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Latest (Oct. 23rd): Update 35: Grand Finale (Part 1) and Update 36: Grand Finale (Part 2) Check out the Opening Movie (Yes, that is the best quality I can find and yes, that's the official Atlus West Youtube channel) You know, up until now I’ve been LP’ing fairly laid-back games. Sweet Fuse: At Your Side was a visual novel that didn’t really require any skill (also yes, I am still finishing that LP). Conception PLUS and Conception II were JRPGs that were insultingly easy. World of Final Fantasy was a game designed to appeal to 30-somethings but was built to appeal to children, meaning that it too was largely a cakewalk. So, let’s change that by playing a Growlanser game. I wasn’t particularly attached to my hair anyway. Not just any Growlanser game, of course. We’re going to look at Growlanser IV, because MythosDragon requested it long ago and everyone else was too sane to accept that request. What is Growlanser? Growlanser is an RPG series originally developed by Career Soft in 1999 for the PS1. Career Soft was also responsible for the Langrisser series. Atlus, who was their publishing partner for Growlanser, bought out the company in 2001 and would later transfer some of their key development personnel into the main Atlus team where they would work on Persona 3 and Persona 4. Career Soft itself would go on to help develop the Devil Survivor games as part of the Shin Megami Tensei series. When Sega acquired Index Corporation in 2013, it merged everything together under Atlus, which resulted in the end of Career Soft as a label. Growlanser is composed of 6 main entries, as well as a few remakes and rereleases. Most of them released on the PS2 and only two of the titles have failed to receive an English localization (1 and 6). 2 and 3 were released in an English-exclusive collection called Growlanser: Generations and 5 was released as Heritage of War (because its Japanese title ended up being "Generations" and that had already been used in the West). Then there’s 4. Growlanser IV has 3 versions. There’s the original Wayfarer of Time (2003), Wayfarer of Time – Return (2005), and Over Reloaded (2011). So this game is the original version? Confusingly enough, no. When Atlus decided to localize IV in 2011-2012, they used the Over Reloaded version, but published it in English as Wayfarer of Time. So English Wayfarer of Time is actually Japanese Over Reloaded. Over Reloaded contains a bunch of new content such as new characters, scenes, and story paths. Strangely, it does not contain the content that was added to Return. Granted, the additional content of Return was pretty much just an extra fan disc with some Visual Novel style stories that may or may not even be canon. You usually do audience participation. Will there be any here? Yes and no. I’ll poll the thread on which character (if any) the LP will focus on for a character specific ending. I’ll also leave it up to the thread to decide on party members. Finally, there’s a (kind of) major choice early on in the game which will also be left up to the audience. The main story path is a different matter. The True/Modified route is the one that was added to the PSP version and is how you get access to a lot of the new characters. It is a bit of an extension to the Original route from the PS2 version. It makes a number of changes, but it’s still largely the same as Original. There’s also an “Evil” route. It’s shorter than the Original/True routes and the endings it leads to are either morally grey at best, or genocidal at worst. For the sake of showing off the most actual game content, this LP will be covering the True/Modified route. That part won’t be up for debate. We can talk about the "Evil" route once we get near the end of the LP. We'll see if I have the energy/time for it then. Spoilers? Absolutely no spoilers. It’s fine to talk about the game or characters in general, but don’t reveal anything about the main story or character stories. The only exception to this is once the thread has chosen their favourite character. Your opportunities for ranking up social links in this game are limited, so the thread will need to definitively latch on to 1 or 2 characters fairly early. Once we’ve zeroed in on specific characters, you will be free to discuss what happens during the other characters’ routes (as long as there are no main story spoilers within those routes). We’ll talk more about this once Free Time becomes a thing we can do. Generally, don’t spoil main plot details and don’t say anything that could sway people’s opinions on characters/decisions which will be voted on.  --Alten Schwart-- Update 1: Outer Heaven Update 2: Not getting paid enough for this Update 3: Parting Ways --Dulkheim-- Update 4: 2 Kool 4 Skool Update 5: Hey! Listen! Update 6: Remus the Punching Bag Update 7: Ruin Raider Extra Update 1: Artistic Expression Update 8: Parties and Politics Update 9: The Trockmere Treaty Update 10: Love Me When I'm Gone --Marquelay-- Update 11: Paradise City Update 12: Road Trip --Valkania-- Update 13: On the road to Fandelcia City. Meet my friends along the way. --Iglesias-- Update 14: Just like old times --Valkania-- Update 15: Detours --No Angeles-- Update 15.5: Takin' a Break (Furlough #1) Update 16: A knife in the back Extra Update 2: A Familiar Fate Update 17: War has changed Update 18: I'll get you for this, He-Man! Extra Update 3: Talking Shop Update 19: No Man's Land Furlough #4: Fledgling enterprise Update 20: Mighty Buffin' Angel Rangers Update 21: Clone Wars Update 22: Blood Vengeance Update 23: Getting Distracted Furlough #5: The Science of Bloodsport --Dulkheim-- Update 24: Too Many Missions Update 25: Mood Whiplash Update 26: Pulling a "Reverse Muntzer" --No Angeles-- Furlough #6: Right in the Feels Update 27: The Bottle Episode Update 28: Spirit Science --Valkania-- Update 29: Let's blow something up, yeah! --No Angeles-- Furlough #7: Ticking All The Boxes (Part 1) and (Part 2) Update 30: Cleaning House --Iglesias-- Extra Update 4: War in the North --No Angeles-- Furlough #8: Tying Up Loose Ends Update 31: To Evil or Not to Evil --Dulkheim-- Update 32: Gunboat Diplomacy Update 33: Monster of the Week --No Angeles-- Extra Update 5: Unlimited Power! Update 34: Date with Destiny --Mt. Eizenvant-- Update 35: Grand Finale (Part 1) Update 36: Grand Finale (Part 2) Psycho Knight fucked around with this message at 16:46 on Oct 23, 2021 |
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---Extras--- ---Cutscene List--- Intro - Opening Cinematic Update 2 - Lamplast Island Update 3 - Battle in the Rain Update 5 - Meeting our Familiar Update 7 - Ruin Child Update 9 - Levee Update 21 - Anti-Angel Weapon Facility Update 22 - Kaufman Waterfall Attack Update 24 - Forest escape Update 26 - Battle Video: Crevanille is busted Update 27 - Darkness Update 29 - Warning Shot Update 30 - Tears Update 35 - Spellcannon Defence Update 36 - It's the main ending! Update 36 - Credits --Character Profile Lists-- Entry 1 - Prologue to Marquelay ---Thread Submissions---  User marshmallow creep speculates on why Dulkheim's military budget is so high.  User vilkacis recognizes something familiar about President Deringer's face, but can't quite put their finger  I imagine what could have been, if only the thread had chosen to name our city "Ft Kickass" like user AltaBrown suggested.     At least once per  User Red John compares Crevanille's desire for more party members to General Grevious' lightsaber collection. I think it's fitting.  The character build I came up with for Magnus basically turned him into Wolverine. He's even got the sideburns!  Magnus finally gets his revenge against Cargill. This is how I remember it happening, anyway. There was definitely a fight on the pier where the rest of our party stood by and cheered Magnus on.  User megane follows up the previous image with an appropriate defeat screen. I shudder to think of Cargill as a "family man." Psycho Knight fucked around with this message at 16:49 on Oct 23, 2021 |
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Update 1: Outer Heaven Here’s the main menu. “Start” is for a new game, while “Load” should be obvious. For those of you that never had a PSP (or didn’t play any PSP titles that used this feature), “Install” was an option on some PSP games to install extra data on the memory stick in order to speed up load times. I recall it making a fairly noticeable impact, although I’m not about to go digging out my PSP and charger just to give you exact comparisons. I’m playing my copy on a PC, so the Install feature doesn’t do anything in this case. ”Appendix” is something I’ll show off later on as part of an Extra Update.  Maaaan, it’s been a hot minute since I played this. Wayfarer of Time released on July 31st, 2012 in North America. This clear save is from when I beat the game about two and a half weeks later, on August 18th. Apparently, I beat it at roughly two in the morning. I only mention that because it reminded me of the days when I used to always be up into the wee hours of the morning. 9 years later and I am typically dead by midnight. Being fully awake and playing video games until 2am is a foreign concept to me now. If you’re curious, my save file made right before the last battle (pictured just below the Clear Save) has a Play Time of 39:11:29. The save file will show play time, in-game save location, and the Level/HP/MP of your four party members. I can’t show you that right now because there’s minor spoilers visible in my main and backup save.  Also that black bar in the Clear Save screenshot is me editing out my own name. Yes, I am one of those sad individuals that enters his real name for self-insert characters. In our case, we’ll be sticking with this dude’s default name: Crevanille. As clumsy as it is, I don’t trust the thread with naming duties for Main Characters. Crevanille has a last name in Japanese, but I don’t recall if it’s ever stated anywhere. There’s also a chance that it ends up spoiling a relationship to some other character, so I won’t bother to list it.   Do you really hate shopping that much? The game gives us a little leeway in how Crevanille acts. Generally speaking, the responses are typically: The Mostly Silent Protagonist, The rear end in a top hat, The Agreeable Hero, and The Snarky One. For the most part, I’ll let people in the thread decide how we should behave. For now, we’ll just be the snarky one.  A mule’s lot is hard. What!? Are you mutinying against your sister’s orders, Crevanille?Choice: “My ‘sister’s’?” or “*sigh* My “sister’s”? Well, close enough, given how long we’ve been together. I think of you as a younger brother, at least.Oh, Japan. You and your weird fascination with “just to be clear, there’s no blood relation. Any potential hooking up isn’t technically incest.” *Crevanille just lifts his hands up and shrugs while shaking his head* Hey, just how long have we known each other, anyway? Was it really fifteen years ago that Dad brought you home? Do you remember those days?I choose “No” here because I enjoy fighting back against any efforts by the game to push a sibling pairing. Hahaha, I’m not surprised. I don’t remember things from when I was two or three, either. But I’ll never forget the day I first met you. Thanks for putting the weight of the world on our shoulders, Dad #2. It’s tough to explain how shocked I was to hear that. It really scared me as a child. And Dad wouldn’t tell me what he meant, either… But now? However special you were supposed to be, you turned out to be such a normal guy…Choice: “Hey, I’m not normal!”, “I’m sure you’re right.”, “Sorry about that…”, “…..”. Sorry about that… Oh, no need to apologize for it.I kind of thought that response would be a bit snarkier. Based on Regina’s reaction, it seems as though Crevanille was legitimately apologetic. These choices are kind of a crapshoot sometimes. Still, whatever happened, bringing a child into a mercenary brigade is another matter… I really wonder what he was thinking, bringing you into our group. Well, enough about that. We need to get going! We finally get some control. Regina continues walking along the path to the left and we are unable to overtake her. All we can do is run around at three times her speed and wait for her to cross the bridge. There is a sparkly thing on the ground nearby, though. Let’s grab that.  We’ll have use for this later on. Quite a bit later on, actually.  I also open up the menu in order to change something that was carried over from my personal playthrough. Don’t worry about that for now. We can take a quick look at other stuff, though. Crevanille’s stats are shown in the middle. Here’s a rundown taken from the game’s manual: -STR: Affects weapon attack, rate of HP growth, armor STR. -DEX: Affects movement range, spell charge time, hit, and evasion. -INT: Affects rate of MP growth, and strength of spells. -ATK: Affects strength of weapon attacks. -DEF: Affects amount of damage received from enemy attacks. -MOV: Affects movement speed during battle. -ATW: Shows how long it takes before you can attack again. The lower the number, the shorter the time. So in every case except ATW, higher numbers are better. For ATW, you want lower numbers. ”Knacks” are something we can’t do anything with just yet, so we’ll skip that. “Items” and “Equip” should be self-explanatory, but I want to highlight something in both.  Because I’m using a Clear Save, there are a number of items and pieces of equipment already in our inventory from when I beat the game. I didn’t have a lot of unequipped armour sitting around when I beat the game, but the stuff I did have is absurdly broken for where we are right now. That said, I won’t be using any of it. The game itself is actually going to help enforce that. The armours in this game all have Strength requirements. All the endgame armour that I had left in my inventory from my playthrough requires a Strength stat of 100, at minimum, to wear. If you equip armour that the character doesn't have the Strength stat for, then they suffer a major penalty to movement. With Crevanille's current Strength, he'd be left immobile if I tried to slap any endgame armour on him (the MOV penalty would be -168). There are very few situations in this game where making your character a statue is beneficial to you. Most of the time you want your characters to be as mobile/fast as possible (for various reasons that I will explain when they become frustratingly relevant).  That said, I will be giving myself a slight leg up by giving Crevanille an endgame Ring. Rings provide some stat bonuses, but their real purpose is yet to be introduced. For the time being, I just want to be transparent and show you where Crevanille is getting his slightly higher stats from. It will allow me to steamroll most starter enemies, but it doesn’t turn him into a war god that can solo everything in his path. As such, mission strategy won't really change much as a result of these boosted stats. It's mostly to make my life a little easier.   Also, I’m showing you the Goods I currently have from the Clear Save because of one type of usable item that is not in my possession: Blessing Bells. If you played this game before, you know what I’m referring to. If you haven’t, then you’ll find out about Blessing Bells eventually. For now, just know that they are stupidly useful and I could spit in this game’s face if I had even a few of them at this stage. All the other items I have are certainly good, but not to the point of breaking difficulty. Most of them are status curative items and minor healing (I used all the good poo poo during the final boss fight). Key Items don’t transfer from a Clear Save, so there’s no worries about sequence breaking.  Anyway, here’s the dedicated “Status” screen for Crevanille. It gives a little more in-depth look at his resistances and whatnot, as well as some character art. ”Config” is the only other option we can mess with right now, but none of it is super important or interesting. You can turn Data Install on and off, adjust the sound from Stereo to Mono, turn on “Remember Cursor”, and so on. Basic stuff. You can also change the cursor, but we’ll get to that in time.  