilliant cook, and we ate, drank, and reveled into the night. "Come by the palace tomorrow. I want you to meet the king." He repeated himself time and again, words slurred from the wine, despite my pretending to be asleep. 10/3 I've been in Caldisla a week, with no sign of the smoke signal. I join Owen in his training some mornings, walk the city streets, chat with the elderly, drink with the sailors at the docks, arm wrestle the drunks... Mostly, I just pass the time. Today was another peaceful afternoon, the same as any other. Owen was at the palace since morning. I was enjoying a cup of the innkeep's coffee. It happened in an instant. I felt as if someone was set to plunge a knife into my back. I turned, and saw a window. Through it, the northern sky was on fire in a flash of pure white. Moments later, the inn shook. An earthquake? Shockwave? All of Caldisla trembled. The innkeep moaned about a set of heirloom teacups breaking. I had my doubts that teacups would be the worst of the damage. Outside, I spied some injured people, but the city and palace stood unharmed. Another flash lit the sky to the northwest. Close. The Norende Plateau, perhaps... 10/4 It wasn't till the following morning that Owen came home. By the time he finished muttering about his morning training, he was snoring. A knock at his door put an end to that brief rest that afternoon. "The river's jammed with rubble!" After receiving the scout's report, Owen wolfed down the late breakfast his father had readied, then turned to me. "Sounds like I may need a hand later." I nodded, eyes fixed on the northwestern sky. The bridge across the Caldisla River has lain in ruin since the duchy felled it. Now, a flotilla of further rubble and countless corpses approach from upstream. Upstream means the Norende Canyon, and the village of Norende at its source. I suppose that's our epicenter. Owen and I split up and joined the others searching for victims. Owen's team searched the river's mouth, while I gathered men from town to search further upstream. I've a long sword at my side--a new one, this time, in good condition. Seems the smithy's been busy. The armorer, the old trader, and a dockhand joined me on the shadowy path through the canyon. A few paces in, the armorer spotted something floating by: a young man, floating face up and snagged on the rocks.  We ran to his side. "He's breathing! The boy's alive!" While the others rejoiced, I was more concerned with the ominous shadows surrounding us. "Goblins!?" "What are monsters doing here?" There ought not be monsters so close to human settlement. Not in these numbers. The townspeople were clearly overwhelmed. No doubt this was their first such encounter. I hesitated, unsure for a moment. But no, I had to take action. "When I give the signal, hoist this boy out and sprint for the canyon's mouth. Is that clear!?" A nod returned from each of them. Sudden movement would distract the creatures for a moment. I hoped that was all I'd need. "Now! GO!" Thankfully, both merchants escaped, as well as the dockhand with the unconscious boy across his shoulders. Left alone, I faced a quickly-closing circle of enemies. So be it, I thought. Come closer, then. A bit more... A deep growl emerged from my chest. "...Black Bane!" When I emerged from the canyon on shaky legs, I was greeted by three anxious faces. "It was this fellow that saved me," I said, holding aloft the badly worn longsword. A huge, proud grin threatened to split the armorer's cheeks. We hurried the boy back to town. I carried him to the inn. "I need spirits and all the bandages you've got. And gramps, all the potions you've got, too!" I laid him in a bed by the window, stripped him down, and had a look at his wounds. Thankfully, they were light, though he still showed no sign of stirring. Owen's group returned soon after, a few of his men wounded. They'd run into monsters as well. Leaving men to guard the gates, he made for the palace to report and formulate a plan. When he came by to deliver the medicine, the old trader remarked that the boy's clothing bore a Norende pattern. 10/7 Three days the boy has stayed at the inn, and still no sign of waking. The innkeep says he's run a fever the entire time. This afternoon is a warm one. Now I'm watching the innkeep nod off at the counter. The aftershocks have stopped, and peace is slowly returning to the city, but a shadow lingers over the earth, the sky, and the townspeople's hearts. Glancing through the window, I saw people motioning toward the port. Another merchant ship, I thought, but no. Their shouts were anxious, not excited. I stepped outside. Following the gaze of the others in the street, I saw a merchant vessel drifting into port. But something was wrong. The ship was listing hard, its aft mast broken. I sprinted down the hill. As I ran, I noticed a dark, heavy color spreading through the water from the mouth of the bay inward. I caught snippets as I passed. "The sea's begun to rot." "Ships can't leave the bay." "No fish in the last few days." A few days? Then the change began when the quake hit... The ship listed further, rescue boats surrounding it. Most of the cargo had already been cast overboard. When the boats reached the pier, a parade of passengers and crew emerged, each looking more exhausted than the next. By some miracle, there were no lives lost, though most of the freight followed the ship to the bottom of the bay. The merchants mourned their lost profits and the crew their vessel. The seamen had lost their sea, and the passengers were now stranded. Despair ran rampant. Except for one young girl.  She was full of questions. About the quake four days prior. About the flash that lit the sky. About Norende. "Did you know someone in the village? Family, perhaps?" Her jaw set at my query. Was it anger? Fear? She wordlessly shook her head from side to side. "No? I just figured, hearing you ask about the quake so soon after weathering the sea. I thought maybe you were a friend of that boy's." "Boy? What boy?" came her reply. Suspicion played on her face. But as the next boat reached the pier, we were shooed out of the harbor. "Another visitor from Ancheim, eh? You must be tired. Why don't you stay with us till you're settled?" Hmph. I recall a different sort of greeting. I cast a sour smile his way, and he responded with a grin. "We've a sick one in the back. I hope you won't mind." The girl replied with a nod. Her name, I learned, was Agnès. She seems guarded about her past. Not that I can talk. Conversation continues to be awkward. She shows interest in what was happening in this country when the quake hit. For my part, I ask her about the sea. Her ship had left before the earthquake struck. She says about halfway between Ancheim and Caldisla, their pace began to slow. The seawater clouded, and dead fish began to float to the surface. First small ones, then larger. As they neared port, the wind died. It was pure luck the ship drifted in before going calm. Other vessels they'd passed in the bay, she reported, were less fortunate. She listened as I recounted what happened in the canyon, the color draining from her face. I told her the village was likely at the quake's epicenter, and that monsters had flooded the area in its wake. We talked late into the night.  10/25 An urgent wire from Caldisla came during the night. "Sky Knights routed. "The vestal and crew commandeered the S.K. ship, with Edea in tow."  11/13 The Flor-Cheim Inner Sea remains unsullied, and serves now as a holding place for ships from neighboring waters as well. I walked the port asking after the vestal's whereabouts (or those of the ship she stole, at least), but was unable to uncover anything useful. My continued search brings me to Ancheim proper. The ship's almanac has this to say of it: "A clockwork metropolis, nestled in Harena's sandy bosom. Here time, above all, is sacred. A massive timepiece crowns the kingdom, fueled as all of Ancheim by the ceaseless currents originating from the Temple of Wind to the south." I crossed the desert and arrived at the city's edge. It seems those ceaseless winds have ceased in the chasm's wake. Deprived of a precious power source, Ancheim's people now suffer under forced manual labor. Those I met were too tired and apathetic to answer my questions. One man, perhaps motivated by the coin I flashed, blushed awkwardly as he stammered this: "T-try the Yulyana Woods..." I reached out to hand him the money, but he turned and ran without taking it. Very odd.  11/23 The air in front of Ancheim's royal palace was taut. The vestal heaped abuse upon the king, then presented something to the agitated masses assembled there. It was a chain bearing an evil sigil. The glassy-eyed mob reached fever pitch...  The vestal pointed south, and the delirious mob turned their eyes to the sky, crying out her name. I moved to approach her, but the zealous crowd was packed tight. Fearing for his life, the king fled into the palace, escorted by his guard. 12/08 Good. They haven't come by... I was worried I might run into them here. That would complicate matters. I could do little more than beg her help in the broadest of terms, then it was back to my ship and away again. Though perhaps a bit out of date, the ship's almanac has this to say of Florem: "True to the old teachings, Florem's women live in chaste humility, in coexistence with the spirits of nature." And of the land's people: "Devout Crystalists, they reject war and conflict, instead choosing lives of peaceful reflection." Sounds like a recipe for carnage if those two heard these words... 1/31 After three weeks of anxious silence, they finally sent word. "The wind vestal entered the Sacred Flower Festival." ...What? 3/07 It's been four years since I stood here. The fortress stands grim and imposing as ever. Just what do they aim to do with a sword that large? My guide greeted me respectfully. I suppressed my desire to break his face. Ugh, enough! Stop talking! I know about this land and its resources without your yapping. Mythril Steel: An exceptionally hard metal refined from locally-mined ore. Upwards of 80 percent of the world's mythril originates in Eisenberg's mines. In rare cases, the same veins have yielded orichalcum. Orichalcum: An extremely precious metal, found exclusively in Eisenberg. Its durability is unrivaled, making it ideal for use in weapons and armor. Also notable is the extreme amount of energy released when the metal is melted under high pressure. It's all common knowledge. Does he think we don't have schools?  We soon arrived at the top floor. "Just how long do you intend to chase at my heels!?" When I barked at the guide, he seemed genuinely confused. A waterfall of sweat poured from him. A guffaw rang out, cutting off any further tirade. The guide scuttled off, and a giant hand came clapping down on my back. 3/17 Someone please explain to me how I wound up defending this brat. Ah, right. Because that fat scum and the weakling started eagerly talking about torturing the information out of him. Disgusting...  I'm not worried about this weakling Astrae. I could handle him with my eyes closed. But the drugs the fat one cooks up--the poisons, especially--could ruin the child's body. And so we stood there, staring each other down for a full half-hour... It wasn't for another thirty minutes that old man battleaxe caught wind of the standoff and came to my rescue. Fatty and I were both drenched in sweat by that point. Astrae and the brat had passed out. In the end, the child became my responsibility. Astrae is still spewing complaints, but it sounds like fatty was chewed out hard for his hand in this latest stunt. Seems the kid is grateful for having been spared, even by someone like me. He's started to open up a bit. He's eight years old, and lost both parents to the war. His grandfather took him in, until disease claimed him as well. Textbook orphan story. He was rounded up with the other orphans and put to forced labor. Between ditching work and saying strange things, he drew the guards' attention, and that landed him here. My efforts have earned me an unruly roommate. When he's asleep, he's no different than any other kid... I thought to turn in for the night as well, but the words he mumbled in his sleep as I put out the light stopped me cold.  