Moving on from my rambling, we spot somebody face down in the middle of the path just beyond the bridge. Hey, are you all right!?[Boy]: …N-Ngh… Crevanille… let’s go back to camp.Choice: “Sure”, “What about the shopping?”, “I knew this would end badly.” I knew this would end badly. Quiet, you! [Narrator]: The young man, whose name was Remus, told them he was traveling with his father when bandits struck. Remus barely escaped alive. Since Remus was close to Crevanille’s age, Crevanille was charged with looking after him. Awesome. We get saddled with dead weight.   Get a load of this dude with his gigantic loving shoulder pads. Choice: “I asked him to do something.”, “What do you mean?” What do you mean? I just thought you were supposed to be looking after him. That’s all. Speaking of Remus, though… I had my doubts about him at first, but he’s finally starting to snap out of it. I saw him borrow some books from the boss and Pamela the other day. Looked like medical books and stuff. Choice: “So he told me.”, “I didn’t know that.”, “…..” So he told me.Just a note: Once the thread chimes in with how they want Crevanille to generally act, I’ll stop listing the dialogue choices all the time. I just want to give everyone an idea of what the player is typically presented with. Oh, so you knew already. It’s all thanks to you being nice to him. I bet you’re glad, too, having something like a younger brother.Not really. He cramps our style. Whoops, nearly forgot that the boss was calling for me. Speaking of cramped style. Choice: “Nice work, Remus.”, “*nod*”, “…..”. *nod* Silent as always, eh? You were already participating in battles at my age, weren’t you? Amazing… I’ve yet to experience real combat for myself even once. So, what’s next on the agenda? I’ll follow you as always, so if anything comes up, just let me know. Remus joins our party, except not really. We can check his basic stats on the menu, but everything else is locked out for now.  Time to roam around camp and chat up our fellow Diamond Dogs. Well enough, I suppose…[Mercenary]: drat, you sure don’t sound like it. Still having confidence issues? Yes…[Mercenary]: Listen. Even if you haven’t seen combat yet, you’re still a member of the Alten Schwart mercenaries. ”Alten Schwart” (アルテン シュヴァルト/a-ru-ten shu-va-ru-to in Japanese) is supposed to mean “Old Sword.” That’s what they were going for, anyway. The problem is, while “Alten” is German for “Old”, that spelling is usually used in reference to the elderly (as in people). “Schwart” is also a misspelling of “Schwert” (which means sword). So, what we end up with is stuff like "Schwart for Old People" (as user VictualSquid put forth) or "Really Old Bacon Rind" (as user Cloacamazing! put forth, since Schwart is very close to Schwarte, which can mean "bacon rind"). "Alte Schwert" is probably what they should have gone with. [Mercenary]: Knowing you’re there to patch us up helps us fight better. So, have a little confidence and be proud of yourself! Thank you. I will.Talk to this person a second time for an item. In our case, it’s a Green Stone. If you are on a first playthrough, then I believe you get a Vulnerary (a starter healing item) instead. Good practice in this game is to make sure you are talking to NPCs multiple times.  Well… I did manage to get it working.[Mercenary #2]: Let’s see it then! O-Okay… Whomp whomp. [Mercenary]: …That could’ve gone better. Here, Crevanille, show him how it’s done. Choice: “*show him*”, “*don’t show him*”. I’m down for flexing on Remus. Let’s do it.  Wow! I’m impressed you can make it work so easily.[Mercenary #2]: These Ring Weapons were supposedly developed by some nation’s military. Ever since they hit the black market, you see mercenary corps like us using them more often. I don’t understand the fine details, but supposedly it’s triggered by one’s self-preservation instincts. So that’s it…[Mercenary #2]: In other words, you can’t make it work because your life’s never been in real danger. I see… What should I do if I can’t make it work in a real battle?[Mercenary #2]: You’ll just have to make do with a regular, heavy sword. So, Ring Weapons are a special type of weapon using technology from some super advanced country or something. Based on what this Mercenary just said, the main benefit to Ring Weapons seems to be how light they are. I’m sure the ability to summon and unsummon a weapon at will is also a major convenience, since you can more easily sneak them into places with tight security or use them with a disguise. The downside is that if you aren’t capable of summoning a Ring Weapon, then you’re stuck using the heavy-rear end jobber weapons.   I just came back from the village with supplies, so I have some to spare. Ah, Remus is with you… You’ll need this. Here, give me your hand. Sweet, free cash! Use it wisely.We’ll see what happens. *And then Pamela walks away* Pamela is a new character that was added for the PSP version. She doesn’t exist in the Wayfarer of Time (JP) or Return versions of the game. Ah, it’s you two. Together as always.Regina wandered out from that tent just to the south of Crev and Remus.  She implies that he’s in the tent, but the Boss is actually just off screen in the upper right. Our next job…?Choice: “Do they know where?”, “Too bad our furlough’s over.”, “At least we won’t be bored.” At least we won’t be bored. Haha… Getting stir crazy, eh?Of course. We haven’t had a chance to kill anything yet. You’d think there would have been a tutorial battle against forest wolves or something during that moment where we found Remus. If you want to know more, ask Dad yourself.Can do! Let’s—  Choice: “Are you kidding?”, “Her father scares me.”, “Yes, she is.” Are you kidding?Sorry Remus, but we’re going to keep our options open until at least the halfway point of the game. You don’t think so? She’s strong as the boss’s daughter ought to be, but she’s still a woman…That’s not really my problem. My issue is more with the fact that she’s a walking fashion disaster. I mean, look at this poo poo:  Silver platform boots, odd coloured stockings with a lace garter belt, red leather booty shorts, a random spattering of gold trinkets/bracelets, and a strip of material that only barely qualifies as a “tube top”. I may not fancy Remus’ look either, but at least he seems to have put some thought into it rather than throwing on literally the first things he saw when he woke up that morning.  This guy gets to have a name, but no portrait. Definitely a Red Shirt, so I wouldn’t go getting too attached to him (I actually don’t remember if he dies or not, but I’d be willing to bet on “Yes”). Just to the right of good old Mortis, there’s a pair of no-name mercenaries chatting about something.  He gives us a Red Stone. Sweet. We’ll stuff that in our pockets next to the Green Stone and hopefully make use of them someday soon. [Mercenary #2]: You have to fix your weapon…? Man, it must be awful, not being able to use Ring Weapons. Oh, right. Ring Weapons also apparently don’t need maintenance. That’s another benefit. The conversation stops there, but if we talk to the lady(?) mercenary, a different discussion starts. [Mercenary #2]: Oh, hey, Remus! Know why this guy doesn’t use a Ring Weapon? The first time he tried, lo and behold, a wooden hammer appeared! [Mercenary #1]: Don’t tell him that! Now I can’t give him my excuse about it being good training to use normal swords… Drawback to Ring Weapons: You don’t get a choice as to what your Ring Weapon is. I don’t remember if IV talks about it in detail, but in other Growlanser games a Ring will manifest a weapon based on its user’s personality. Anyway, we’ve talked to everyone in camp, so let’s check in on the strategy meeting between Big Boss, Bauer, and Pamela.   Indeed. There are gold mines on that island, with many kingdoms fighting over the rights. There are two factions. One has been working with the islanders all along and the other is the invading army. The island’s not small, but the fighting is so widespread that the whole place is now a battlefield. Boss, if you’ve already sealed the deal, is there a chance of winning? Or a reason to side with them? We have an even chance of victory, but with all your support, I’m sure we can turn the tide. All right. Then it’s our job to meet your expectations. I don’t doubt that you will. We’ll depart tonight. Go on and spread the word. Right away! I’ll go back to checking on our supplies, then.*Bauer and Pamela then wander off screen* Hm? You two heard all that…? Yes. We’re off to Lamplast Island. It’s to the south of Marquelay, out on the sea. Got it.We could have also responded with “…”. Um, boss…? I wanted to ask you something. What is it, Remus? Hm… I’m a mercenary, too! I don’t want to stay a burden on this brigade! I see… Very well, then.”We could always use designated bait.”  Crevanille, I want you to act as Remus’s bodyguard.Choices: “Yes, sir.”, “What!?”, “I hate to be kept from the front.” Yes, sir.As much as I hate being a babysitter, Dixon looks far and away more experienced than anyone else here, so it’s probably best not to argue with him. I-I’m sorry to inconvenience you. Thank you, though… No need to be ashamed. Everyone must start somewhere. Also, this is a solid point. Everyone has to suck it up and take their turn on Newbie Watch at some point, including the dude that looks like he’s wearing the front half of a semi-truck. Anyway, we’ll be off soon. Gather whatever you need.*Dixon wanders off* The boss reminds me of my father. You may not be his blood relation, but I envy you somewhat, having a man like him as a father. I must try my hardest in battle to repay the boss’s kindness! [Narrator]: The islanders were simple folk who lived off the fruit of the jungle and the fish of the sea. But with the discovery of gold, the island changed completely. Since the island belonged to no kingdom, every monarch sent soldiers at once to wrest control of the mining rights.  [Narrator]: In response, an opposing faction considerate of the islanders’ lives hired the Alten Schwart brigade.  Shiny! Give me shiny! So, this is Lamplast Island… I’m going to meet with the commander. I’ll be back shortly. Wait for me here.We get control back as Dixon walks away. I immediately grab the blue shiny, which is of course a Blue Stone, to go with our Green and Red.  [Hobson]: Yes, Crevanille? Are you here to help maintain the mast? If not, then don’t bother me. Also there are two more named Red Shirts. Moving on, we can’t get past Remus and Regina, so we’ll need to talk to at least one of them. So many people here… Could they all be mercenaries? I’d like to chat with them a bit. Would you mind coming with me? What a tranquil island. Hard to believe it’s a war zone. I like the sound of free. We can rest and create a record over there.The camera pans over to a building in the harbour. [Mercenary]: I wonder what kind of fighting style these guys use. Time to let loose![Mercenary #2]: I feel sorry for the natives, what with those guys storming in and acting like they own the place…  After talking to everyone on the dock, we move towards Pamela, only for this scene to interrupt us. [Soldier #2]: Sounds like a spell! [Soldier #1]: You and your “spells.” There’s no such thing! Was the voyage okay, Crevanille? We might see combat tomorrow, so if you’re not feeling well, you should rest now. We’ve been granted the use of the harbor. Might as well take the opportunity to go ashore.After talking to Pamela, I go and chat up those two soldiers for a bit of extra info. [Soldier #2]: Who’re you? We’re, um… with the Alten Schwart mercenary brigade…[Soldier #2]: Oh… you’ve got quite the reputation for a group with under a hundred members. Right. So, despite being the Alten Schwart mercenary “brigade”, we don’t actually have that many mercenaries on payroll. “Brigade”, in terms of word origin, can simply mean a group that fights. In terms of modern military formations, however, a brigade typically has a few thousand troops. Alten Schwart is more like a mercenary platoon or company. [Soldier #1]: That won’t matter much if they die before they can reach the enemy. What do you mean?[Soldier #1]: The soldiers here supposedly have this weird weapon.  They developed the flamethrower. Got it. [Soldier #2]: I’m telling you, it’s a spell! [Soldier #1]: And I’m telling YOU you’re acting like a child! Spells only exist in fairy tales to scare kids.  Are you implying they might not?! You think they…? I see. I’m somewhat surprised. It would be interesting if they did exist, though. Perhaps… Oh! If they’d use their wits more, they wouldn’t lean on superstition so much. I take it you’re not a believer. I won’t dismiss the idea out of hand.   You have no idea how terribly wrong you are. Certain enemies in this game will be making liberal use of spells to wipe the floor with us, including co-op spells that the enemy is able to use with only a single unit because gently caress you, that’s why. Well, let’s get going. I need to explain the operation to you all. Dixon wanders off screen to the right, but following him will take us into the next segment. Stop at this door first in order to save the game. Resting isn’t that important this time, because you can’t get into a battle at this stage and the party is fully healed between the camp and harbor scenes.  [Narrator]: A few days later…  And now we’re on the battlefield. You can chat with one of the mercenaries and Regina, but they don’t have much to say. It’s basically just “The enemy is supposedly using a weird weapon” and “Shut up and focus!”  When we try to move towards Remus, a scene kicks in. [Mercenary #2]: We can’t let those Alten Schwart punks take all the credit! We’ll handle this! [Mercenary #1]: Right!  That worked about as well as you would expect. [Soldier #1]: Is that the big scary weapon? [Enemy Soldier #1]: Begin pumping! There’s a little animation of the rear soldier looking like he’s using a bike pump. Not sure you guys should be shouting these instructions out loud. [Enemy Soldier #2]: Pumping complete! [Enemy Soldier #1]: Firing now! *The soldiers spew out a bit more fire* Soldier #1 then hauls rear end out of here before Soldier #2 even starts to speak. [Soldier #2]: It’s spewing out fire! It really is a spell! And then Soldier #2 gets the hell out of Dodge. That’s no spell! They’re just setting fire to the oil from the spout! Shoot fire arrows at those barrels! Well, so much for the weird super weapon. That sure was easy. Good! Now’s our chance! Get them! Regina! Remus! Crevanille! I’ll leave this to you! What about you? I’m counting on you! Be careful!Dixon leaves and takes the two archer mercenaries with him. This is finally it… Wh-What do I do…? Oh… I should get my weapon out… Yay! Now we’ve got a ranged unit! Well, a second ranged unit. Regina uses a big-rear end boomerang like she’s Sango from Inuyasha. Umm, so next, I pick the Attack command… Then I select which enemy I want to attack… I must do my best! And that’s basically it as far as tutorials go. If you are playing this for the first time, then you do have the option of a full tutorial from Regina, but I’ll just skip it and explain as we go. In the top right corner you can see a map which shows the positioning of units. The Square button (or whatever the hell you have mapped to represent that button) will let us scroll around the full map and check some basic details on enemies. These guys are all level 1, so they shouldn’t be a problem to deal with. Regina acts on her own during this fight, but she’s a ranged fighter that’s capable of tanking hits well. Remus is someone you should be concerned about, however, as it is possible for him to get taken out quickly and easily.  