He pulled a lever in the rock or somesuch, and a tunnel into the magma caverns opened up. I'd never felt such heat. Between the steep, narrow path, this blasted heat, and having a brat in tow, my progress was miserably slow. During one of our short breaks, I was taken unawares by one of Edea's tirades. Distracted or not, careful to watch my back or not, I had allowed the enemy to draw near without so much as realizing it. Absolutely mortifying.  I wasn't about to risk combat with the brat at my side. Even I have my limits. He was nearly passed out from exhaustion. I laid him behind the rocks and stepped forward. I saw no other choice but to fight... In the short while since I'd last seen them, the vestal, Tiz and Edea's faces had grown older. Stronger. Their teamwork isn't half bad, either. I busied myself with the vestal while thinking on how best to drive back Edea without harming her. "Stay back! Don't come here!" All I could do as I saw the boy stumbling closer was shout. The caverns shook, and the ground beneath him gave way. Tiz was the first to react. "Hang in there. We'll get you up!" "Let go...We'll both fall!" "Agnès, leave me! Go!" "Un...acceptable..." "Mrgrgr! My grip... It's slipping!" I acted without thinking, clutching Edea to me and pulling her to safety. -- Magma roared past beneath me. We stood there, wordless until we caught our breath. "Thank you..." Edea began. "I suppose I owe you for that." I reflexively jumped back. Edea stood there, Ise-no-Kami held drawn and ready. Some thanks... Agnès shielded the boy while Tiz came to join Edea. As the sound of her swing cut the air, the ground beneath me crumbled once more... I saw the look of shock on Edea's face as if time were standing still. I slowly fell toward the magma below, joined by a shower of falling rock. My vision went red. ??/?? I'm alive...somehow. When I woke, my body refused to respond. I think I was lying down. My eyelids felt as though they were glued shut. A familiar voice grated in my ear... "Of course he'll recover. Just whom do you think you are addressing, mm? If I've orders to fix him, I'll see he's fixed...as much as I may enjoy his current state. He'll live, though I'll be sure he suffers for having humiliated me. Hyah heh heh..." The days that followed were hell. His breath reeked as he spoke. "Aww, does it hurt? Hyah hyah hyah... I just gave you the most painful drug I know. And here you can't move a muscle to stop me. Such a shame, isn't it? Ahh hyah hyah hyah!" Some day I will carve this pig apart, so help me... I awoke to familiar engine noise and the smell of oil, but sleep soon found me once more. When I next woke, I was floating in some kind of liquid. I could feel it bitter in my mouth, stinging my nose and filling my lungs. I thought I was drowning and tried to struggle, but my body still refused to obey. I quickly slipped back into darkness. A cold, unpleasant voice woke me. "A nasty bit of work, this... Torture, under the guise of treatment. It was wise to transport him here when we did. A few days more, and, well... Heh. Worry not, I'll have him back good as he was. You have my guarantee." The voice next turned to me. "And how are we feeling?" My eyes opened, stung by the light and medicated fluid. "Today is the twenty-fourth. You've been out a month and a week, but worry not. None of your correspondence seems especially pressing. ...See?" He held a slip of paper up to the tank. "Bring the orphan to the inn of origin," it read. "What does it mean?" he asked. "Is it code? I can't make sense of it." It made little sense to me, too, but I felt relief at knowing the boy was alright. "That wasn't your only inscrutable message." I drifted in and out as he read more, catching only snippets. "Earth Crystal... Grandship... Engine room..." Some days (weeks?) later, the liquid was drained from the tank, and I was left to stave off gravity with atrophied legs. "Buck up. You'll be back to your old self given a week. I made well sure of that." With that final dismissive comment, he turned and left. I was moved to a civilian hospital to recover. I trained back up to full stamina in six days, mostly out of spite. No trace remained of the burns I assume covered my body, and he'd reversed any effects of whatever that pig had injected me with while he was at it. It galls me to say, but the man does good work. 6/16 How many days have passed since I left his side? A pillar of light has stood above the southern sea for some time now, just as he predicted.  That leaves little room to doubt his second prediction will hold true. Within the coming days, the vestal and her friends will come here. I only pray I have the strength to stop them as I was asked to...  Thinking back, the vestal's followers have been with her from the start. Ever since Caldisla. Agnès Oblige, vestal to the Wind Crystal... I never imagined the young girl I met on that pier would bear such a fate. And Tiz Arrior. For the boy I pulled from that canyon river to become a guard and ally to the vestal on her journey... It seems on so many counts, I bear the fault for all of this. A long, harsh journey to erase the Great Chasm. A vestal who crossed the putrid sea and stagnant air to survive. A boy whose home was swallowed. In retrospect, they seem a natural pair. Inevitable, even. And Edea... I expect you, too, will join the vestal here. You were ever a tomboy. Capricious. Pure and stubborn. Quick to tears... Perfect. I know not what it is you see in the vestal. What spark resonated within you. But I swear this now, I will keep you safe. At any cost.  The ship's siren has begun to sound, and the pilot's taking her up, just as planned. The time is come, then. This may be the last entry I am able to write. I'm removing Edea's picture from its frame and placing it within these pages. I want her by my side...  
Greyarc fucked around with this message at 07:40 on Feb 24, 2017 |
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Feb 18, 2017 07:54
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Entry 10: In Which the Party Fights Ganon's Knockoff Cousins  The next morning, the full extent of Ominas's damage can be seen. Mystery girl aside, Ringabel's living space being destroyed might have been a factor in his sudden interest in tagging along.   It pains me to place this all on you, but I'm sure you'll do great.Owen is an important member of our cheerleading squad. We believe in you, too, Owen.    Caldisla's mood is grim, but defiant. The king is the most distressed, soft marshmallow that he is. All said and done...  Our goal is clear.  Ringabel is going to take on White Mage. It seems natural for him. Tiz will keep as Freelancer for now.  An example of how job determines proficiency with different armor/weapon types. S-ranked staves are the white mage specialty, while they're terrible with E-ranked swords. Higher proficiency increases the physical attack power of a weapon. In the hands of someone with E proficiency, the staff only adds 2 attack power. In Ringabel the white mage's hands, it adds 3. Underwhelming here, perhaps, but a big deal for physical attackers.  Unless you have a good knuckles weapon, it's best to go bare-handed as monk. Why? Each job has a Specialty, listed near the bottom on the previously shown ability menu. Specialties provide a unique passive perk which compliments the job's playstyle. In this case, Knuckle Lore raises knuckles proficiency to S and adds x2 to physical attack when the character is fighting bare-handed. Many specialties also double as learnable support abilities, allowing the use of, for example, Knuckle Lore on a white mage. Before leaving town, let's check in on Norende.  Earlier I set my worker on the northeastern blockade.   And here it is after the blockade clearage is completed. A new couple of shops are ready to be upgraded, and a couple more blockades are accessible. The topmost blockade will take 99 hours to unblock. For the moment, effort goes into the armor shop. At this point I'm already drowning in gifts from the item shop. Got two new item types:   Echo herbs will come in handy now that we have magic-users.   With all prep done, we head to the keep.    Well, we sure found our targets quick.  I'll say it now. Your methods are wrong. Wrong? WRONG!? I don't rec-c-call asking your opinion on the matter!  I've seen more than enough to know this much: You are undeserving of my trust and my loyalty.  Ominas turns away to rage, probably wishing the computer was invented so he could rant about women on the internet.    The joke is Edea sounds like the princess from Hidden Fortress: rocks scraping together, especially when angry. That's speaking as someone who likes both characters.    The second dungeon, Centro Keep, seems straightforward: Get to the room next door. The trick? Both doors leading directly there are locked. We have to go up two floors, around to left side of fort, then back down.  To progress, closed gates around the keep can be opened via giant conspicuous switches in the walls.  It's a very basic gimmick, and unfortunately par for the course for this game's puzzles. This game takes a lot from NES/older SNES JRPGs, including the negatives of simple but tedious dungeon layouts with little visual variety, with a few exceptions.   Two of the new enemies here.   Cait Siths go down easily. Orcs have a semi-regular pattern of Default, then Brave to attack twice next turn. Since Defaulting increases defense for its turn, a 4x attack at the wrong time will really lack its normal potency.   On the second floor, another lever/door combo and a chest. These go on Agnès so she can keep on punching.  The party doesn't even bother facing the enemy. Or staying on the ground, in Ringabel's case. The game's difficulty curve won't kick in for a while, but boy will it get going when it does.  First priority in this place. Orcs hit hard enough without poisoning and a buff.  On the third floor, the game's first hidden treasure chest. As in earlier Final Fantasy games, sometimes there are invisible holes in walls which lead to goodies. Encouraging players to scrape themselves against every wall was always a good combo with random battles. Luckily, online guides and an adjustable encounter rate are here to help this time around.   The prize is our first knuckles weapon.  Agnès will now one or two-shot enemies.  A complete map of the third floor.   Back down to the left side of second floor, there's a weapon I immediately forget to equip before fighting the black mage.  Complete map of the second floor and an Adventurer save point, indicating that a boss battle is imminent. Next: A battle on two fronts. -- Event Viewer Main Scenario: You're Wrong D's Journal: Ruins of Centro Keep posted:Greyarc fucked around with this message at 07:41 on Feb 24, 2017 |
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Feb 20, 2017 12:47
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Bravely Default's dungeon layouts definitely have one big improvement over old JRPGs: they're a fraction of the size. Endless maze corridors are one feature best left in the past unless your game is explicitly all about navigating endless maze corridors, e.g. Etrian Odyssey.Epsilon Moonshade posted:And here I thought you'd make it past where I am in my replay with this update The pace will pick up a fraction once we're out of tutorial areas. Starting around late chapter 1 I'll be doing grinding behind the scenes, too, though if you're running with a more optimal party you won't be worrying about that as much.
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Feb 20, 2017 23:02
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(I'm actually playing along!)
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Yorkshire Tea posted:For a game that could have leant heavily on the encounter slider if it wanted to, it's surprisingly well balanced. Interesting. That's definitely a credit to the devs. There's a lot to analyze about Bravely Default's encounter rate adjuster. On one hand, it takes the annoyance out of random battles and gives the player a good feeling of control. On the other hand, it could be argued it's acting as a band-aid on the aging, bleeding painful gameplay mechanic known as random battles, which should no longer be used in games like this now that enemies can be shown on the map. Adding to that, there's the issue that Bravely Default's second half likely would've been a complete deal breaker for reviewers (and players) if not for the encounter adjuster... We'll get to that eventually.
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Feb 21, 2017 23:53
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Entry 11: Through the Silence, a Single Punch This is the standard line the Adventurer gives before boss battles.  Going down the stairs leads to the room adjoining Edea and the black mage. Let's go say hi.  How are you here? Is no one under me competent!? Bah, f-fine! My f-ff...FIRE will make ash of the lot of you! What? Ominas! Our orders are to take the vestal alive! Besides, if you loosed your spells in here, you'd--  N-no! Gwaaaugh! He's attacking his own people!Are the Sky Knights sent on away assignments to keep them as far from domestic affairs as possible?  Black Mage Ominas Crowe! What!? You're t-t-turning traitor?! You'll make your f-father a laughingstock! This has nothing to do with him. All that I hold true denies everything that you are! Who, us!? But we-- Well, maybe not my real name, but certainly my... Anyway, what's in a name, really? Don't you agree, Edea? What!? How did you...? Enough. Conversation can wait! Aaargh, enough! No more! I'll not be made a f-ff...FOOL any longer! I'll see you all charred black! I swear it! Black Mage Ominas Crowe is the second boss of the game. But there's a first with this fight...   We have a full party.  Being a black mage, Ominas is an offensive spellcaster, using fire and negative status effects such as poison and sleep.  Here he uses the unusual technique of silencing my monk.  Agnès is the star this battle. Monks have low magic defense and high physical attack while black mages have low physical defense and high magic attack, but unlike Ominas, Agnès has healers on her side. The fight doesn't last long.   The team,  the spoils,  and the man. But what about this new party member?   Still, I've no regrets. My conscience spoke, and I followed it. ...Into the life of a deserter, it seems. I trust there's room in your little band for one more? Unacceptable. What bond of trust can exist between a sky knight of the duchy and a vestal? But of late, it seems things are rarely cut quite so cleanly. Behaving as the Sky Knights did makes a person wicked. That lot is black as they come. And what other lies have I been told, then? The only thing for it is to see for myself. What is black, and what is white? Your actions will tell me the color of your heart, vestal. Side note: I was curious how Edea's black vs. white notion was expressed originally. Turns out she actually says 'shiro' (white) and 'kuro' (black) in Japanese.  That was...rational? I'm always rational! That scum Crowe just had me seeing red before. Ahh, the type whose claws come out when she gets hot-headed. I'll jot down a note not to anger you. They don't seem like bad people to me. Yes, but how a thing seems and how a thing truly is often differs.  And what are we to make of that? That we're about to steal ourselves an airship. ...One assumes. Just what is that book of yours?   Will they turn their cannons on us? Not by that course. They make south...! Let's hurry!As the party makes their way to the fort entrance, they find time to chat:   Going by the look of it, I'm the youngest one here... Is it best if I stuck to sir and ma'am? Please, just Tiz. ...And Agnès for me, if you please. Really? Even though you're a vestal? Shouldn't it be Lady Agnès or something? I would really rather you didn't... Besides, it's best we didn't go around shouting "vestal" too loudly. Ooh, right. Almost forgot she's a wanted woman. In that case, just Agnès is probably smartest. Thank you. Yes, that's certainly wise. Especially considering the volume of our Edea's voice. What's wrong with my voice! You said her voice was gentle as a spring breeze before, Ringabel. Yes, well. Spring has a way of giving over to summer. And breezes build. Up close, it's more of a torna-- Don't think I'll finish that thought. Ooooooh! No, I think I'd like to hear this! Speak up, Ringabel! Ah, I've remembered an errand. A very pressing, very distant errand. Hey! You get back here this instant! Ha ha ha... She sure got on familiar terms with Ringabel pretty quick. Also, it's never an inappropriate time to talk about Norende, according to the game!  I know nothing is going to get done overnight... But we're taking that first step! I feel like the future finally looks bright. Still, building a whole village from scratch is a huge undertaking. You're taking a first step on a looong, hard road, Tiz. She's right. There's no denying it will be tough. What's more, there's no guarantee that success awaits you beyond all that hardship. It could be an uphill struggle that doesn't get you anywhere. Come on, don't talk like that. I've already got no confidence as it is... All I have is...faith, I guess? Or the sense that I've got to do this. It has to be me! That is all you need, Tiz. Your quest to see Norende rise again is no different than our journey to be rid of the chasm. We've no assurance of success. We may be walking a thorny path to no avail. But we must press onward just the same. We must believe in our actions! Right!There was a backlog of three Norende cutscenes since they weren't accessible until Edea joined (they're triggered by progress on the minigame), but the other two can wait. Now, what were we doing--  ...Oh yeah, enemy airship. The party exits the fort, while we switch to see what's going on in Caldisla...  Hrm.   Ahhh! Why is this happening!?  Or, if you'd prefer, I can come down and pluck her from the last building I leave standing. The choice is yours. Entirely.Speaking with the guards and reading D's Journal, it's pretty clear Caldisla doesn't put much emphasis on its military force. Although it's a great place in peacetime, we're now seeing the downside.    Hmm? Ahh, yes... Owen, Captain of the Caldislan Royal Guard! Knight Argent Heinkel, Knights-Captain of the Eternian Sky! The stories paint you Caldisla's greatest hero. I hope you will not disappoint me!Looks like it's up to Owen and the party, now.  Tiz is going to be a black mage, though he won't be much use until he has black magic to cast. Edea is staying as freelancer for now...  Because she has this. True to the reverence it received in the opening movie, Ise-no-Kami is quite a good weapon for this stage of the game.  Lastly, time for another segment of Let's Learn Jobs. Today's topic is Support Abilities.  They come in a wide variety, but white mage level 2 has a simple one: increasing magic defense by 10%. As mentioned earlier, the limitation for equipping support abilities is their cost. Right now, everyone can only equip one slot worth of support abilities. Although M.Defense 10% Up costs only 1, many abilities will cost more.  The amount the characters can equip will go up as the plot progresses. Mixing and matching support abilities with different jobs is key to making full use of jobs, and lends this game a healthy amount of tactical variety. Next: Caldisla's been better -- will the party make it back in time? Also, info on the Jobs collected so far. -- Event Viewer Main Scenario: At Patience's End Black or White Caldisla in Crisis Heinkel's Attack Party Chat: Talk of Titles Norende's New Beginning D's Journal: Ringabel posted:pg.5: After going to the ruins of Centro Keep in pursuit of the black mage Ominas Crowe, who set the town on fire, a quarrel ensued. The girl Edea finally lost her temper with the gaunt man, who cast his magic on foe and ally alike. She asked us to help her dispatch him, and we agreed, as that had been our goal all along. Thus, our journey together began. D's Journal: Tiz Arrior posted:pg.5: We clashed with the black mage Ominas Crowe deep within the ruins of Centro Keep. Shocked that Ominas would use his magic indiscriminately, Edea declared she would side with us against him, despite us being the enemy. This flustered Tiz, but I welcomed her aboard, and together we trounced that fiend Ominas. D's Journal: Agnès Oblige posted:pg.4: At Centro Keep, Edea turned on the black mage Ominas and joined us, and thus our journey began. Agnès was still wary, and suspected me of having some ulterior motive. I showed her the writings in my journal to ease her fears, but she only grew more suspicious... This vestal is a tough woman to convince! D's Journal: Edea Lee posted:
D's Journal: Ominas the Black Mage posted:
 So long, Ominas. Greyarc fucked around with this message at 07:41 on Feb 24, 2017 |
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Feb 23, 2017 08:05
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Let's Learn Jobs: Freelancer Freelancer is the default job. Though able to do okay decent physical damage, it has few battle abilities and for most of the game can't match up to other, more focused jobs. Its real strength lies in its Specialty and level 14 ability, making it a great endgame job for those willing to grind all jobs to max. Compared to Final Fantasy games, Bravely Default's Freelancer is a blend of whatever the default is, Onion Knight, and Mime.   The two icons associated with Freelancer. The Miscellany icon is also used in Final Fantasy 14 to denote newbie status.  Masters of none. Cs in all stats set Freelancers back.  Blue are support abilities, red are skill abilities. Level 1 - Examine: Display enemy information, including HP, elemental weakness, and family. Level 2 - Treat: Restore HP of one ally by 20% Unaffected by silence. Level 3 - Divining Rod: Displays number of unopened chests in dungeon. (Cost: 1) Level 4 - Dungeon Master: Avoid negative effects from traps. Applies to all allies. (Cost: 1) Level 5 - Mislead: Lower chance of being targeted by enemy. Level 6 - Prayer: Make chance-based abilities 1.5 times more likely to succeed for ten turns. (8 MP) Level 7 - MP 10% Up. (Cost: 1) Level 8 - Endure: Raise physical and magic defense by 25% for four turns, up to 150%. Level 9 - Poison Immunity. (Cost: 1) Level 10 - JP Up: Increase JP earned by 1.2. (Cost: 1) Level 11 - Flee: Running from regular battles always succeeds. Level 12 - Lure Enemy: Double encounter rate. (Cost: 1) Level 13 - Stand Ground: 75% chance to survive K.O. with 1 HP. Will not occur if HP is already 1. (Cost: 3) Level 14 - Mimic: Perform same action as previous one (from you or ally), with no HP/MP/BP/item/PG cost. Though they have some neat skills -- Divining Rod is useful if playing without a guide, and JP Up is a must for later game grinding -- Freelancers have relatively little to offer in combat. There is little reason to use freelancer aside from mimic, but mimic alone can make it worthwhile. The lack of a cost for the mimicked ability lets characters pull off otherwise impossible series of actions.  Even with all jobs maxed, individual stats will still be higher on other jobs, but Freelancers can benefit from having high stats across the board. Freelancer uses everyone's default outfits.    
Greyarc fucked around with this message at 07:44 on Feb 24, 2017 |
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Feb 23, 2017 23:38
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Stabbey_the_Clown posted:Just a little suggestion. Ah, didn't know. Added them in. Thanks!
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Feb 24, 2017 07:46
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Entry 12: Mortal Heroes  The city of Caldisla is under alarm. No civilians around, only what seem to be wounded or dead soldiers.  Our destination is the top of the hill.  No need to worry about Adventurer, he'll be fine; Adventurer worries about us.  The Caldislans, however, seem to need help more than the party.  Trying to use the inn provides a small dose of reality: no time to rest. Can't blame Karl the innkeep. His son's the one fighting at the palace.  On the way up the hill, buy out all black magic at the shop so Tiz can fight. Most enemies in the game have an elemental weakness, so black magic can be very useful.   Also buy the last two items from the armory. Can't be too careful.  Having finished their shopping detour, the party runs up the rest of the way to the palace. To find...  Tiz runs over to a soldier lying on the ground.  Hey! Hold on, man! Please!The soldier does not respond. ...... The screen pans over to the left...    Nh... Aaah! I'm... I'm unmanned... Ha ha... Pathetic... Don't bother... Leave me. The king! They...nragh! They took His Majesty. That man... Heinkel... My sword didn't so much as scratch him... Tiz... I ask this knowing it's an unreasonable demand... You're the... The only one I can... I'll bring the king back, I swear it! ...Be at peace, Owen. Thank you... Thank...  After a moment, Tiz returns to the others.  ...... ...... ......I can't believe this! How could Heinkel be so cruel? What do we say to the innkeep? What can we say...? Owen saved you after Norende fell. Took you in... And since then, his father has shown you and me both a great deal of kindness. I'm no different. Owen trusted me, despite my circumstances. Helped me get by... As for what to tell his father... It's hard. He deserves to know his son died nobly. Fighting bravely. I know that. I know...but what small comfort... "Small comfort"...!? I think-- Edea, try to understand. Tiz and Ringabel are only thinking of the innkeep's feelings... That's exactly what I'm doing! Is it not a comfort to know his son fell defending his king? Enough. ...Just forget it. I'll talk to him. Let's get moving. Tiz...This is a case where it's good to have read D's Journal first. The Enigmatic Writings have a lot to say about the Caldisla residents, including Owen. The point should now be clear by now, though: this game is willing to not pull punches.   The other soldiers seem to be beyond help.  There's nothing more we can do here.   He died for his king, though, eh? A brave warrior's death? ...I'm sure he had no regrets.   Karl walks away.  Come! Let's march on the Lontano Villa this instant! I'll lead the way. ...... Why the silence? Surely you can't just sit by and let Heinkel's crimes stand!? Heinkel's crimes are the duchy's crimes. You are a part of those same Eternian forces. ...We cannot trust you. You cannot. In my heart of hearts, you frighten me. The same as Crowe, or Heinkel, or the others... But I make for the villa with Tiz alone.  Although two invading the villa seems suicidal (though par for the course for these guys), it's reasonable to be suspicious of such an abrupt turncoat. On the way out, Edea runs into Ringabel.  Out of my way!Ringabel steps aside.    So much for having a full group. Though switching to Edea of all people is unexpected.   Even Airy is missing.  Edea refuses to reenter the inn.  But although distressed, she isn't as crazy as Tiz.  The palace is blocked off at the moment. Understandable. Shops are closed, too. So where can she go...?  The graveyard. Next: A serious discussion on priorities, the loss of loved ones, and trout sandwiches. -- Event Viewer Main Scenario: Owen's End Crystal-Headed Girl! Party Chat: Edea's Misunderstanding D's Journal: Captain Owen posted:pg.3: As we battled the black mage Ominas Crowe at the ruins of Centro Keep, the leader of the Eternian Sky Knights attacked the palace of Caldisla. THe king was kidnapped by the knight Argent Heinkel. As Tiz arrived, Captain Owen entrusted him with protecting the king and the future of Caldisla, before breathing his last. D's Journal: Heinkel the Knight posted:D's Journal: Lontano Villa posted:Lontano Villa: Situated on the northern end of the continent of Caldis and famous for its scenic views, this villa is used for receiving foreign dignitaries and escaping the summer heat. It was once a stronghold of the forces opposing the Caldislan royal family, and many fierce battles were waged around Centro Keep, along the main road. 