There are two ways to move/attack. If you choose “Attack” and pick an enemy, then the character will make a beeline for them automatically (so long as their ATW gauge is empty). You can also choose “Move”, which allows you to scroll around the map and set waypoints for the character to follow. You can set 3 waypoints, which allows you to create a rudimentary path around obstacles or enemies (so long as they don’t move, anyway). If you set all waypoints on the same spot, then you can get the character to just move in a straight line. The move command is useful for positioning and getting characters away/towards specific spots. If a melee enemy attacks a character while they are traveling on their planned route, then the character will stop to retaliate. Basically, the character isn’t going to adapt their route based on changes to the battlefield. You need to keep an eye on them and handle that stuff yourself. If that flanking position you wanted them in suddenly has Level 30 Death Wizards in it, then you better hope you notice in time because the character sure as hell won’t be giving you a heads up. You can interrupt a character to change their orders by opening the battle menu with Square and picking which character you want to command.  Oh, wait. Stuff is happening. We’ll return to tutorial town once Remus is done getting ambushed. Ack! Ngh…! Fight, Remus! Ahhhhh![Enemy Soldier]: Gah! And the enemy soldier gets taken out. D-D-Did I do it…? Wh-What now? What do I do…? Calm down, Remus! Remus, all you have to do is follow his commands. Just do what he says and you’ll be fine! …O-Okay…*Remus joined the party! For reals this time* What should I do…? Tell me, Crevanille! We now have control over Remus. He’s a ranged attacker, which is good because he has the HP and Defence of wet tissue paper. Since this is a starter battle, there isn’t much we can do here in terms of tactics. Be careful with where you position Remus, however. A hit from an enemy archer can easily shave off 40% of his health. Regina will operate on her own.  Archer characters have absurd range by the way. This enemy archer tagged Regina immediately without moving a step. The good news is that they aren’t dealing much damage.  Regina’s range is similarly absurd, but unfortunately we can’t direct her to take out the archer first.  Remus’ damage is nowhere near Regina’s, so he won’t be contributing a lot to this fight. It is important for him to at least try and get a kill in, though. We’ll go over why that is once the battle finishes. I should also note that the archer in this screenshot spawned in. They weren’t just obscured by the tree. Growlanser IV loves spawning enemies in front of, behind, to the sides, and on top of you at seemingly random moments. This is one of the many different ways that this game enjoys loving with you. You’ll get to see all the other ways as we progress.  I manually moved Remus just behind the big rock next to Regina. This results in Regina taking the arrows from the enemy archer, which largely bounce harmlessly off of her. Remus manages to take out a single soldier during the fight, just before said soldier can throw himself against Regina/Crevanille and get bodied by them. A different soldier ends up dropping a Red Stone for us.  Crevanille dealt with that Soldier in one shot. Even with the endgame Ring, his damage is still not even close to Regina’s.  At this point, the enemy forces realize that poo poo has hit the fan and they decide to haul rear end out of here.  No survivors.  Seeing as how the enemy is trying to run, I should mention another benefit that ranged attackers have (aside from being able to attack from relative safety). If an enemy or player takes a hit, they get a small amount added to their ATW gauge (that bar under the character portraits), which must be empty in order for a character to take action. It isn’t a lot, but even a half second of slowdown can result in a pursuing enemy unit catching up, and once a unit has a melee character on their rear end it becomes much more difficult to escape.  The surprise archer ends up dropping another Red Stone. Once the last enemy is dealt with, we score a “Mission Complete”. Random Battles end when either you beat all enemies, or the enemies beat you. Mainline missions are different. There are three ways to finish a main mission in Growlanser: Mission Complete: Quickly complete all mission objectives (required and optional). Mission Clear: Complete the required objectives in a decent amount of time. Mission Passed: Complete the required objectives at some point before you die of old age. The better you do in finishing a mission, the better your rewards will be. For this mission, Complete means we killed every enemy and didn't lose much HP. Clearing this mission involves taking out every enemy but having a character drop below half health (in other words, Remus). I assume a Pass happens if one or more of the retreating enemies escapes, but Regina will almost certainly snipe everyone before they can get away even if you have Crevanille and Remus sit around and do nothing. It is possible to fail this mission. The Defeat Conditions for this battle are: Regina Dies, Crevanille Dies, or Remus Dies. Crevanille could get offed if you have incredibly bad luck, but I don’t think it’s possible for Regina to get killed here. Remus is the most likely one to cost you a victory. He’s also the most likely reason why you might miss out on a Mission Complete. One hit from an arrow and you are almost assuredly getting a Mission Clear instead.  At the end of the battle, you get a results screen. ARP is a bonus earned during the mission based on enemies taken out by a particular character. It’s a little like Fire Emblem, in that you want to make sure that every party member is getting an opportunity at kills. There is a skill you can get later on that provides a little ARP to everyone, though. The game is a little vague on how ARP works, but we’ll talk more about it once other gameplay mechanics are introduced.   Crevanille and Remus both get a level up from this. Crevanille got 15 base exp, 6 clear bonus exp, and 1 extra exp for a total of 22. Remus got 12 base, 6 clear bonus, and 1 bonus for a total of 19. …Looks like it’s over. Dad! Thanks. We didn’t see much trouble here with you keeping them off our back. Mm. Everyone is safe, then… ……We are free to wander around the battlefield a little bit here. Talking to Dixon just results in him telling us to check on Remus, though. That’s the real reason for this moment. Might as well get to it, since nobody else has anything interesting to say. ….. Oh… Crevanille.Choice: “You okay?”, “You did great.”, “That was an embarrassment.” Well, you didn’t take any hits that cost us a Mission Complete, so we’ll be nice this time. You did great. Oh… Th-Thanks…Remus rejoins us. Head back to Dixon to finish things up.  …Y-Yes… I’m glad you made it through. Th-Thank you… Um… Would it be all right if I take the rest of the day off? I can see that battle tired you out. Very well, go get some rest. Yes, sir…*Remus wanders slowly off screen* …I hope he’s able to sleep tonight… *Remus takes off his hat* ….. I… *sob* I… Technically the arrow did that. Also, you killed two people. Give yourself a little more credit.  The camera pans down to Crevanille and Dixon and we’re given control. Trying to walk up to Remus or talking to Dixon immediately both result in the same thing happening, though.  …Can’t sleep, eh? U-Um… No need to excuse yourself. Everyone goes through this. No one can last as a mercenary if they don’t grow accustomed to that… Accustomed…? But listen. Though it’s necessary to get used to it, you mustn’t forget the way you’re feeling now. If we forget that, we become nothing more than murderers.Pretty sure forgetting that is what leads to being a psychopath. Murderer remains true whether or not you feel bad about it. Murderers… To prevent senseless bloodshed, it becomes necessary to involve professional soldiers who know when to quit. Professional soldiers… Mercenaries? That’s right. True, we make our living through war. But I believe one can find one’s own worth within that niche. I vowed to become as strong as I could so as to prevent unnecessary bloodshed. Thank you… I suppose all I can do is try to be stronger. Both physically and emotionally… Indeed. You can’t put it off forever, but there’s no rush. I appreciate this part, because it’s more believable than the typical “heroes beat up some thugs and then the conflict is resolved.” This might not be a major conflict, but it’s going to take a hell of a lot longer than a weekend to resolve it. We’re going to be here for a while. Yes, sir. Well, I’m heading to bed. I suggest you get some rest as well.*Dixon walks back down to where Crevanille is*  Fat chance of that.  The game is giving us an option to save, so that seems like a good place to take a break. Next time: We get to do a little shopping! Psycho Knight fucked around with this message at 02:42 on May 20, 2021 |
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May 18, 2021 23:15
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Satoshi Urushihara loves two things and ridiculously huge shoulderpads are one of them.
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May 18, 2021 23:41
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Alten Schwart doesn't mean old schwart. It means schwart for old people.
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May 19, 2021 00:27
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Games seems interesting with a bit of an SRPG flair to the combat. Definitely looking forward to this one!
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May 19, 2021 02:03
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I can already see the twist with Remus coming from a mile away.
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May 19, 2021 03:22
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VictualSquid posted:Alten Schwart doesn't mean old schwart. It means schwart for old people. I really wish that people working on projects involving another language got a native speaker at some point to look over the words. Unless it's actual Medieval German, then I'd look silly.
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May 19, 2021 04:32
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I loved the crap out of this game back when it came out. Looking forward to seeing an LP of it.  Also, Crevanille should be a nice and helpful boy.
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May 19, 2021 05:05
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VictualSquid posted:Alten Schwart doesn't mean old schwart. It means schwart for old people. Dammit, thanks for pointing that out. I'm forgetting about usage context/homonym stuff. I think "Alt" is typically for old with an object. In terms of word order, that part is flexible from what I know. In this case it would read more like "Old People Schwart". McTimmy posted:Satoshi Urushihara loves two things and ridiculously huge shoulderpads are one of them. I will touch on Urushihara eventually. I planned on mentioning it in the intro, but it was already getting too long. Maybe in an extra update. PotatoManJack posted:Games seems interesting with a bit of an SRPG flair to the combat. Definitely looking forward to this one! As frustrating as it can be at times, it is an interesting and fun take on S/T RPGs. Having free movement instead of being locked on a grid is nice. It's also possible to use terrain to your advantage (especially with ranged characters) to impede enemy movement. My only major complaint is that you can't zoom out the map to see everything at once. It's easy to lose track of enemy movements sometimes because the camera is shooting around all over the place during attacks (you can turn that off, but that creates its own problems). Seraphic Neoman posted:I can already see the twist with Remus coming from a mile away. I honestly don't remember if there is a big twist with Remus. I do remember something about him, but it's more humorous than shocking, mainly because of Urushihara's artistic hobbies. SIGSEGV posted:I really wish that people working on projects involving another language got a native speaker at some point to look over the words. While I don't know much about German, I have experienced this a lot with Japanese games that try to freehand English. Sometimes all it takes is for you to show the phrase to a native speaker and go "Does this mean what I want it to mean?" I remember that Conception II tried to give some characters English-sounding names and that resulted in one girl literally being named "Fine Glass". This is also why you should never get a foreign language tattoo without strict consultation from a native speaker (that likes you). Melomane Mallet posted:I loved the crap out of this game back when it came out. Looking forward to seeing an LP of it. I loved it whenever I made it through a mission. I remember ripping my hair out during missions, though. It was a frustrating, yet rewarding experience. That said, I played it as soon as it came out. In the time since release, ways to break the game's difficulty over your knee have been firmly established. Also, that's 1 vote for "The Hero" personality. Psycho Knight fucked around with this message at 13:03 on May 19, 2021 |
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May 19, 2021 11:19
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I kind of like snark since they bothered to put in funny counter-responses (even though I guess they don't extend past one line) Useless trivia - in Japanese all the responses as phrased as reactions rather than straight-up dialogue. This mostly doesn't make a whole lot of difference but all the '...' responses are variously 'ignore him' and 'say nothing' and 'stay quiet' and I can't entirely blame them for just localising it all into ... instead of coming up with a dozen synonyms for the same. e: Seraphic Neoman posted:Also for the MC make him a hero, let him have some snark but don't make him a dick. Polsy fucked around with this message at 17:46 on May 19, 2021 |
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May 19, 2021 17:00
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I bounced hard off of this (PSP version) fairly early because I really couldn't wrap my head about where the game expected me to be level/power-wise and I probably missed something about the combat/equipment systems.McTimmy posted:Satoshi Urushihara loves two things and ridiculously huge shoulderpads are one of them.  Seraphic Neoman posted:I can already see the twist with Remus coming from a mile away. I don't think I even reached a point where the narrative started hinting at Remus' deal, but I also have a fairly detailed speculation about Remus' deal. Psycho Knight posted:While I don't know much about German, I have experienced this a lot with Japanese games that try to freehand English. Sometimes all it takes is for you to show the phrase to a native speaker and go "Does this mean what I want it to mean?" I remember that Conception II tried to give some characters English-sounding names and that resulted in one girl literally being named "Fine Glass". Psycho Knight posted:Also, that's 1 vote for "The Hero" personality. Let's mix it up a bit. I'm voting for mostly "Hero" with some "snark" thrown in. 66% to 75% hero and 33% to 25% snark.
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May 19, 2021 17:16
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Also for the MC make him a hero, let him have some snark but don't make him a dick.
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May 19, 2021 17:17
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Omobono posted:Let's mix it up a bit. I'm voting for mostly "Hero" with some "snark" thrown in. 66% to 75% hero and 33% to 25% snark. Seraphic Neoman posted:Also for the MC make him a hero, let him have some snark but don't make him a dick. Same.
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May 19, 2021 17:21
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VictualSquid posted:Alten Schwart doesn't mean old schwart. It means schwart for old people. Schwarte is also a word for crust, so for me this name translates to some really old bacon rind.
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May 19, 2021 17:47
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So what I'm getting is "Act like the hero for serious/emotional moments, but be snarky when we're just hanging out and wandering around." I can make that work. Not every choice gives you four possible ways to respond, after all.Omobono posted:I bounced hard off of this (PSP version) fairly early because I really couldn't wrap my head about where the game expected me to be level/power-wise and I probably missed something about the combat/equipment systems. A lot of the difficulty from this game comes from not being precognizant. The game spawns reinforcements mid-mission constantly, and it usually accompanies a sudden and stark change in mission objectives that it's very difficult to prepare for even if you know what's coming. I remember going through a lot of trial and error when I played, so I'm not surprised to hear about people who tapped out on it. You can be above the recommended level for a mission and still get your rear end handed to you purely because you moved a character to the wrong part of the map or didn't take enough ranged/magic people with you. Also, Feene was great. My favourite may have been Narika, but Feene as a character was a hell of a lot better than many of the others. I think the worst I said about her was that she was a bit too "perfect". Polsy posted:Useless trivia - in Japanese all the responses as phrased as reactions rather than straight-up dialogue. This mostly doesn't make a whole lot of difference but all the '...' responses are variously 'ignore him' and 'say nothing' and 'stay quiet' and I can't entirely blame them for just localising it all into ... instead of coming up with a dozen synonyms for the same. I kinda prefer it the localization way to be honest. I know people rag on the stereotypical "..." moments in JRPGs, but I mostly like them because they don't explicitly spell out why the character isn't saying anything. "Ignore him", "say nothing", and "stay quiet" all imply something about how the character is responding or reacting. "..." can mostly be left to the player's imagination or personal understanding of the context. It's also a good option for when you hate all the other possible options. Of course, you have to be careful with doing this in localization. Getting carried away with it is how you get Squall from FFVIII and his now infamous use of "Whatever." Cloacamazing! posted:Schwarte is also a word for crust, so for me this name translates to some really old bacon rind. I kind of feel like getting the thread title changed to something like "Schwart for Old People" or "Really Old Bacon Rind" now. I didn't think those two words would be producing so many amusing meanings. Psycho Knight fucked around with this message at 18:22 on May 19, 2021 |
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May 19, 2021 18:17
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"..." is onomatopoeia for flatulence and you can't prove it's not.
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May 19, 2021 18:23
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I have arrived, thank you for fulfilling my request, friend. Also my request for hero personality is just to choose all the flirting options regardless of gender, since the funniest scene in the entire game relies on you being able to flirt with a dude.
MythosDragon fucked around with this message at 00:18 on May 21, 2021 |
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May 21, 2021 00:11
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ultrafilter posted:"..." is onomatopoeia for flatulence and you can't prove it's not. I'll be honest, I can't really find a way to argue against that. MythosDragon posted:I have arrived, thank you for fulfilling my request, friend. Also my request for hero personality is just to choose all the flirting options regardless of gender, since the funniest scene in the entire game relies on you being able to flirt with a dude. I've been waffling on this for a while, which I'm sorry for. I think I twice gave you the impression that it was my next plan, only to ditch it. I intended to do it after Conception Plus, but I think wrangling with that weird text issue got me frustrated and I just ended up starting Sweet Fuse for no reason. To tell the truth, I'm not sure what prompted me to start this now. I wake up some days with weird projects in mind. I will attempt to balance your request with the thread's desire for a heroic yet sometimes snarky protagonist.
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May 21, 2021 00:34
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Psycho Knight posted:I've been waffling on this for a while, which I'm sorry for. I think I twice gave you the impression that it was my next plan, only to ditch it. I intended to do it after Conception Plus, but I think wrangling with that weird text issue got me frustrated and I just ended up starting Sweet Fuse for no reason. To tell the truth, I'm not sure what prompted me to start this now. I wake up some days with weird projects in mind. Don't worry about it, I'm just happy you're doing one of my favorite games ever, and arguably my favorite gameplay ever justice. This time I'll definitely play the game with you and try to give some bonus updates for stuff you can't cover later, since I wouldnt miss this for anything. Seriously, assume I'm dead if it doesnt happen. Also you didn't go into detail about this, but the protagonist's personality is measured in some kind of hidden point system, and if you go too far in one direction, ostensibly opposite choices get grayed out. IE be too much of a dick and you can't be nice later, or be too stoic and you can't flirt at all. Though it can be inconsistent. Also the reason we got cash from Pamela is because any healing items you have the maximum amount of are automatically sold and converted to cash. Convenient! I am pleased to share that there are ongoing fan translations for both 1 and 6 right now, with 6 being farther along.
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May 21, 2021 00:47
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MythosDragon posted:Also you didn't go into detail about this, but the protagonist's personality is measured in some kind of hidden point system, and if you go too far in one direction, ostensibly opposite choices get grayed out. IE be too much of a dick and you can't be nice later, or be too stoic and you can't flirt at all. Though it can be inconsistent.
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May 21, 2021 00:53
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MythosDragon posted:Also you didn't go into detail about this, but the protagonist's personality is measured in some kind of hidden point system, and if you go too far in one direction, ostensibly opposite choices get grayed out. IE be too much of a dick and you can't be nice later, or be too stoic and you can't flirt at all. Though it can be inconsistent. The dialogue choice thing hasn't happened yet, which is why I didn't mention it. Our first look at that system will happen in the next update. I'll be alternating between Sweet Fuse and this, and since I just posted a SF update today, I'll be working on GL tomorrow. I didn't realize that about the items. I just assumed that certain free items were replaced with cash in NG+. I'll mention that next update, when I discuss item limits. Commander Keene posted:Clearly this means the intended method for selecting responses is to roll a die and choose randomly. Wouldn't want to get locked out of a choice by being too predictable, after all. Clearly. If the game wants to prevent you from becoming an inconsistent character, then the solution is to simply be inconsistent from the very beginning.
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May 21, 2021 01:21
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Psycho Knight posted:The dialogue choice thing hasn't happened yet, which is why I didn't mention it. Our first look at that system will happen in the next update. I'll be alternating between Sweet Fuse and this, and since I just posted a SF update today, I'll be working on GL tomorrow. My bad.
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May 21, 2021 01:35
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MythosDragon posted:I am pleased to share that there are ongoing fan translations for both 1 and 6 right now, with 6 being farther along. Is it the PSP version of 1? That's the version I have and am curious. 
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May 21, 2021 04:43
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Melomane Mallet posted:Is it the PSP version of 1? That's the version I have and am curious. 1 was very early, debating whether to translate the PS1 cuz it was a bit easier to access or the PSP cuz extra content. I figure it'll be a PSP patch if it reaches the end though. MythosDragon fucked around with this message at 06:26 on May 21, 2021 |
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May 21, 2021 06:08
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MythosDragon posted:1 was very early, debating whether to translate the PS1 cuz it was a bit easier to access or the pop cuz extra content. I figure it'll be a psp patch if it reaches the end though. Ah, ty. I got about 2-ish hours into my (physical) version of PSP!GL1 before I got frustrated/distracted. I never felt the need to hack my psp, but I probably would for a translation of this.
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May 21, 2021 06:19
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Note: I tinkered with my recording settings a little. Hopefully the screenshots look a little sharper now. Update 2: Not getting paid enough for this  Guess who had to replay the game from the beginning! Stupid recording programs. I am also partly to blame, though. I need to dedicate 1 slot as my “only save over this after two updates worth of video has been used” save.  Well, at least I relearned this lesson 20 minutes into the game instead of 20 hours. Let’s move on. We find ourselves in a little situation update with the mercenary leadership. Wonder what’s going on? All right, everyone’s here. We learned yesterday that our enemy is stronger than we anticipated. Never seen a thing that shoots fire like that before…[Mortis]: Yeah. If the boss hadn’t given us the heads up, who knows what could’ve happened to us… [Ned]: Like you’d even notice… He’s got a point.[Mortis]: You two are so cruel… Poor Mortis. Jokes aside, we must discuss our counter-strategy from here out. Yes. Someone’s taken technology from the ruins and fixed it up. I overheard the liberation army talking about a tactician named Alec with the occupying army. He brought in some mystical artifact. It has nothing to do with spells, though. Good old Alexander the Great. He was so great he even crossed dimensions to conquer anime worlds. [Mortis]: I’ve heard the same thing. Hm…At this point we’re free to wander around and talk to our companions. They don’t really have anything new to say, though. They mostly just speculate on what we just heard.  After walking around a little, this guy will wander in from the right side of the screen. What you see just barely visible to the right is actually a tent. Ah, I’ve been waiting for you.[Peddler]: I looked into the occupation army’s tactician, like you asked. [Mortis]: Boss?! Let’s hear it. [Peddler]: He’s applying his research results from that time to the occupation army here. Dulkheim… the militarized nation on the mainland.We’re going to be getting a full rundown of all the regional powers in a little while, so we won’t get into detail on Dulkheim right now. [Peddler]: But that aside, I have terrible news! That flamethrowing device Alec devised will be delivered again tomorrow! And the new version has a much longer range than the last! If the new one has a greater reach than yesterday’s, we’re in trouble…[Ned]: Wish we had a weapon like that. Any ideas, Crevanille?We get three options here. Crevanille can suggest destroying it en route, stealing it, or sneaking in and destroying it. The thread wants to play Crevanille as The Hero who is also snarky (when appropriate, that is). All three of these options could be construed as “The Hero” in my mind. Sneaking in to destroy it could be argued as being underhanded. But the other two options are heroic in their own way (Idealist vs. Pragmatic). Let’s steal it for ourselves.I make a judgement call and choose Pragmatic Heroism. Destroying this single weapon isn’t going to noticeably shift the tide of this war. We just destroyed one of them yesterday and there’s already a (improved) replacement arriving on the front lines. Taking it and using it for our side could drastically shake things up, though. It would also help put our fellow mercenary pals in less danger. Stealing it, huh…? Hm… Stealing the enemy’s weapon… What’s your call, boss? drat right. Let’s snag us a Peace Walker. Let’s work with the liberation army and conduct a large-scale diversion. I’ll stay on the front again. We’ll keep the enemy generals occupied. That will leave the transport lightly guarded, then. You can count on us! That’s where you come in, Crevanille. Well, we suggested it. Can’t exactly back out from the responsibility now. Also, The Hero wouldn’t try and wimp out. I’ll do it. I’m counting on you. Santos and Remus both show up from the bottom of the screen to ring the dinner bell. It’s only at this moment that I realize we basically just volunteered Remus for a risky mission without his knowledge. [Ned]: Awesome! Let’s eat! Is the meeting over?Remus then rejoins the party and everyone starts milling around the area. Good luck, Crevanille! Does this seem like an impossible mission for just two people? Any mission is impossible if you believe it to be. Have faith in yourself. You can do this. We’ll be supporting you. Just be confident and carry out the mission.Everyone has some words of encouragement for us, so there’s no particular reason to chat them up. They will slowly leave the map, however, so if you do want to talk to them all then don’t run around aimlessly too much and start with the characters closest to the bottom edge of the screen. Every time a unit leaves the map, the screen will shift over to show them walking out. This is true for moments like these as much as it is true for missions. Everything will completely stop while the map scrolls over (you can’t move or do anything and also other characters/monsters will be frozen). This becomes a little irritating when there are multiple people/things leaving, because the screen will do this every second or two. On the other hand, it is a good thing that the game makes sure you are aware of who/what has exited the field and where they did it (obviously this is more important during missions).  You can hit up the tent to the right in order to rest up and Save. Once again, our HP has refilled since a day or more passed after that last battle. You may want to get into the habit of resting anyway, though. If you change equipment then HP or MP totals may change and those won’t automatically be topped off.  We can also talk to the Peddler, who will be our first chance to shop in this game.  He doesn’t have much to offer. In terms of Armor, he has Clothes (default armor) and Heavy Clothes. If this is your first playthrough, then grab a set of Heavy Clothes for Crevanille. You should just barely have enough for it and he’ll be the frontline fighter for the next few missions (since Remus is meant to be ranged). In my case, I buy a set for Remus, just in case. Crevanille is rocking an endgame ring, so he doesn’t need extra protection right now. Heavy Clothes have a STR requirement of 4, but Remus can handle that. It boosts his DEF by 6, taking it from 9 to 15.  Items are limited to basic healing and Antidote. Poison isn’t a concern just yet, so if you have some cash left over then it may not hurt to grab a Vulnerary. Not like you’ll be able to afford a second set of Heavy Clothes, anyway. Might as well use the money for something. By the time the shop inventory gets expanded, we’ll be able to enter random battles and grind for cash anyway. Now that shops have started to appear, I should mention that the Item limit in this game is 9. You can only carry 9 of each kind of item and if you acquire another one beyond that then it’s replaced with cash. Originally I thought Pamela giving us 8 Ril was a NG+ thing, but user MythosDragon pointed out that it was actually a result of me already being maxed out on Vulnerary. Anyway, head for the bottom edge of the screen when you’re ready.   [Mortis]: You guys hit the transport, like we planned. The head guard has a whistle, so get it away from him. Once you have it, the pack animals will follow you instead. And you, Mortis?[Mortis]: My job’s to secure your retreat. Once you get the animals, flee south. I’ll be waiting.  Mortis heads off to the south to secure our route and then we immediately have our cover blown when one of the soldiers spots us. [Occupation Army Captain]: What?! You two, deal with this! I’ll stay right here! [Occupation Army Soldier]: Understood! And we’re off! The main objective (for now) is to take out the Captain (Level 2) and grab the whistle. The two accompanying soldiers (each Level 1) will immediately head straight for Crevanille and Remus.  Be careful here. Despite what the Captain just told his subordinates, he will haul rear end to the north as soon as the battle starts. The mission is failed if he reaches the top edge of the map (not this screen, the map. It’s an important distinction). I have Remus attack the closest soldier while sending Crevanille off to chase the captain. As soon as Remus takes out that first soldier, I have him target the Captain in order to slow him down a little bit so Crevanille can catch up quicker. Crevanille should be able to catch the Captain either way, but slowing him down leaves him further away from the edge of the map. The second soldier has aggroed on Crevanille by this point, so he’s no longer headed for Remus. The Captain has about 20-25 HP (we can’t see exact amounts at the moment). Crevanille hit for 18 and Remus had previous scored a hit for 6. You shouldn’t have to worry much about counterattacks, since the Captain will usually focus on trying to run, rather than engaging in a 1v1 fight.  Once he’s dead, we need to manually move Crevanille to the red shiny point where the Captain just stood. That’s the whistle, and we need it in order to get the transport animals to follow us.  An alternate strategy is to have Remus attack the Captain and have Crevanille go straight for the soldiers, but Remus is more likely to have his attacks Dodged/Blocked. Dodging/Blocking will happen sometimes and completely negates damage. Remus also doesn’t deal as much damage, so there’s a chance that the Captain will be able to escape, or at the very least cover more distance/get too far away from Crevanille for him to catch up in time. The only risk with my strategy is that the soldiers may decide to keep their attention on Remus, but he’ll likely win that damage race even if they do (unless you get real unlucky and they keep Blocking/Dodging or scoring Criticals). [Occupation Soldier]: Wh-What the…!? Sir Alec, we’re in trouble!  Once the last soldier is dead, reinforcements will appear in the north. Two soldiers and the big man himself, Alec. [Alec]: The nerve of them, trying to steal my invention! You two! We’re taking back our weapons!  I-Is that… this Alec person? So now our objectives have changed. Crevanille is now caught halfway up the field with Remus sitting in the southeast corner. We’ve got two more Level 1 soldiers to deal with and also Alec, the Level 3 Tactician. If you want a Mission Complete, then you have to take out Alec. The Transport Animals will follow Crevanille now that he has the whistle and they also have their own HP bars. That said, I don’t think they can be targeted by the enemy (not in this case, anyway), so the Mission Failure conditions have likely changed to be “Crevanille or Remus dies.”  I haven’t tested it, but I think you can get a Mission Clear if you have Crevanille escape to the South with the transport animals (that was our intended objective, according to Mortis). We’re not going to do that, obviously. Despite the reputation, Alec doesn’t even warrant his own character portrait. We’re not running from some nobody like that.  I have Crevanille run south just a little bit so that Remus has a chance to get some shots in before they catch up with the convoy. If Crevanille took some damage during that first phase of the battle, then pop a healing item instead of moving him. He should have ample time to heal up and prepare before the enemies reach him. In the meantime, Remus will have likely dealt with at least one of the soldiers.  During the fight, you may see Remus level up one of his Ring Slots. As I mentioned before, the true purpose of Rings has not been introduced yet, so for the time being this means nothing to us. Once the enemies are comfortably in range of Remus (and he has taken out one of the soldiers), you can have Crevanille start his attack on whomever is left.  [Alec]: I may have been a researcher, but I can hold my own in a fight! Alec also has about 25 HP. He hits harder than the Captain, but he’s nothing to worry about for Crevanille. It should be an easy kill. [Alec]: I-Impossible… My plans… They can’t end here…  We hardly knew ye, Alec. Upon his death, there is a chance that Alec will drop an “Unidentified Ring.” We’ll be able to appraise it in a little bit and find out what it is. Anyway, that’s a Mission Complete. The weapon is ours. Also I guess we acquired two giant turkey creatures or something. Crevanille and Remus both gain another level and we nab about 75 Ril. W-We won… We really did it! Let’s hurry back! The others are waiting! We’re immediately brought back to the meeting field. Amazing work! Not only did you take out their supplies, you even bested their tactician! You should’ve seen the panic that spread when the enemy got the news. Ahhh, it was sweet… Wish I could’ve shown it to you. This will make our job much easier. If all goes well, we may be able to end this war before long. We’ll have Crevanille and Remus to thank in that case. That’s no bad thing, Bauer. Better that it end soon if it helps to stabilize the islanders’ lives. True. Anyway, I’m pleased with your performance. I may be able to trust you with more important missions in the future… Sleep well tonight.Yay! We get praised by Big Boss!  Oh, come on. Can’t you just let us enjoy that for like, a second?  [Soldier]: Go! Push on! Keep at it! …This is too easy. Think they have something up their sleeve?[Occupation Soldier #1]: Ngh… They’re good… [Occupation Soldier #2]: Just a little longer until we can use that thing we dug up…! [Occupation Soldier #1]: Oh yeah! *The screen then shifts back to where Bauer is* I mean it, something’s off here. We’re going to fall back for now and rendezvous with the boss![Mercenary]: Got it! *Bauer and the two mercenaries with him decide to peace out and leave to the north*  *The screen flashes white for a moment as the ground rumbles* Looks like Bauer was right to be suspicious. poo poo’s about to go down. [Occupation Soldier #1]: Wh-What was that light? It came from over by the castle. [Occupation Soldier #2]: Don’t tell me that doohickey went berserk? Nah… but what else could it have been? *The screen flashes and rumbles again* [Occupation Soldier #1]: That came from close by! [Occupation Soldier #2]: What in the world’s going on!?    Ignorant, arrogant humans… I shall annihilate you before you can repeat your errors! And now we’re back here. We can try to talk to people, but they just have some generic lines. If you talk to some people or wander around for a few seconds, then a scene will kick in. The screen will flash white and slowly fade while the ground rumbles a bit. What was that? An explosion… in the east? Boss! Bauer! What’s going on? [Mercenary]: The first one was over near their castle. The next one was at the battlefield where we just were! It’s slowly coming closer… Everyone, retreat to the harbor!*Everyone else books it off screen* We should hurry to the harbor, too!You can still use the tent to the right, but there isn’t much point. Just leave to the south. We find ourselves back at the dock with everyone asking what the hell is going on. Run over to Dixon, Bauer, Pamela, and Regina, who are standing over by the boat.  Check out the cutscene and revel in the 2012 voice acting that sounds like early 2000’s voice acting!  They’re here, dad. What are we gonna do now? Oh, there you are. !!   That’s probably a harbinger of bad things to come.  …Well, I guess that solves the Blood Hey, is everyone all right!? Yes. I-I think so. Damnit! It’s getting closer! *sobbing the entire time* Oh, Jack! Please hang in there! Jack… No! Jack’s… Jack’s… Gah!I have absolutely no idea what name she is saying here, so this is my best attempt at a guess. At different points it sounds like Jack, Jackson, Dag, and Tag.    Boss, look!Pretty sure he can see it, Remus. The sky doesn’t routinely explode lightning like that. Is that…  God is not amused, apparently. No… this is happening too soon. We’re not ready for this yet. Boss? Why are you looking up at the sky like that? Is there really something up there? So I take it you aren’t able to see it? Boss… If we don’t hurry up and evacuate, everyone will die for sure. All right. Prepare to evacuate! Let’s move! Everybody, get on the ship, now! And then there’s a totally inexplicable shot where the camera pans up Regina’s body while she strikes a pose. The only explanation I can come up with is they crammed this shot in purely so they could use it in the opening eyecatch.  We also get our hero shot as the ship sails away.  In case you are wondering, that cutscene doesn’t exist in the original PS2 version. PS2 Growlanser 4 does have some cutscenes, but new ones were created for the PSP version, which explains how Pamela is included in this one. In the PS2 version, this scene takes place using in-game sprites (and Pamela isn’t present at all, since she was created for Over Reloaded). We get an option to save, here. I would recommend taking it, if only so you can make a habit of rotating your saves. Growlanser does have some content that is easy to miss if you aren’t careful. You also want to make sure you have plenty of saves so that you can quickly retry missions for Completes.  [Narrator]: Marquelay is a small kingdom to the south of the continent. Its warm climate attracts many visitors. ---Marquelay – Dock 3---  We start just down the dock from where Bauer is, but there’s nothing to do besides talk to Remus. I wonder if the ones on the other ships made it out safe. None of the ships here seem like they came from the island, though.After that, head up to where everyone else has gathered.  I saw the one behind us sink. What!? Then what about the rest!? I lost sight of them along the way. If they were in our current, they should’ve drifted around here… Are… are we the only ones who made it? No…”If only I hadn’t held everyone up for that photoshoot!”  Regina… So many people… gone… But dying in a fight is one thing. A weird explosion out of nowhere is no way for a soldier to go! What the hell was that, anyway!? Not even lighting up an oil barrel would cause an explosion that big! Boss… where do we go from here?Okay, I think everyone needs to chill for a second. I’m sure the boss has it covered. Hm… ….. Everyone, listen carefully. Okay then, never mind. I guess he’s just going to burn the whole thing down. Where will the old people get their Schwart from now? [Mercenary]: Huh? Seriously? Don’t interrupt![Mercenary]: All right…  But for those of you who wish to use this opportunity to follow another path, I invite you to consider it.We can now chat with some of the people nearby. Some of the mercenaries are lost in their own conversations, but most of the named characters have something to say. I’m going to take over the mercenary brigade. Though even if someone else was in charge, I’d still keep being a mercenary. Why not try something else? Something else…? Should I open a bakery like Santos? That’s not really my style, you know? I wouldn’t mind having Pamela for my second-in-command, though… She’s a capable girl. She managed Alten Schwart all by herself.The “girl” comment reminds me that I haven’t really talked about ages yet. Crevanille’s age isn’t mentioned in the manual, but I believe he’s meant to be around 17-19. Remus is only 15, Regina is 20, and Pamela is 27. I don’t have Bauer or Dixon’s ages. My guess would be that Bauer is probably in his late 20’s or early 30’s. Dixon is harder to pin down. I want to say mid 50’s, given that he has a 20-year old daughter, but there’s another character later on who looks older than him and is somehow only 45. Then again, the new brigade will be a lot smaller, so I’m sure I can manage!In terms of the No Portrait Squad: Santos says that they plan to open a bakery and Mortis talks about his hometown of Klasdahl being within walking distance of here. Another mercenary wonders about what they will do. What am I going to do? The boss seems to have a plan, so I guess I’ll go along with whatever he says. Me? I’m going with dad. Do you want to come along? Or are you going your own way? I’ll come with you.The people demand a good boy hero, so we’ll stick together with our not-sister and stepdad. I knew it! It’ll be good to have you with us. It’s hard parting with everyone after all we’ve been through, but there is something I have to do. And in order to do it… Crevanille, I’d like your help. Of course.Once again, good boy hero. Thank you. I wouldn’t be able to do this without you. I’m sorry to burden you with this, Bauer. But I know you’ll be a great leader. Don’t worry about it. And if you don’t mind my asking… Can we keep the name Alten Schwart? …I don’t see a problem with that. It’s a rather famous name, and it should prove useful in finding work.The “Old Bacon Rind” mercenary group lives on!  As I recall, Dulkheim is currently at war with Iglesias. I recommend siding with Dulkeim. Really? Not Iglesias? From what I hear, they won’t last much longer. No sense throwing in with the losing side. Remember, you’re responsible for your men’s lives. Stay calm when making decisions and don’t let your emotions sway you.I like that Dixon has a heart, but that he also isn’t an idealistic moron. If he knows which way the wind is blowing, then he won’t pick a side based on which one hugs more puppies. Even in the case of Lamplast where he felt sympathetic to the islanders, he took the contract in part because there was an even chance of victory. Thanks. I think I’m starting to get an idea of what it was like for you, boss. I’ll take the warning to heart and do nothing to disgrace the Alten Schwart name! Mm. All right! Anyone who hasn’t had enough of fighting, come with me! I’ll take good care of you guys!*Some of the mercenaries gather around Bauer, but not all of them*  If the situation changes, I’ll call for you, so don’t leave the city. Regina, Pamela, let’s go. Okay. Yes, sir.*Dixon, Regina, and Pamela leave to the northeast. Remus then approaches Crevanille* Are you going with the boss? That’s the plan. I thought as much. Well, be that as it may, let’s have a look around!Yay! Exploring!  We can talk to Ned, now. He was blocked off by a no-name mercenary before. Ned plans to tap out and go live in the countryside. Probably a good choice considering he’s in a JRPG with Judeo-Christian influences. We already saw an angel nuke an island. It won’t be long before God is turning every major population center on the continent to dust.  Despite being able to explore, there isn’t much we can do or discover around here. We’re still sort of in tutorial town. That said, if we go up the stairs and around to the left, there is a barrel over by this old man that has an item. It was 8 Ril for me, so that means it was probably a Vulnerary. After that, head up to the northeast, where Dixon left with the others.  It reminds me of something my father once said… His job wasn’t so dissimilar from our work as mercenaries. And he told me, “You’re a blood relative, so never go to Marquelay. Nothing good for me has ever come of that place.” It must have been a grave error for him to stop coming entirely, I’d say.$10 says his dad knocked up a woman and then bolted.  After that little look into Remus’ family, we are free to run around again. Unlike most RPGs, we are barred from storming into random houses and robbing them blind. Going up to doors results in Crevanille knocking and the occupant popping out to spout some inane garbage we don’t care about. There are a bunch of these door people to talk to, but none of them are especially insightful about the current situation.  Up to the northwest is the castle. We can’t go in, though.  There’s a shop just down the righthand castle stairs. It has all the same stuff from the Peddler, so there’s no reason to pick anything up. We’ll hit another store in a few minutes that has something new in it. [Man]: Hm? What is it? The guy right next to Porak’s shop has a scene for us, though. Oh, hello.[Man]: Don’t think I know you two. Say, weren’t there some drifters in the harbor…? There’s no snarky response here, so we’ll be good boy honest. That would be us.[Man]: Knew it! I heard you fellas went through hell. I mean, you could consider that to be literal in some ways. [Man]: Boy, you fellas look like you could use a good meal… Ha… haha… Looks like the man we’re talking to is the owner of the shop. Kinda weird how he just stands around out front like this, but whatever. To each their own. More importantly, a new face has arrived on the scene. [Porak]: Well, if it isn’t Ms. Mayfield…   Are you new workers at the shop? What!?