Greyarc fucked around with this message at 11:51 on Mar 18, 2017 |
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Feb 25, 2017 07:52
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Entry 13: The Party, Take Two Alone on a grim night, in territory hostile to her mere hours ago, Edea wanders into a graveyard.   The camera pans to the left.  Edea walks over, interrupting Karl's reverie.  What? Oh. Yes, of course. But he loved this land more than anyone. He wanted more than anything to defend it, so he trained and trained... Even after he'd joined the royal guard, even after winning half the honors the king can bestow, he trained. And everyone knew it. In a few years, his efforts had made him captain. The boy was something else. My pride and joy. ...But I'd rather he lived. It's terrible, sir. If the boy had stayed home... taken over the inn. He's still be... What other lies have I been told? The only thing for it...We switch back to the inn.  The suspicions of a beautiful lady are dire poison to a gentleman such as myself. Our paths part with Edea's here. What reason have you to come with us? Will the two of you be enough to storm the enemy's hold, though? This knight is supposed to be terribly strong... Still, we've no choice. Let's go, Agnès.  ...I had thought I spoke it clear before. This is farewell. Yes, it was all very well put, but I'm coming along anyway. I'll get no sleep till I've seen these scoundrels squished! Go with me, however, and you'll have VIP access. Use me. I welcome it. So, please... I'm all for it! The more allies the better, I say! Well, I do not. Even before the matter of trust, I cannot involve anyone more. The fault for all of this is mine, and no one else's. You've no cause for worry, Agnès. I guarantee it. Its pages are prophecy, infallible and true. And what of you? Me? An apt question. It seems I did not merit mention-- a grave oversight, I'm sure. Or am I to miss out on the adventure? A crueler fate than I could bear!Ringabel shrugs.  ...... I'm in favor of taking them with us, too. I think they'll be a help to you, Agnès. Done! Excellent! Let's be off!But first, they sleep. Agnès and Tiz seem to have fallen comfortably into the roles of leader and bodyguard/advisor, respectively. Unbeknownst to them, Edea's main motivation has been revealed as justice, especially when other people are being victimized. Ringabel, meanwhile, is just a ditz. Next morning:  The band's back together, but how is the town doing?   Those Sky Knight rats invaded. I'm ashamed to say we couldn't keep them out of the city... They were...too fast... We couldn't... Nngh.The remaining soldiers are taking it hard. Notably, the palace is under heavier guard than before.  A little late, though. The throne is empty. Would more soldiers have helped against Heinkel? Unless it was an entire army, probably not. Last I heard, the Eternian airship made north for the Lontano Villa.  By the looks of it, it's up to the party to get marshmallow king back again.  At least the Adventurer is rooting for us. The party heads out into the field and immediately triggers a tutorial.  The Special Moves function is now open. It's accessible via 'Special' in the battle menu or party menu. Special moves are essentially limit breaks you can pull off after fulfilling certain requirements. Which requirement varies based on weapon. In addition to a big attack, the whole party gets a significant buff for a period of time. This period is marked by special music -- once the music stops, the buff ends as well.  You can customize special moves using commands obtained from Norende. You can also change the phrases the characters state during their attacks. So yes, if you wanted to make Agnès shout out strings of obscenities, there's probably nothing stopping you. I won't be doing that.  Speaking of Norende, here's an example of receiving free items when you look in on the village. This happens fairly often once the relevant shops are upgraded.  Yes, not too bad, I suppose. I trust you have a draw planned out to bring in the crowds, Tiz? A draw? Sure. An attraction. A selling point. You need people to come here, right? Well, think of that the other way around. Norende needs to be a place people want to go. Ahh, good point! Hmm, a draw... Someplace lots of people will want to go... Ooh! What about a special move shop? That sounds exciting, right? Anybody? Hmm, but is there really much consumer demand for special moves? Well, sure! They're fun, and flashy, and...fun? I bet warriors the world over would flock there to shop! Enough to fill a village? You think this shop would have broad enough appeal? Uh...sure? Maybe? I mean, special attacks! You have to meet special conditions before using them! And they're extra powerful! Hmm, you make a strong case. Perhaps I'll plan to take my next date to this shop of yours... D-date!? (Just what kind of brawler is he planning to go out with?)The game never explains how the party is interacting with Norende. Tiz is probably exchanging letters with the town while he travels. Best not to think about it too much. The group has one more significant chat on the way to Centro Keep.  Mind if I ask what? Hm? Oh, yes. I'm not sure. I'll open it now. Ooh, he packed us lunch! The basket's near bursting. It looks amazing. And he made enough for all of us... Mmm, looks like emperor trout sandwiches. Caldisla's finest! What a treat! He made one special for you, Agnès. "For the young lady who doesn't eat meat," it says. Grilled leaf buds and spring mushrooms...and apricot jelly for dessert! What did you get, Edea? Looks like I got what you did, plus the same dessert as Agnès. And... And a letter. Yeah... Hm? Let's have a look. "Your words were a great comfort, my dear. Best of luck in battle, and best of health!" ...Alright. Let's eat, then it's off to save the king! Right!Detailed descriptions of food alongside cheery talk of single-handedly saving kingdoms. See, the game doesn't just take from Final Fantasy, it also takes from Tales games. They enter Centro Keep and go to the closed north exit.   Let me make this very clear, though. If you've any thoughts of storming the place head-on, be rid of them now. I'll say I've taken you prisoner. That will buy us entry. Once we're inside, the battle's all but won. I even know where the king is likely held. ...... No. I thank you for your assistance. I have my doubts, but I see no alternative.  Before moving on, Tiz hesitates.  Isn't there a chance they'll know you've defected? I don't think there's any worry of that yet. If word had reached them, the road to the villa would have been swarming with guards. That's how Heinkel operates. Thorough and merciless. I see. So, what of after we reach the villa, then? Any bright ideas? If the man running the place is as careful as she says, we can't expect to-- Heh heh, I may not look it, but I'm actually a fairly respected figure. I can talk our way past a couple of rank-and-file sentries no problem. A respected figure, eh? I smell a story here. Care to elaborate? Er, yes, well... You know. I just have a...a way about me, I suppose. In that you're a terror when you're mad, or that you rush in blind, or that you ignore authority? Excuse me! Isn't that a little harsh, Ringabel? ...And all of the above. ......Hey, at least she's on our side and can come up with a plan other than 'frontal assault'. The party moves out and into the fields of the northern half of the continent.   The road between Centro Keep and Lontano Villa is packed with new monsters.  With a black mage on the team, knowing elemental weaknesses now comes in handy. Orcs are weak to fire.   It's a generic anime companion critter.   At night, the party faces ghosts and strange glowy magic balls.   Lanterns will come in a variety of elemental flavors.   Eventually, the party reaches Lontano Villa. This is the road to Norende mentioned earlier as being the main path to the village. It was inaccessible due to the destroyed bridge at the time of the Great Chasm's appearance. In the upper right there's also some sort of obelisk on the peninsula. Can't do anything with it.   Time to give it a try.  Wait, that... That woman! The vestal of wind! But what of Crowe? He... I'm afraid he fell before the wicked vestal's cruel magic. But it was his sacrifice that allowed for her capture. I see... Well, I am glad milady is safe. I should expect no less from the grand marshal's daughter. I'll have the gate open straight away. Just a moment!The soldier walks off.   ...... The single line dot-dot-dots in this game are always exactly six dots. Also, let's hope Agnès and Squall never meet. Er, Agnès? Look, I didn't... ...... Try to understand, Agnès. Edea didn't mean anything by it. She had to say that. Right, exactly. It was just a ploy to get us inside. And it worked, didn't it? But still, I didn't have to be so... I'm sorry! No, it's not that... I am not upset with you, Edea. But the way they felt about the vestal...about the Orthodoxy. It frightens me. You spoke in horrific terms, and they accepted it without question. Which means it was in line with their expectations of the vestal... Just what has happened in the duchy to cause this hatred? Eternia was once the seat of the Crystalist Orthodoxy... Can people's hearts really change so dramatically? Still, I'm sorry. I didn't have to say as much as I did. You said enough, and I thank you for it. Do not feel bad, please. Alright. Time we all focused on the task at hand! Right! Next: A vestal, a shepherd, a traitor, and a playboy walk into a villa... -- Event Viewer Main Scenario: Father and Child A Long, Long Journey's Start Infiltrating Lontano Villa Lontano Villa Party Chat: Norende's Draw A Father's Care But You're a Traitor A Hard Discovery D's Journal: Karl the Innkeep posted:
Greyarc fucked around with this message at 19:10 on Feb 28, 2017 |
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Feb 28, 2017 03:48
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Let's Learn Jobs: Monk Monk is all about dealing physical damage, but suffers from weaker defenses (slightly compensated by high HP), often self-destructive attacks, and zero proficiency with magic. Bravely Default's monk is a direct successor to Final Fantasy monks. They are good at punching things dead while wearing little clothing.   Monks punch things. The game wants to make sure you know.  Their ideal weapon use is limited to staves and knuckles; not listed here is the option of going bare-handed, part of the monk specialty.  Blue are support abilities, red are skill abilities. Level 1 - Strong Strike: Attack with x2 attack power but hit chance halved. Level 2 - Invigorate: 75% chance to raise physical attack by 25%, up to 150%, for two turns. Failing damages user for 20% of their HP. Level 3 - Inner Alchemy: User recovers from Poison, Blind, Silence, Dread, and Confuse. (5 MP) Level 4 - HP 10% Up (Cost: 1) Level 5 - Knuckle Lore: Allows other jobs to equip the monk specialty. (Cost: 1) Level 6 - Hidden Dragon: Attack last in turn but for 25% more damage. Level 7 - Qigong Wave: Attack with 25% more damage and pierces Default. (12 MP) Level 8 - Blind Immunity (Cost: 1) Level 9 - Physical Attack 10% Up (Cost: 1) Level 10 - HP 20% Up (Cost: 2) Level 11 - Pressure Point: Attack with x2 attack power that ignores target's physical defense. (1 BP) Level 12 - HP 30% Up (Cost: 3) Level 13 - Phoenix Flight: Attack which reduces user HP to 1 and deals damage to target equal to HP lost. Level 14 - Natural Talent: Physical attack doubled when user has nothing equipped. (Cost: 1) Monk abilities make for a solid physical attacker, but to get the job's full benefits, HP and defense (and clothing, apparently) must be sacrificed. Frontal assault indeed. Though they have a way to negate status effects (self-only), they work best with a healer to back them up and keep their large HP pool refreshed.  Going bare-handed will often be better than using weapons. Also useful for allowing non-monks to do decent weaponless/knuckles-based physical damage. The guys wear Barras's outfit while the gals wear the sleeveless upper halves of martial arts uniforms (usually there's matching leg coverage).    
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Feb 28, 2017 19:29
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Pretty sure it's a fist viewed from a side angle, like it's mid-uppercut. The red part on the bottom is the wrist.
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Mar 2, 2017 03:22
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Entry 14: Edea and the Poorly Designed Building Ha, naysayers. This plan is totally going to work.  Have some faith, Airy. You don't know what's going to happen.  We need to find the king.Edea nods.  News travels fast...! Panicking and blaming the proactive teammates isn't it, Tiz. Mrgrgr! We beat them down! A fight against soldiers...  Agnès showing off Default's increased defense effect...  and info on a new enemy type.   Yes, right in the middle of the enemy stronghold. We've nowhere to run. You can't think this was my intention! I swear by my honor, this is no trap. That's the very sort of craven act I can't abide! ...... ...Let's go! Right!Ah well, at least the party's sticking together this time.  Surrounded by the enemy in hostile territory -- no better time to visit Norende! This nets a new item type: balsam.  Back to the matter at hand, with stealth no longer an option, we'll have to fight our way to the king and Heinkel.   Lontano Villa is an octagonal building featuring a blue-grey color scheme with dusty red highlights. About all the visuals featured in the dungeon are included in that screenshot, so just imagine that for several floors.   Why they have panthers running around here, I have no idea. Trained guard animals, maybe? Evasion in Bravely Default works differently than simply causing an attack to whiff. In this game, each regular attack consists of multiple physical damage hits on a target. The amount of hits dished out depend on several factors: job level, the attacker's hit rate, and the defender's evasion rate among them. In a case like the panther with Footwork, even if a character gets in a hit, the damage will tend to be lower than normal because they're not hitting as many times as they usually would. Many (all?) skills, including magic damage, are not affected by hit rate and evasion.  Some battles begin with a starting bonus for either the party or the enemy team. Even if an enemy's normal attack pattern doesn't include Brave/Default, they will use extra turns if they're available.  On the second floor, there are two exits: downstairs or the large door leading outside.   Going downstairs completes the first floor map and gets us... another spear. It's a dead end, so back upstairs.   Heading out shows we're on the second tier of the building. Dungeon gimmicks like going outside when you don't expect it are way more exciting than they should be. Looks like there's a third tier above, too.    Circling to the other side of the villa leads to the other, previously inaccessible side of the second floor. This building design leaves practicality to be desired. The team is comfortable bashing their way through the enemy fortress at this point, so they get to chatting.  Am I really up to the task of building it all up again? Tiz... There's no use in getting impatient. The first step is to decide upon your building priorities. Knowing what needs finishing first is key to budgeting your time wisely. That was surprisingly helpful, Ringabel! Of course. It's the same principle as dating multiple women at once. Ooh, I take it back! You're a pig, Ringabel. Hmm, but what do I prioritize first? One can never be too prepared when it comes to healing items. Perhaps an item shop would be a prudent choice? Don't you mean armor? I feel like our defenses are a bit thin. What better defense than a good offense? I vote weapons instead. Hmm, they all sound tempting. Better keep thinking on what we need the most!*Tiz sets a Sky Knight on fire and continues walking*   Last treasure of the second floor and the completed map.  White Capes being made from echo herbs makes good sense, actually. Ringabel the white mage will gladly wear this. I'm sure Edea half-wishes it wouldn't work.   The top chain bonus for winning battles in a single turn is 1-turn Hero, for 10+ battles in a row. The exp bonus is significant.  Moving up to the third floor, there's a new type of chest. Aside from being blue instead of the standard red, it's locked. For now, we can only note the location and move on. Making our way down the center of the floor...   It seems we're close to our targets. Strange for Heinkel to just stand there. Almost as if he's waiting for someone... may as well take advantage of it. Back to town to refresh, turn off random encounters for the trip back, and good to go. Hope the king's still waiting!  Come to save us the trouble of finding you, vestal? How very courteous. And just what are you doing here, Edea? I'll go along with the Sky Knights' method no longer. You've no say in the matter. Defying orders is treason, girl! Enough! You have us. Let the king go. First, the vestal comes to me. Alone! I'll not keep my head at the cost of an innocent girl's! Heinkel, you were among the highest-regarded warriors in the duchy! A paragon of chivalry! And the Sky Knights beneath you! I grew up on tales of their brave and righteous deeds... But what I saw was a band of craven thugs! You defile the title of knight! Green fool... ...Makes sense. Edea's the grand marshal's daughter and Agnès is the vestal, while Tiz and Ringabel are just two generic guys, so far as Heinkel knows.  This fight doesn't break 1-turn hero. Moving on.  And here I'd so hoped to resolve this peacefully and let the good king go. Quick, after him!   For all his valor, Tiz is a bit slow on the uptake. Heinkel walked away.  The villa rooftop. To the airship berth! Wasn't this villa a retreat for the Caldislan royal family? Why would they have a berth? I agree, it seems incongruous. I use "berth" loosely. They've driven an airship anchor into the building's roof. Not much for finesse, are they? We can discuss it later. Now, hurry! He'll get away! Don't confuse haste for speed. We need to be smart. Right, I know... I know, but I just can't forgive what Heinkel's done. He's a knight who has ground chivalry into the dirt! As I recall, knights are called to serve as the sword and shield of the weak. Not to threaten the public, or burn down homes, or abduct royalty... I am in agreement with you, Edea. This man is no knight. Perhaps our views are more similar than I had dared believe. For now, let us hurry. Agnès...! To the roof, then!The party looks like they're finally on their way to being a real team.  Airy's ticked off, too.   In the room where Heinkel was waiting, another door leads outside to the highest tier of the villa.  Circling around the building leads straight to the airship. Heinkel's got nowhere to run this time. Next: The Intro's finale! -- Event Viewer Main Scenario: When Stealth Fails This is No Trap Chivalry Lost Heinkel's Escape Party Chat: Operation: Norende Rises Edea's Ire D's Journal: Heinkel the Knight posted:pg.2: A 42-year-old man from Hartschild. Named Argent Heinkel, he is holder of the knight asterisk, and head of the Eternian Sky Knights. A commander who is both ferocious and meticulous with detail, he excels at blitz attacks. 
Greyarc fucked around with this message at 11:52 on Mar 18, 2017 |
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Mar 2, 2017 04:56
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Epsilon Moonshade posted:FM communication. And it will only get more magical as the game progresses.
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Mar 2, 2017 05:03
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Let's Learn Jobs: White Mage White Mages are the healers in this game. They heal HP, cure status effects, and revive the incapacitated, and they're really good at it. Unless you're doing a challenge run, leveling White Mage on at least one character is a must. This is a Final Fantasy white mage, right down to their final spell being Holy.   Job icon is the distinctive hat female white mages wear. Job command is white sparkles to show how magical the white magic spells are.  As dedicated healers, white mages aren't great at physical damage. They are decent with magical damage, making offensive magic a good choice for job command.  Blue are support abilities, red are skill abilities. Level 1 - White Magic Lv.1: Blindna, Cure, Poisona Level 2 - Magic Defense 10% Up (Cost: 1) Level 3 - White Magic Lv.2: Aero, Protect, Shell Level 4 - Staff Lore: Allows other jobs to have S-proficiency with staves. (Cost: 1) Level 5 - Self-Healing: Allows other jobs to equip the white mage specialty. (Cost: 1) Level 6 - White Magic Lv.3: Cura, Esuna, Raise Level 7 - Abate Water: halves water damage. (Cost: 1) Level 8 - Angelic Ward: 50% chance to halve damage taken. (Cost: 1) Level 9 - White Magic Lv.4: Aerora, Dispel, Reflect Level 10 - Magic Defense 30% Up (Cost: 3) Level 11 - White Magic Lv.5: Aeroga, Curada, Esunaga Level 12 - Epic Group-Cast: Using magic on multiple targets at once does not diminish effect. (Cost: 3) Level 13 - White Magic Lv.6: Arise, Curaga, Holy Level 14 - Conservation of Life: If user is incapacitated, all other incapacitated party members are revived with full HP. Can only occur once per battle, per user character. Effect is preserved if user is only one incapacitated. (Cost: 3) Note, magic must be purchased at a store before it can be used. Support abilities are focused on self-preservation -- can't heal anyone if you're dead. Epic Group-Cast is especially useful if group healing or damage will be needed.  As with support abilities, the specialty focuses on self-preservation. It's useless for bosses, but convenient when going through dungeons. The guys wear Roman Catholic-inspired gear: white cassock with red accents, denoting cardinal rank, under a white chasuble (color used for celebration days in general) and topped with a white zucchetto, a color normally used only by the pope (though not with red trim). The gals wear sexy halloween costumes.    
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Mar 3, 2017 03:48
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Silegna posted:Out of curiosity Greyarc, are you using the Screenshot Feature of the 3DS, or do you have a capture card? Screenshot feature. It needs to load Miiverse every time, so gotta make sure every shot counts  I combine it with minimal-attention activities. Capture card might be a future option if everything goes well, but it's quite an investment.