[Porak]: Naw, they’re travelers. Ah, pardon me. By the way, Mr. Porak, is the item I requested in stock yet?[Porak]: It’s right here. I’ll have it delivered to your villa by sundown. Thank you. I look forward to receiving it. Have a nice day.*And Eliza walks back to the southeast, where she initially came from* [Porak]: Sorry about that. Quite all right. May I ask who that lady was? We’ll see in a little bit that she is far away from her home nation. We’re talking a British Virgin Islands kind of deal. Iglesias is that cold country in the north, yes? You carry goods from so far away?[Porak]: I do indeed. Want to try one? *We tried an apple!* [Porak]: These won’t grow down south here in Marquelay. That one’s on the house. Just be sure to buy something later! You’re all right, Porak. We’re not going to buy anything. That was delicious… It washed away all my exhaustion from the voyage.With that done, we’re left to our own devices again. There’s only one other thing left to find right now—  …Did he mean me?Okay, so there’s two things. You are a very pretty young man, Remus. But that’s better than being a bridge troll, trust me. Embrace it.  If we travel to the southeast, there’s another part of the town to roam through. Just to the left of where we’re standing, you’ll see a barrel peeking out from behind a building. Investigate it to find a Life Apple. Life Apple is a stat boosting item. It increases a character’s strength by 1-4 points. I’ll be storing these things away until late in the game, since the thread will be in charge of party members for most of the LP and will probably swap people out constantly. I could use it on Crevanille, but I’d rather wait and size up the party when we get near the home stretch. The town exit is right next to that gate, but we’ll be stopped by Remus if we try to go. Instead, let’s just head to the inn (just north of this screenshot) and talk with Dixon. There’s also an armor shop right next to the inn with a new item (Soft Leather), but it’s likely too expensive for you to afford at this point (it’s 170 Ril). Even if you can afford it, it’s sold at the next shop anyway, so don’t worry about it. The next fight we get into we’ll be random battles, which will let us farm for cash and stock up on whatever we want.  The innkeeper will tell us that our companions are waiting, so just walk on into the hall next to the desk.  The game makes it seem like we are free to walk around, but as soon as you attempt to take a step, the next scene starts. What’s your plan, Dad? When those explosions happened… Did you see anything in the sky? In the sky? Was there… something to see? How about you, Crevanille? I saw something. As I thought… I had a feeling you’d be able to see it. Dad, what’re you getting at? A man with six wings… A winged man…? Like an Angel? So… you saw this Angel? We didn’t just see it. The explosion on the island was the Angel’s work. I don’t believe this… Did you know our civilization was annihilated once before? The ruins left today are remnants of our ancestor’s advanced technology. The Angels are what destroyed that civilization. Then… what the villager said before wasn’t just a fairy tale? I doubted it myself until I saw that one. But now that I’ve seen it, I must act. Act…? We must defeat the Angels. Defeat the… Us!?Yeah, that’s a big ask there chief. That thing wiped an island out of existence by hovering near it.  To prevent that, I need your help. You were a child entrusted to me. I was told that your existence was the key to stopping the Angels. I don’t know what that means, but I was given directions to take you to a certain place. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to come with me.We could say no, but that wouldn’t be very heroic. Yes. Um… would it be all right if I came along? The journey will be very long. Are you sure? Yes. I have nowhere else to go… And if possible, I’d like to stay with you and the others, boss. All right. We’ll be glad to have you. Thank you, sir! Well then, our first stop is Dulkheim. No, no. I’ve already chartered a fishing vessel headed in that direction. We’ll go to Dulkheim directly.Good thinking, boss man. We depart in the morning. Get some rest tonight. Before turning in, we can talk to Pamela for a little bit of extra info. Do I seem that way? I’m as shocked by all this as you are, you know. Maybe a bit less, since the boss has told me some of this before. What did he tell you? Oh, this and that about Angels and whatnot. I did my own research, too. Anything that might be useful. So that’s why you’re the brigade’s most informed member. Flattery will get you nowhere, Remus. But I only knew about them. This was my first time seeing an Angel in action. If they mean to annihilate us, we have to fight back. We’ll be very busy starting tomorrow. You should get some rest.We can talk to Dixon again, but he just mentions that this will be Crevanille’s first time in Dulkheim. Regina has a little bit of background info on herself, though. My hometown’s in Dulkheim. It’s a tiny village called Ribocca. I wonder how mom’s doing.After that, I head back out to the front desk and talk to the innkeeper to turn in for the night.  In the morning, head back to the docks. There’s nothing else of interest to do or see here for now.  All right, then it’s off to Dulkheim.[Ned]: We’ll be staying behind. [Mercenary]: We plan to try different paths, like woodcutting or hunting. I see.[Santos]: I’m going to become a cook! Make sure to stop by if you’re in the area again. By the time you return, I should be good enough to have my own restaurant! You’ll treat us, right?[Santos]: Wh—Awww! You’re always one step ahead… By the way, where’s Josef? He said he’d be staying behind, too… That guy… …You all did well. Though we part ways now, the days when we fought side by side will never fade. We’re comrades to the end.[Mercenary/Ned/Santos]: Yes, sir! All right, it’s time we left. All those headed to Dulkheim, board now!We say our goodbyes to everyone and board the ship.   [Narrator]: Crevanille set sail toward a new goal. There are four countries on the continent of Noyeval.  This is where we just were. [Narrator]: The peace is maintained by a “peace-preservation fee”— a tax— and by its alliance with the neighboring kingdom of Valkania.  This is just to the northeast of Marquelay. [Narrator]: They also have the most formidable army. The Royal Guard, a corps of knights answering directly to the King, is the nation’s face. Known throughout the continent, they are a match for a thousand soldiers. In times of emergency, they take command of the army as the King’s agents. Currently, Valkania holds a neutral position in the war, watching the chaos unfold from a safe distance.  So Iglesias tried to grab better farmland from Dulkheim, but Dulkheim was like “Yeah, no. We’ve seen you eyeing us.” Now that the war has started going tits-up, Iglesias has sent their nobles to go hide out in fantasy Bermuda in the event that Dulkheim decides it wants to solve its neighbour problem permanently.  [Narrator]: But because the elected President controls not only the military but also other elected officials for military purposes, it is seen as a thoroughly militarized nation.  We leave Marquelay and travel up the coast to this port town.   This place looks pretty cool.  If we head up the stairs, we’ll find everyone having a little pow-wow. We’ve reached our destination. Whew, I’m feeling better already! The sea wind mussed up my hair… It’s good to be back on terra firma. I wonder what this town is like. Dry sea? You’ll find out why if you head east. Why not go for a walk?Why not?  Kitty cat.  There’s lots to do here, but let’s head to the right a little bit first to search that other dock for—  Yes. We were advised to take a walk around to see something surprising. Ah, so you haven’t seen the dry sea yet. It’s quite a sight! Oh, but I’m sorry, I haven’t yet introduced myself. My name is Magnus. I hail from Valkania, originally. Tough call. I guess we’ll just be honest. Option #2 seems kind of edgy and although Option #3 sort of sounds snarky, it mostly just seems like a weird thing to say. I’m Crevanille. And I’m Remus. We just arrived here from Marquelia.The names of the capital cities being close to the country’s names is going to get real irritating. Dulkheim’s capital is Dulkhen and Iglesias’ capital is Iskendros, Valkania is the only one that stands out, with their capital being named Kilgrid (which is metal as gently caress). So Crevanille and Remus. From Marquelia, you say…? Do you know a man named Otter? He has striking narrow eyes.Can’t say we do, unless he was one of the no-name mercenaries that get glassed back on Lamplast. Otter? I can’t say I’ve heard of him. I see… I’m on a journey in search of that man. You are? You seem to be mercenaries. In which case, I’m sure we’ll meet again. Feel free to say hello if that happens. This feels like fate at work…We’re pretty relaxed right now, so that means it’s prime time for snarkiness. Sideburned guys aren’t my type. You’re a funny man. I like you.Aww yeah, keepin the gay options alive. Well, I’m going to take up the quest again. I pray our paths cross someday.And with that, Magnus wanders back over to the lamppost he was standing by when he spotted us. Magnus is another PSP exclusive character, just like Pamela. Anyway, that little encounter has used up our exploration time for this update. Next time, we’ll fully explore Trockmere, meet some more characters, and start slaughtering the local wildlife for petty cash. Psycho Knight fucked around with this message at 01:22 on May 22, 2021 |
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May 21, 2021 23:39
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Psycho Knight posted:
Duplicate images here.
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May 21, 2021 23:53
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The mark of his dignity shall scar thy DNA
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May 21, 2021 23:59
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ultrafilter posted:Duplicate images here. Seraphic Neoman posted:The mark of his dignity shall scar thy DNA It took me a minute for this to click. Psycho Knight fucked around with this message at 01:26 on May 22, 2021 |
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May 22, 2021 00:17
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The sideburns options give me life. I adore the ye olde RPG setting of "We live in a healed post apocaylptic landscape, lets do exactly what the dudes did to get destroyed." Oh yeah, one more thing since its relevant now. In Japan, this game had full voice acting for plot scenes, but when Atlus licensed it, they only dubbed the anime movies, and didn't license the JP voices. People online have made an Undub version that fully brings all that back, and since I last played, they've even added subititles to said anime movies. I personally got even more enjoyment out of the game with those voices, so I thought I should mention it for anyone who decides to check the game out because of this. Obviously buy the game first. MythosDragon fucked around with this message at 01:29 on May 22, 2021 |
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May 22, 2021 01:13
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I must say that Magnus's description is the complete opposite for what I imagine a man named Otter to look like. Have you seen an otter? Completely adorable. Also, can I say I wish there were more snarky options for Crevanille? I like some good snark, though the hero personality is still good.
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May 22, 2021 01:45
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Magnus. And for the record, the Character & Scenario Collection book list Dixon as 42 and Bauer as 25.
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May 22, 2021 02:15
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I'm surprised Dixon didn't die when the island got nuked. Thought for sure he would heroically sacrifice himself holding off the angel. Also I like his design, too bad his daughter didn't take after him in that regard. She looks like a Hot Topic inspired hooker. In response to the "name character after me" thing I used to do that until I played Persona 4 and saw "Tyler-kun" and cringed so hard I immediately started the game over and haven't used my name in a game since. Now I try to find a canon name instead.
FalloutFan56 fucked around with this message at 08:27 on May 22, 2021 |
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May 22, 2021 08:24
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Grizzled Mercenary Dad™ has definitely lasted longer than i expected! Growlanser's one of those names i've heard of but never actually learned anything about so i'm curious to see how this plays out. Looks pretty neat so far, i dig the shoulderpads (even if the actual designs are a bit hit and miss...).
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May 22, 2021 11:21
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MythosDragon posted:Oh yeah, one more thing since its relevant now. In Japan, this game had full voice acting for plot scenes, but when Atlus licensed it, they only dubbed the anime movies, and didn't license the JP voices. People online have made an Undub version that fully brings all that back, and since I last played, they've even added subititles to said anime movies. I personally got even more enjoyment out of the game with those voices, so I thought I should mention it for anyone who decides to check the game out because of this. Obviously buy the game first. I'm planning on doing an extra update soon where voice actors will be included. I didn't think I would have the room to mention them within that update (and I was right, since the update ended up at 48.5k characters). I'll include this bit from you in that, since I feel like it's worth mentioning. Also, I appreciate you pointing that out for another reason. You gave me the idea to check over the Japanese footage for that cutscene to try and see if there was any mention of a dead Alten Schwart mercenary. That random dead guy's name in the 2003 Japanese version is ジャック (Jack) after all. So my guess as to what the hell Pamela was saying in between sobs was correct. SimplyUnknown1 posted:Also, can I say I wish there were more snarky options for Crevanille? I like some good snark, though the hero personality is still good. We may get more opportunities later on. Up until now, most scenes have been serious since the characters are fighting in a war and getting nearly exploded by angels. After the main plot has hit the Phase 1 climax, we'll probably settle in for more relaxed/laidback scenes that lend themselves to sarcasm more. Melomane Mallet posted:And for the record, the Character & Scenario Collection book list Dixon as 42 and Bauer as 25. I'm guessing you have a copy of that, right? Because I couldn't find any scans of it online. I can accept Bauer being 25, but Dixon at 42 is baffling to me. I mean, sure, he's the leader of a mercenary group. That's a hard life that's going to lead to a hard aging process, but still. Plus, it makes the comparison with a future character even more stark, since we'll be expected to accept the fact that some guy 3 years older than Dixon looks like he's in his late 80's. FalloutFan56 posted:In response to the "name character after me" thing I used to do that until I played Persona 4 and saw "Tyler-kun" and cringed so hard I immediately started the game over and haven't used my name in a game since. Now I try to find a canon name instead. I was still in peak weeaboo when Persona 4 hit (pretty sure I was 17-18 and fresh out of High School), so that moment actually legitimized me naming the MC after myself, in my mind. After that, games with nameable main characters continued to drop off because of the steady increase in full voice acting for games, so I never really fell out of the habit because I never had a moment of realization like the one you described. vilkacis posted:Growlanser's one of those names i've heard of but never actually learned anything about so i'm curious to see how this plays out. Looks pretty neat so far, i dig the shoulderpads (even if the actual designs are a bit hit and miss...). I'll be getting into character design in the extra update I have planned for sometime soon. There's a particular moment I'm trying to get the LP to as quickly as possible first, though. Before I start losing people to disinterest, there's a major poll I need to run. As that poll is going on, we'll have an extra update where I will, in part, discuss the main artist for the Growlanser/Langrisser series. That man knows what he loves and big shoulderpads are definitely one of those things, as user McTimmy first mentioned.