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Mar 3, 2017 07:03
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Entry 15: Ahead on Our Way The party catches up to Heinkel outside the airship.  As daughter to a true knight, I know their pride is staked upon fair and honorable combat.Four against one is fair and honorable?  Hah! You invoke your father after betraying him?  He's headed for the airship!Heinkel continues to outstroll the entire party. To be fair, he is twice their size.  His aim is the vestal, not the king. He's baiting us? Still, we have to give chase! We'll lose him, and the ship! Well? I'm game to brave a trap.  Right!The party follows Heinkel onto the ship's deck. The airship immediately takes off. Well then...  This ship is a prison you entered willingly! Nowhere to run now, save down...quickly! Really, I must thank you for taking the bait so eagerly. It's earned you a lavish cruise through the clouds, vestal. And for your friends, a career as ballast! You're a prisoner here, same as us. No more tricks, Heinkel! A knight without chivalry is a common bully. I'll see you stripped of that title here and now! I'd thought to bring you home in chains, but no.   Heinkel is a slightly harder fight than the other Sky Knight bosses.  He has high physical defense and is accompanied by two archers. Heinkel will take damage in place of the archers if they're targeted by a physical attack. He'll also use Ironclad to increase his physical defense even further. The archers will whittle down the party's health decently if left alone, so the first trick is to find a way to take them out.  Solution? Magic. Thunder also happens to be Heinkel's weakness.  Although Heinkel has a couple decent-hitting attacks, once he's on his own there's nothing too alarming. Stomp, which he uses at low HP, ends up working against him thanks to its self-debuff decreasing his physical and magical defense to 75%.  Edea takes him out, as is proper.   Presumably this was taken right off his corpse. ...Does that count as honorable?  And, as is becoming expected, we get his asterisk. The party wins power by the bloody deaths of their foes. Time for us to return to Caldisla in celebra-- *SHUDDER*  The airship! We're losing altitude!Oh, right... We just killed the driver. Who was piloting during that fight, anyway? Let's give the benefit of the doubt and say Heinkel had auto-pilot on and turned it off just before he died. Edea, hurry! Take the wheel! Me!? I can't drive this thing! What!? You're a sky knight, aren't you!? Only Heinkel and the other officers knew how to pilot the ship! Ohhhhhh!Boy, this certainly is a way to end a game. --  What!? Who cares about that? And how are you so calm!? The Eschalot, galleon-class airship? Am I correct? Yes, but how--? Is that in your book, too? Indeed, it is. Let me have a go at steering.  *twist twist, turn turn*  ... ....... Wait, is he...!? We're steadying out! Now, find something to hold on to! The airship flies southwest over the ex-Norende chasm...  Plunking down in the lake where Holly and Barras met their end.  Somehow, against all odds, we had an airship pilot with us nearly all along. Which means... Ringabel's real name must be Cid! (It isn't.)  As tempting as the airship is, Caldisla business, first. Back to the palace.  You, more than anyone, Tiz. A nightmare was visited upon you and your home, and still you rose up to defend ours. I'm certain your feats have earned Owen a peaceful rest. If you are willing, I would gladly see you take up his sword. Will you continue to keep this land safe, son? I've promised Agnès that I'll join her on her journey. Caldisla shall be poorer for losing you. Know that you will ever have a home here. The Eternian airship is yours to use as you will. Take it with my blessing. There's not a man in the kingdom able to pilot it anyway! Hah hah ha ha! I leave the matter of that horrible chasm to you. I have faith you'll see it unmade. May the crystals keep you in your journey!Pretty sure the king never wants to set foot on an airship ever again, anyway.  With the king's blessing, we're free to set off! We couldn't save Owen or the other soldiers that died, but at least now there's a chance of peace returning.  Let's do a victory lap around town. Everyone has new things to say now that the Sky Knights are defeated.  Soldier in middle of palace: I was assigned to patrol the palace grounds until just recently. I'm still not used to this new post. It makes me nervous...Soldier by palace doors: Standing here in my old armor takes me back. It really gives a man a sense of purpose. They only guards left are all still kids. Hopefully there's still a thing or two I can teach them.Seems they've got a mix of newbies and retirees filling in now that Owen's soldiers are gone.  I don't know if we can ever repay you for rescuing the king, but I mean to try. I thought long and hard, and decided to dust off the old armor. I have to do what I can. It's the Ringabel admirer. Maybe she hopes Ringabel will come back if the house he was using is rebuilt.  They say you all beat the Sky Knights. You have the whole kingdom's thanks! There's only one downbeat person in the city. Surprising there aren't more, considering the whole rotted ocean, halted wind thing is still going on.  But that's what we're out to solve. To our airship!   Now, my ladies, all you need do is simply speak the word and I shall whisk you off to the very ends of existence! Rest assured, my dear. I never fail to properly escort a lady.The real mystery surrounding Ringabel is how much of his talk is just hot air. ...... Agnès, will you tell us why they were chasing you? They Sky Knights are a branch of the Eternian Forces. The Duchy of Eternia has put forth an agenda of Anticrystalism. Anticrystalism? A new way of thinking, based upon the idea of a society no longer dependent upon the crystals. It brands the Crystal Orthodoxy as a heretic faith, and the vestals its minions. It was the philosophy I was raised upon. When the chasm appeared, everyone of the Eternian Forces was given the order to capture the vestals. They said the vestals and the crystals they tend were the sinkhole's cause. That's not possible! Agnès has been fighting this whole time to fix what happened to Norende! You've nothing to apologize for. All of this paints the duchy in a suspicious light, don't you think? Perhaps they know more of the chasm's true cause than they let on. I cannot imagine we've seen the last of them. If any of you wish to go, do it now. I'll not blame you. I'm in as well. I need to see for myself whether my people are right or wrong. And playing escort is my job. I'll not cede it to anyone. For a split second before she covers her mouth, you can see Agnès smiling. This is so exciting, Agnès! You're finally headed back to the Wind Crystal's side! Yes, to Ancheim. The Land of Sand and Time. And to the Temple of Wind. Ancheim, the Land of Sand and Time... What's it like there? Like an oasis in a vast desert beyond the sea. We make southeast of here.She's giving the most literal response possible. The party starts flying, but doesn't get far before Ringabel speaks up.  Er, yes, it's...southeast... So will this course serve, or...? S-southeast...please. Hm? My dear, I'm afraid I've no recollection to go by. I need reliable directions, or-- (What should I do? The innkeep said southeast and nothing more...) (Ha ha, I think I see what happened.) Ringabel, she means it's southeast of Caldisla, specifically. Aye aye! Ooh, Agnès. Just what sort of place is Ancheim? It's...covered in a vast desert. And hot, as though it were always midsummer. Wow! That sounds like the complete opposite of where I was born. Huh. I guess there's all sorts of places out there. This is your first time leaving Caldisla, then, Tiz? It is. What about you, Edea? Me? Er, I was a former Sky Knight! I've flown all over the world! Where have you seen? Oh, lots of places. Eternia, Caldisla...Caldisla. Aw, you're barely any better than me. The world is vast, my friends! There are countries of perpetual summer, others of winter... Verdant lands rich in water, entire kingdoms built on volcanos, nations hidden in forests... That sounds amazing! ...Or so I'd imagine. I've no memory, remember? Whaaat? You're just guessing? Ah ha ha ha! The world is vast! Keep it that vague, and you're sure to be right!Who knows, Ringabel might end up guessing right about a place or two. Time to explore the world!   There are a few limitations to our transport, however. It can only land in water, so the dry southwestern continent is out. It also can't land in rotted water, so the ocean's out. It also can't go over tall mountains, such as those surrounding the northwest continent. It also needs a significantly large body of water to land. In the end, aside of the southwest lake where we started, there are only a few areas accessible to the airship. One of those is the lake in the easternmost middle section of the east continent.  Going to visit shows that's a no-go, either, due to a thick, inpenetrable wall of mist around the lake. That leaves one place with a port...  Despite the false excitement, we're still being tunneled along the main quest. A bit disappointing, but not surprising for so early in the game. On the way there, the party chats.  Hm? Oh. I'm afraid I so rarely left the temple... I couldn't say. And when I passed through on my way to Caldisla, it was as a fugitive... Well, just tell us about what you have eaten, then. Hmmm... I seem to recall a great deal of Ancheim's cuisine being spicy. One bite, and I felt as though I were spewing flames. I broke into a full-body sweat... That sounds pretty intense. Leave it to a desert people to develop a taste for searing heat. I'm sure their women are no less fiery in-- Ooh, what about sweets!? Any cakes and things? Ah! I'd nearly forgotten! I had the most curious delicacy in a port on the inner sea. Yes? Yes? It...it was ice cream...th-that stretched! Huh? Stretchy ice cream? That sounds so weird! I can't wait! Get ready, weird stretchy ice cream--Edea's coming for you! Full speed ahead! Ha ha ha! Temperament. Fiery in temperament...Agnès may be referring to dondurma, a Turkish version of ice cream which blends in flour and a chewy resin, allowing it to be stretched.  Touchdown in the Flor-Cheim Inner Sea. The difference in color between the good and rotten water is pretty noticeable up close.  A short ride away and we reach the port where we'll dock, beginning a new chapter. Next: You'll never guess who the bad guys are. -- Event Viewer Main Scenario: After That Knight! A Knightly Duel The Eschalot's Narrow Escape A Triumphant Return Company for the Road Party Chat: About Ancheim Ancheim's Gourmand D's Journal: Ringabel posted:pg.6: After defeating the knight Heinkel, the airship suddenly lurched downward. There was no one to take the helm! Then I remembered the journal... I asked Edea the name of the airship, but as I spoke, I already knew the answer. The Eschalot! This ship and I have a history. I grabbed the wheel, and brought it under control. D's Journal: Agnès Oblige posted:pg.5: After a deadly battle, we managed to defeat the knight Heinkel, but then the airship began to plummet! Just then I remembered seeing the airship's name, the Eschalot, in my journal. I found myself familiar with her controls. Taking the helm, I plotted a course for Ancheim, the Land of Sea and Time, and site of the Temple of Wind that Agnès calls home. D's Journal: The King of Caldisla posted:pg.3: The knight Heinkel attacked the palace, struck down Owen, and kidnapped the king. Thanks to our quick action, the king was rescued safe and sound. He showed his gratitude by bestowing upon us the airship that we captured from the Sky Knights, to help us aid Agnès in her mission. D's Journal: Heinkel the Knight posted:pg.4: As soon as we boarded the airship, it took off. It seems Heinkel planned to lure us aboard and capture us before returning to the duchy. He chose this location thinking that even if we prevailed, the airship would crash and kill Agnès. After a tough fight, we emerged victorious. The king was safe, and the airship Eschalot was ours. D's Journal: Harena Region posted:
Greyarc fucked around with this message at 11:52 on Mar 18, 2017 |
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Mar 4, 2017 06:26
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You'll be seeing how close they get in the LP. Every time I get a new job, I'll be switching one character over to that job. So eventually I'll be running with an all-chapter 1 job team, then all-chapter 2, and so on. That way every job gets a fair shake in the spotlight.