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May 22, 2021 14:39
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From the very getgo I disliked using my name lol. I've thus suffered all my life at being told to name something without a Canon name. I've used Crevanille all 4 times I've played. I personally focus on Urushihara art's plastic skin. That stuff SHINES. I love it a ton and I think it's at its best in 4, especially the new characters for PSP.
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May 22, 2021 17:07
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Psycho Knight posted:I'm guessing you have a copy of that, right? Because I couldn't find any scans of it online. Yeah, I have a copy. It's for the original PS2 version, so I can't help you with new npcs like Pamela. Be happy to let you know ages for the rest of the cast when appropriate, if you'd like. 
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May 22, 2021 18:07
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Note: I hope to have another update done by tomorrow. If you are worried about pacing, then relax. I'm only moving the LP this quickly because there's a moment that's holding up my ability to get recordings done. I need audience participation for it. Once the next update is out of the way, I'll be going back to a slower posting schedule. Update 3: Parting Ways  Okay, let’s get back to what we were doing before we were so Appraising costs 5 Ril per ring.  This is the ring we got from Alec. Ignore the others, as they were left over from my previous playthrough. Morin Fish has increased MOV and some slots that don’t matter to us right now. Remus’ current ring is boosting his ATK by 2, so I leave him with that. He’s a ranged fighter, so movement is less important than damage right now.  North of where we ran into Magnus, there’s an armor shop. It carries all the same stuff that Marquelay had. Once we’ve gotten into some random battles, we’ll be able to drop back here to grab the Soft Leather that we couldn’t afford in Marquelay, though.  The Inn is just up the stairs to the left of Magnus. The path to the northwest leads to a dead end right now, so let’s head to the northeast instead.  If we follow the upper path it will loop us around the plaza we started in. Eventually there will be a screen transition to the south.   So, it was made by reclaiming the land here? No wonder it’s called the dry sea… After Remus comments on the wonders of dam technology, we can continue south to find a shiny point. After entering the little hut, just hit X to open the door. We grab another Green Stone and then double back to the plaza.   Never! I got my fill of that in World of Final Fantasy… and Nier… and Trails of Cold Steel… and Persona… and countless other Japanese games that think fishing is the ultimate in video game side activities. We can also spot someone of obvious importance from here. Let’s get a closer look.  To the right of where Magnus is, we can pass under the archway and head down the stairs to the “Dry Sea.”  Not sure that’s a wise storage location for barrels of poison. Anyway, before we find out what Pink Hair’s deal is, we’re going to stick to the wall and just squeak underneath them.   There’s another barrel in the corner of this lower plaza. It has an Analepticum for us. This cures Stun/Paralysis. Handy. With that done, we return to the central tower. [Town Mayor]: …Well? What do you think?  It’s quite a hall. It will be perfect for our use. Once the conference is confirmed, I’ll name this town as the rendezvous point.[Town Mayor]: Thank you. We do strive for peaceful relations between our countries. I’ll be going, then. [Town Mayor]: That was Dame Silverneil of Valkania’s Royal Guard. Everything we have heard or learned about Valkania so far as been rad as hell. Magnus, Kilgrid, Dame Silverneil, Royal Guard, the name of the country itself. The ones who report directly to their King? I hear even one of them is worth a hundred men in combat![Town Mayor]: That’s not all. They’re also so well-informed as to make a scholar blush. Their grace is synonymous with their country. Amazing… but what was one of them doing here?[Town Mayor]: I can’t say specifically, but canny Dulkheimer politicians have gathered here in our little town. Political dealings, then… I see why you must be vague.[Town Mayor]: Indeed. So sorry, but I must be going now. And then the Mayor wanders off to the right. Honestly, he gave up way more information than you would expect from someone of his status. Oh well, not like it’s our concern what the people here are up to. We don’t exactly have our fingers in international politics.  Trying to go back to the upper plaza results in us spotting the boss having a chat with Dame Silverneil. So, are you planning to side with Dulkheim next? No. My mercenary days are over. You’ve retired? We would be honored if you’d join our forces and— Forgive me, but the offer is no more tempting than the last time you made it. I see. I have a mission to fulfill. Until I do so, I won’t go back to mercenary life or join anyone’s military. Will you consider it once this mission of yours is over?Big Boss certainly is in high demand. Well, when the time comes…*Dixon then notices us standing awkwardly off to the side* Hm? You two? What is it? They’re cooperators working with me toward a common goal. It’s a pleasure meeting you. My name is Remus. Option #1 sounds pretentious as all hell, so let’s go with the normal person answer. And I’m Crevanille. I am Diana Silverneil. Please to meet you, too. We’ve heard the rumors about you being a Royal Guard, Dame Silverneil… No need to be so formal. Well, if you’ll excuse me, Sir Dixon… I’ll see you to the main road. I’m afraid I must decline. There is a man in town I must meet with first. Oh, but you should meet him, too, Sir Dixon. You wouldn’t regret it.*The Boss then leaves with Silverneil* …The boss sure is amazing. He was invited to work for Valkania? I wonder what else is hidden in his past…That does it for our exploration. When we get back to the upper plaza, we find that Magnus and our entire group have disappeared. Make a quick save at the Inn and then head for the path to the northwest of it.  [Hobson]: The boss already left with the others. Wow, thanks for giving us a heads up guys. Jerks... What? Already?[Hobson]: Yeah, but if you take the main road north, I’m sure you’ll catch up to them in time. Thank you. Did you stay behind just to tell us that?[Hobson]: Nah… I’m planning on staying here for good. Oh? Really?[Hobson]: Yeah, I thought being a sailor might be nice. You sure you’ll be okay?[Hobson]: Don’t worry. I actually already have a line on a used ship. Good luck. We’ll be cheering for you![Hobson]: Thanks. Best of luck to you guys, too! Oh, wait… I nearly forgot. Have you guys heard the weird rumor going around? What do you mean? [Hobson]: There’s some kind of creature no one’s seen before haunting the main road. Though this is a port town, so it must be some imported animal that escaped. Well, better safe than sorry, anyway. Why not go create a record at the inn before you leave, just in case? Be careful out there! Already taken care of, bro. *Hobson then leaves* A monster…Let’s go kill it!  Leaving to the Northwest will bring us to an intersection. The sign says that Lake Aida is to the north and Trockmere is back to the east. There’s no indication as to what is south. Lake Aida is where we are supposed to go, so if you plan to grind, then don’t go too far North just yet. You can freely run the Northern part of this map, just don’t transition to the next map. The next field map to the North has a scene that will lock us back into story progress for a while. Get your grinding done now.  Wandering around a little will eventually turn up random battle enemies. Let’s test this out.  Though it does seem ready to attack. We should work together to defeat it.We’re now in a random battle. You may have noticed that there are other enemies present for this fight as well. They didn’t spawn in when we triggered the fight. In this game, there is no pocket dimension where battles take place (well, normally. You’ll see eventually). All enemies are visible on the field and if you get close to them or they get close to you, then you’ll immediately shift into battle mode where you are standing. Any other enemies that are nearby will be pulled into the battle as well. For the most part, it will just be the enemies that you can see on the screen, but sometimes enemies just out of frame will be included for seemingly random reasons. The distance at which battles are triggered, as well as the distance at which enemies will be included/excluded from the fight seems to be arbitrary. Unless an enemy is on the opposite side of the screen from you, then never assume you are completely in the clear.  The upside to this system is that it gives you some freedom of positioning if you can spot a group of enemies from a safe distance. In this case, the enemies have Crevanille and Remus caught in a pincer attack, but if I had felt the need to do so, I could have backed off and came at them from the southwest corner. This may have resulted in those two enemies in the upper right not being pulled into battle at all (allowing me to attack them in a separate battle later) or, if they still were pulled in, then it would have given us a lot more breathing room to deal with the first two enemies. Being closer to the edge of the screen also makes it easier to escape from battle. Your characters need to get to the edge of the battle screen in order to escape, so if you get pulled into the battle zone right in the middle (or far away from an open path), then you’ll have to fight your way out. This is very useful to keep in mind as random enemies get more difficult, since you can carefully size up a potential battle in advance and possibly position yourself near or away from the most troublesome enemies first. You could also do fun things like wait for the enemies to wander around in such a way that they bunch together, then trigger the battle and use an area skill or spell to hit them all at once.  Either way, just remember that it’s not always a good idea to tear rear end around a field map. In terms of enemies in this area, there are two kinds: Giant Bats (Lv4) and Lesser Scorpions (Lv2). Both of them are very easy to kill and don’t hit particularly hard. Trockmere is also a few steps away, so you can top off HP and save as you need. EXP payouts range from around 7 to 25, depending on how many enemies the game decided to pull into a single battle. You also get between 5 and 25 Ril.  Also worth noting: Terrain can obscure enemies. There are actually three Lesser Scorpions in this screenshot. You can see where they are and know how many enemies are in the battle while selecting attack targets, but it’s still a pain in the rear end. Not being able to see the enemies moving around in real time can create problems.  Also worth noting: Non-aggroed enemies are capable of stumbling into an ongoing battle. You’ll notice that a Giant Bat comes in from the upper left part of the screen and a little orange-ish circle zeroes in on them. That means the enemy has joined in the battle. It’s possible for some enemies to spot you and move towards your position to try and trigger a fight, so there are ways for you to lure some enemies away in order to break up groups like this. This could be handy later on when you start recognizing certain problem enemies that you really don’t want to fight in groups. Just make sure you are luring them far enough away to avoid situations like this, where new enemies will randomly stumble into the fray.  Sometimes you’ll spot shiny points on the ground as you walk around a field map. These are search points where you can pick up items, so make sure to check them. They are a bit random, however, as I did not find any during my time spent grinding here. Anyway, if you follow the south path from that signpost, you’ll eventually wind up here. Remus will question what it is, but then also say that you should get out of here before you get in trouble. Since there’s nothing for us to do, we return to the signpost near Trockmere. With our current boundaries established, I do some leveling. Growlanser isn’t very good at letting you know what level you should be at during any given moment, and that’s largely because positioning, tactics, spells, and abilities will become much more important as the game goes on. For the time being, however, we’ll need to rely on raw stats.  I would recommend getting both Crevanille and Remus to at least Level 5 before moving on. I got them to Level 7, which is a little overkill for what’s to come, but that’s fine. Personally, I find that once you hit level 7 it becomes too much of a pain to keep leveling (you need about 400 exp to get from 7 to 8). When you’re ready, make your way North from the sign outside Trockmere (towards Lake Aida). After transitioning to the next screen, keep meandering towards the North until—  this little fella decides to pop out of the trees. I-Is this the beast?! About now is when you might notice something curious with the dialogue choices for Crevanille. Some of the options may start getting greyed out, making them unable to be chosen. Growlanser IV has a hidden system in place with dialogue options. It keeps track of what kind of personality type you have been drifting towards and will eventually lock you out of the opposite types when you’ve moved far enough. In our case, the thread wanted Crevanille to be The Hero (and also a little snarky). Because we’ve chosen good boy responses so much, we are no longer allowed to pick cowardly options. If the thread had asked for Crevanille to a jerk/coward, then we wouldn’t be able to select the more heroic responses. To battle!Basically, the game will work to stop you from playing Crevanille as an ideal hero who suddenly, and completely without warning, shouts “I’M SO SCARED! I DON’T WANNA DO THIS ANYMORE! *runs away crying*” Likewise, you can’t have him pissing his pants or telling everyone to gently caress off, only to suddenly turn around and go “We can do this everyone! Believe in yourselves and there’s nothing we can’t accomplish through the power of teamwork!” O-Okay… I’ll try! Anyway, just an interesting little fact. If you don’t want to be locked out of any options, then maybe follow user Commander Keene’s advice and roll a D4 for every dialogue choice. Chaotic Neutral, baby! Back to the main matter at hand, though. This is technically a full Mission, although it won’t last very long. The mystery monster (called Garuga, apparently), is way above our current level. It will pop out from behind that tree to the left and move towards whatever direction you were approaching from, so there’s no way to slip by it or start the battle with obstacles between it and you.  Remus will likely be the first one to hit it, resulting in damage that’s way lower than you might be used to dealing (our Remus only hits for 8. If you are level 5, then he may only hit for 2 or 3). He’ll then say that their attacks aren’t having any effect.  