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Mar 6, 2017 02:38
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I've had to do a few grinding sessions so far to bring up new jobs and get higher level abilities in 'retired' jobs. Though that's partially because I go through most areas with zero encounters after grabbing screenshots of the new enemies. Rangpur posted:later enemy encounters giving enough of it to clear the first several levels of a new job in one go. That occurs in this game as well.
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Mar 6, 2017 05:58
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Entry 16: Ominous Bad Guy Fortress Interlude  Welcome back to Bravely Default. Having done a few dungeons, beaten up a few evil-doers, recruited a misfit party, and saved a kingdom, it's now time to start the game proper.  Last time, the party was just coming into the port on the Flor-Cheim Inner Sea.  Still no wind... Are these desert places normally supposed to be windy? When they're the site of the Wind Crystal, they are. This stillness shouldn't be possible. The wind carried all manner of blessings to this land in days past. It was the kingdom's lifeblood. From here, we need only head... Er, we ought to make for... Hmm, which way is it? Ignore anything she says. Agnès raises getting lost to an art form. Just a moment. My journal details much of Ancheim's topography. "A massive timepiece crowns the kingdom, fueled as all of Ancheim by the ceaseless currents originating from the Temple of Wind to the south." Quite thorough, isn't it? Sounds as if you've been here before. Perhaps that book of yours is a travel diary? I do seem possessed of a certain wanderlust. The normal sort, as well. Ooh, perhaps I'll find a train of ex-lovers here among the sands. Let's be off. We make south. That conversation concluded, our view switches from the party to a new, unknown location.  The man in white on the right speaks first.   I trust word has reached you from Caldisla. The Knights of the Eternian Sky have fallen to the vestal.This man's voice has a strong echo thanks to his helmet. That's some attention to detail.  I'd not thought the girl so bloodthirsty as all that. It appears she's surrounded herself with capable guards.  That is no concern of yours. Do not confuse personal matters with your assigned task, Alternis. Not only did the Sky Knights fail, they've given the vestal wings. Why they didn't simply kill the child, I'll never know. Keenly insightful as ever, Victoria. Yet I fear we've need of the vestal alive. If she fled by air, it's a simple matter to track her. She makes for Ancheim by necessity. And to the Temple of Wind. Ancheim does face upon the Flor-Cheim Sea. Of course! Most of the world's seas have gone putrid, but the inner sea remains navigable. That would offer the airship a berth. But what does she aim to do there? Why return to the crystal now? It smells of some sinister plot... Ancheim is the province of the Khamer & Profiteur Merchantry. What say you, Lord Marshal? We haven't the leisure of chasing the vestal across the globe and back. We need her in custody now. Tell the merchantry to employ any means they must. Looks like the Sky Knights were just the start of our trouble. Also, there seem to be either deep-seated communication issues in Eternia or they're a ton of gleefully sadistic murderers. Or both.  Before heading into the desert, the group takes the airship out for a spin.   Here's another area where the airship can land. Nothing but an obelisk and some higher level enemies. Good for grinding, but no need to skip ahead. Back to the Flor-Cheim Inner Sea, where Edea switches to Knight. Although knights have E-proficiency with katanas, Ise-no-Kami is still her strongest weapon.   There are two new enemies on the sea: giant man-eating fish and giant man-eating vultures.   Vultures don't usually go after healthy living prey, but maybe pickings are slim at the moment with the rotted sea obliterating the food chain and all. That might also explain why an anglerfish-like creature would come to the water's surface.  The fish also drops this. Apparently it was alive for 250 years before we came along. Go team!   After all that fun, the party dries themselves out by walking across half a continent's worth of desert. Along the way, Tiz's mind drifts back to Norende.  I hear you. It would be nice to up the pace a little. Can't you send out word to everyone you know and ask for their help? ...You three are everyone I know. Oh, er... Right. Sorry. I'm afraid the only people I know are those from the temple. No, that... That makes sense. Don't look at me. I'm not conscripting women into physical labor. ...... Ugh, fine! I guess I'll have to ask my people, then! I'll just...oh. Right. I kind of went traitor, huh? Well, then we'll just have to go meet some new people to enlist! Yeah, but how are we going to-- Details! We'll just head someplace with a lot of people and trust our luck!These guys aren't going to do a thing. This is the game nudging you to use Street Pass.  Ancheim is tucked between tall cliffs to the east and west, which would create a funnel for winds blowing from the south. Perfect for any economic system involving giant windmills. But before we go there, let's check in on the Temple of Wind to the south.  Well, so much for that. Safe guess this 'Majesty' is in Ancheim. Also, because we're in a desert RPG civilization, the residents are vaguely Arabic. It's nice to have some variety, but in this case it's only the most superficial difference.  So Ancheim it is. As the party enters the city, our view switches to another unknown location, with more unknown people.   Those were their words. I've relayed them to you. My contract states I'm to receive payment for my troubles from you. ...... Bah, fine. You'll have your fee. But I am taking ze small discount. Only fair, as a regular customer, eh? If you must. If ze margin is high enough, I would tackle a behemoth bare-handed. But until I see a profit, I'll not move an inch. Business is business, yes? The scene closes on grim stranger and anthropomorphized capitalism with a fake french accent.   ...And opens on one of the best-looking locations in the game.  Yeah, it's great, but this heat! Ugh... I feel gross. The heat was always allayed by a steady breeze, but now... The wind is stopped, the air stagnant. What about the water? Is that contraption drawing up drinking water? I believe so. I recall hearing it was quite costly, last I was here. Well, it is an impressive machine... Wait, you mean the water!? Indeed. I was surprised to learn water came free in Caldisla. I had always known it as something to be bought, so you can imagine my delight. More importantly, Agnès, what of the women here? Are they beautiful? Passionate? Devoted? Where would you suggest for a date spot? I'll need a list of good restaurants if you ple-- Unacceptable.  A new city, a new set of shops to buy out.  Airy agrees. We managed to do the impossible and cross a stilled ocean to get here. It'll be good to finally take a break.  Just one thing: the windmills aren't moving. It might be more impressive if we were able to get the wind going again.  Hey, Adventurer! Who do you have in mi--  ...No...no thanks, Adventurer. Another nudge to use online features. It lets players share overpowered moves with each other. I'll get along without it.  We're away from Karl's inn now, so we have to pay to rest. At that price, it's more a psychological than monetary change.  The weapons aren't upgrades, but the armor is.     These will start us off well. The tricorne is especially fashionable.   There are a few hidden items around town. If you look carefully, you can make out that, although the windmills are stopped, some of the gears around town are turning. So, the city is semi-functioning. But without wind, how?  One last shop stop for new magic. The black and white magic is level two, meaning only Tiz and Ringabel, respectively, can use them at the moment. The magic type with the moon icon is new, but unusable with our current jobs. After that walk across the desert and successful shopping spree, the party's due for some sleep. The next morning:  Just woke up and already that tired, Tiz? It's this city. You notice how there are always gears turning someplace close? Sure, the sound is deafening, at times. Little wonder this place is known for its grand clock. The noise is bad, but the vibration is worse. I can't get to sleep with that hum. I'm surprised you're so high-strung. Surprised...? I'm jealous of your ability to pass out anytime, anywhere, Edea. Do you need a bit more rest, Tiz? Oh, no. I'll be fine. Let's get going.Edea's surprised Tiz is high-strung? The guy murders anyone who gets in his way.  On the way to explore the east side of town, an upset crowd of people blocks the party's path. Let's hope Tiz doesn't get impatient. Find out what's going on next time after a short break. Also, the game is about to start branching off into multiple paths. As a reminder, don't spoil paths that haven't been shown yet! -- Event Viewer Main Scenario: Anchoring in Ancheim A Wanted Vestal Ancheim, the Land of Sand and Time Party Chat: Norende's Population Ancheim, Land of Sand and Time The Cogs of Ancheim D's Journal: The Crystal Temples posted:The Crystal Temples: These sacred sites dedicated to the crystals have existed long before the advent of Crystalism, and indeed, even before recorded history. Vestal and acolyte alike live in the temples, where they faithfully pray to the crystals, and the folk of the region flock there to worship. 
Greyarc fucked around with this message at 11:54 on Mar 18, 2017 |
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Mar 7, 2017 09:19
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