Garuga will then likely get a turn, at which point it will rock you with an eye laser beam for heavy damage. Keep in mind that our Crevanille currently has an endgame ring equipped, so if this is a New Game run then it could result in nearly killing him. You may have to quickly heal. You guys!?After taking a hit, or hitting Garuga for enough damage, Regina will appear from the northeast. Regina! Wh-What is that thing…? Hold on, I’m coming to help! Take this! Regina will then use an ability called Multi-Shot as soon as she is in range of the creature. If Multi-Shot doesn’t kill Garuga outright, then she’ll immediately follow up with a normal attack to kill it. Yes! The mission then ends with a Mission Clear. You’ll get about 15 clear bonus experience and 25 Ril. It is possible to score a Mission Complete here, but the only ways to do it on a New Game run are to cheat, or pull a CirclMaster and spend countless hours doing insane power levelling using the little baby starter enemies. It’s entirely possible on a New Game+ run to kill Garuga before Regina can attack, but it requires quite a lot of luck. It’s difficult to know exactly when Regina will appear on the map. You can approach Garuga’s tree from the left in order to pull him a little further away from where Regina appears, but it will only delay her attack for maybe a split-second (no matter how far you get Garuga to appear from its tree, Regina will only need 2 or 3 steps to get into attack range). You also can’t just lure it farther away from its starting location, because it uses ranged attacks. Those will eventually proc Regina to appear. Honestly, I wouldn’t worry about pulling this off. The only thing that changes if you kill Garuga yourself is that Regina will say “Wow, not bad at all.” Besides that, if you can kill Garuga that quickly, then the piddly bit of extra EXP from a Mission Complete won’t matter to you.  A never-before-seen creature. Perhaps. Hard to believe there’s undiscovered life out there, though… Do you know, Regina? No… I’ve never seen anything like it either. You should hurry, by the way. Mortis is waiting for you two. What will you do, Regina? I’m going to look into this thing a little more for future reference. We’re given control again, but rather than run off to the North, make sure you stop and talk to Regina. She’ll start by repeating what she just told us, but Remus will then interject with something new. But my goodness, that maneuver you performed was impressive. Oh, that? It was my Limit Ability. It’s basically a special attack. You two can probably use them, too, so I’ll teach you the trick to it. …And there you have it. You guys are fast learners, so I’m sure you’ll be using them in no time.Really weird how Crevanille never learned about this in the 15 years or so he’s spent in this mercenary brigade. Oh, and one more thing. Sometimes when you’re using a Limit Ability, you’ll suddenly think up a better one. Oh, shoot, Mortis is still waiting. You should hurry on ahead. We now have access to Limit Breaks… I mean, Abilities. If you go to the Status screen in the menu and hit X a few times, you’ll eventually scroll to the Limit screen. Crevanille’s first Limit is Iron Wall. Remus’ first Limit is what Regina just used: Multi-Shot. It activates when attacking with an HP total less than 20%. Multi-Shot will attack a random enemy within range 4 times at half damage.  With that out of the way, head North to the next screen. We’ll immediately be greeted by Mortis. Ah, Mortis![Mortis]: I came to say my last goodbye to you guys. What are you going to do from here on out?[Mortis]: I’m going to go back to my hometown and be a farmer. Where is your hometown?[Mortis]: A little village called Klasdahl just past the border up ahead after you enter Valkania.  No more jerk options for us. Crevanille is officially a “Good Boy”. It sounds great.[Mortis]: Yeah. I’m glad I lived to see it again. If we’re ever in the region, we’ll make a point to stop by.[Mortis]: Gotcha. I’ll be waiting. Good luck to you two. *Mortis then heads off through the border checkpoint* Another of our company gone… Better that than dead.drat right. Be honest, how many among you expected a character named “Mortis” to survive that Angel attack? Or the convoy robbery? Indeed. No need to mourn him, right?With Mortis gone, we try heading up the left path (the guard will stop you if you try and cross into Valkania), only for Regina to catch up to us. Did you say goodbye to Mortis? Then let’s move on. Dad and the others are waiting for us. We need to report back to him on that monster we ran across.Continue towards the upper left, then keep following the road in the next screen. We’ll quickly spot the rest of our gang.  S-Sorry for the tardiness! Does everyone have their stuff? The new Alten Schwart brigade’s about to depart! Huh? You’re leaving already? The tide of war isn’t favoring Iglesias. If we don’t hurry, we might miss the war. Well, then… Be careful, Bauer. Of course. Good luck to you, too, Miss Regina. Look after the boss. Hmph. I’m not so old yet I need looking after.Oh, right. According to user Melomane Mallet, the Japanese “Character & Scenario Collection Book” for Growlanser IV lists Dixon as 42 years old. Bauer is supposed to be 25. That’s a hard 42, but I guess Dixon was a mercenary leader. That would probably age a person pretty fast. Bauer… Remus, I didn’t know you long, and it’s a shame I won’t be able to watch you grow stronger.  Let’s be nice. This is an emotional moment. I won’t! I’m counting on you. A man has to live up to his promises. Remus, Crevanille… Good luck. You’re not coming with us? Unfortunately, no. I have my own task to perform for the boss. I’ll be with Bauer and the rest part of the way, so they’ll protect me. I see. Be careful on your journey. I will. May we meet again someday! Good luck to you, too, boss! You, as well. Drinks on me when we see each other again! All right, let’s go!*The left half of the group then heads off along the road to the left* Take care of them, Bauer… *Dixon, Mercenary, and Regina then leave through the trees to the North* They’re all gone. We started with so many, and now we’re down to five… I can’t help but regret that.Don’t regret things you have no power to control, my man. Anyway, follow Dixon and the others to the North. You can run around this big screen, but there’s nothing to find or do. Well, that was the case for me, at least. You can always check the map and make sure, just in case there happens to be a search point in the area.  Either way, you’ll eventually have to go to the upper rightmost corner of the field and transition to the next screen. It’s early yet, but we’ll set up camp here today. Looks like it might rain. I’ll go gather some firewood in case.[Mercenary]: I’ll help. I can head out once I’m done unloading this. Thank you. I’ll go on ahead!*Remus leaves to the South* Ha… What is it, Dad? I was just thinking that Remus seems to be finding his feet. [Mercenary]: It’s in large part thanks to you, Crevanille. Indeed. Crevanille… I want to talk to you. Once you’ve taken a rest, come see me.*Dixon then slowly walks off to the North* We have control again, although there’s nothing to do except follow after Dixon.  Take a look at this. I wonder what’s inside… I doubt it’s been raided. Not many can open this door, you see.So that means all the good poo poo is still in there! Let’s crack this baby open and get to looting! …Heroically, of course. No one alive can create the substance this door is made of. The technology to make it has been lost to time. Meaning the culture which had such technology no longer exists… Why do you think that is?*Dixon pauses to think for a little bit, as indicated by a little speech bubble over his head* You saw it, back on the island. The thing with six wings that could destroy a man in an instant! Our research shows they destroyed human civilization once before. These ruins are one of the remnants of that culture. Now they have shown themselves once again. Do you understand what this means? Even our ancestors, with all their technology, could not withstand them. We won’t stand a chance.Yeah, but that’s because they relied on technology and guns and poo poo. They didn’t have a band of plucky teenagers with swords that are all secretly horny for each other. That’s every Angel’s critical weakness. How can we survive? There’s only one way… and you hold the key! You are the key to stopping the Angels. The key to mankind’s survival. Without you, there is no other way! This is your destiny. But it’s not yours alone. First, I want you to enter these ruins here. The Ruins of Hope… Yes. That’s my boy. Ah, yes, you should have this.*Topaz obtained. The topaz gives off a pure, yellow gleam* Sweet, a new addition to our rock collection. The ancients believed the colors held power. Yellow signified hope and vitality. Look at the way this topaz glows. It’s like it’s shining with hope! If you ever get lost, look at this gem and let it fill you with hope and vitality. I pray you become a hero to mankind.*The rain then starts to fall and we fade out*  Check out the cutscene: Battle in the Rain   Hahaha… I had received information that a group of people was indeed on their way to the ruins. But to think I’d find you here.  You managed to escape last time. But you won’t be so lucky now. Hurry up and get out of here. Trust me, you are no match for this man.Please, we’re on New Game+. I’m pretty sure we can handle Hot Topic Sephiroth over there. …Although actual Sephiroth is already kinda Hot Topic… what would be considered the “off-brand” Hot Topic? Blue Banana?  Hrrrrragh! Hmph.   No… Damnit… Hey! The generic Mercenary got to be animated into this scene too! Good for him. Dad! What’s going on?! *hacking up a lung*[Mercenary]: How dare you! No! Don’t be a hero! You don’t even have a character portrait! He’ll just— [Mercenary]: Hrugh! *Mercenary then drops like a rock* …do that.  Heh. If only more people actually knew their places. Hah!*The man dodges the boomerang and rushes to Regina*  Oooh man, right through the cleave. Also, I want to point out something for those of you not watching the cutscenes. Every time this dude has struck someone, there’s been a metal banging/thudding noise. Imagine the sound you would hear if you smacked the hood of a car with your hand. For Dixon and the Mercenary it sort of makes sense, because they had armor on. The funny part is, that same sound is used here, when the mystery man stabs Regina through the loving torso.  Ah…! I have to… buy some… time… I’ll keep stalling him. You need to get out of here… Please, run… Regina! Ugh… guh…No, it’s okay. It looks like he missed the heart, so maybe there’s still a chance she’s—   …Never mind.  Oh, come on! What the hell are you doing here?!  Huh… I don’t know how, but… looks like this one’s still barely alive. Well, I’m willing to leave his survival up to fate.*And then the mystery man hauls rear end out of there*   Angemon looks over the corpses, but then decides to chase after the mystery guy instead of going for the double-tap.   [???]: Please… open… your eyes!  Ahh! Naked anime ghost girls! [Girl]: We haven’t even met yet! Now open your eyes! We get a few choices, none of which are greyed out. We could thank her, but we don’t know who she is or whether or not she’s evil. We could also just ignore her, but that would be rude. The other options are to get up or just open our eyes. *get up on your own*[Girl]: …Haha, that’s more like it. *The girl then fades out as Crevanille stands up. Then she fades back in*   Looks like we’ve been out for a while. Remus had time to find us, recover from the shock, and then bury our comrades. I finally had a new family… Am I… to be denied that…?*Crevanille stands up* Ah! You’re awake! I can’t believe you survived with such horrible wounds… Hm? The wounds are gone… But that’s… I must have been seeing things. Anyway, what’s important is that you’re alive!We could ask if anyone else survived, but we already know the answer to that. ….. ….. The explosion didn’t leave much of their bodies. It’s a miracle you yourself survived… I… finally thought I had a new family. Why did this happen…?*We fade out and an indeterminate amount of time passes. It’s been long enough for the rain to stop*  But I wonder what the boss was trying to tell you. It was the way to defeat the Angels. It’s that important? …Then, even though we’re the only ones left, we should investigate the ruins. I wonder what we’ll find. Whatever it is, we must carry out the boss’s wishes!Remus rejoins the party, and we have the new objective of entering the ruins. Well, sort of new objective. We were going to do it anyway, but now we’re rocking a much smaller party.   Rest In Piece Big Boss, and Regina, and… uhhh… Carlos? …Patrick, maybe? …Whatever, the point is he went out like a hero and we’ll all remember him fondly for it. Head up to the ruins door and hit X. They will swing open for us no problem. Maybe everyone who has tried to get in here so far just didn’t read the “Push” sign and kept trying to pull it open?  I thought I heard movement. Let’s proceed with caution…As soon as we enter, Remus will ask us if we heard something. We’ll soon discover that these ruins, which have been sealed for thousands of years, still somehow contain a handful of Giant Bats. They’re still Level 4, though, so they are no threat.  When we approach the intersection, the camera will pan around to show us the three paths. You’ll notice that they are color-coded. You’ll also remember that we recently received a yellow Topaz from Dixon. Obviously we need to follow the Yellow corridor. If you go down Green or Red, it will just spit you back out at the entrance to the Black corridor. Just stick to Yellow.  After going down the third Yellow corridor, we find ourselves outside this weird room. You can fight the Giant Bats along the way, but there’s not much point (they only give like 7 exp).  Just above Crevanille and Remus, there’s a ghostly crystal floating in the air. You can use it as a Save Point if you want. There’s no real danger between us and the next save point, but it never hurts to rotate those saves. What were you doing just now? There’s nothing there… You can’t see the light? Lights? I don’t see any lights in particular… That reminds me, when we were fleeing Lamplast Island, there was something only you and the boss could see… Is that the case here, as well? After that conversation, this one will trigger when you try and move. *Remus tries to push the door open* Hrrrrgh… Whew. It’s no use. Maybe this isn’t it?*Remus then moves aside, allowing us to give it a go* Are you going to give it a try? It won’t budge.*The door opens* Huh? It opened? Did you use some spell? I, uh, unlocked it. Ah, so it was locked! No wonder it didn’t open! But… when did you unlock it? ….. You shouldn’t lie like that, you know. Anyway, let’s go inside!Geez, Remus. Learn to take a joke. Besides, we’re technically not lying. If the door wouldn’t open for you, that means it was locked. We opened it, so therefore we unlocked it through some means. So the boss’s secret is in here… Let’s look around.Remus starts slowly wandering around the room and we’re left to investigate. Let’s check the middle, first.  Is this metal? I’ve never seen anything shine like that… I wonder if the paper under it has any information. The picture makes it look like it used to be a whole circle. The script is different from the alphabet we use… I wonder that it says. This writing is 2,000 years old, right? After that, we check out this table with the weird floaty egg thing on it. *You pick up the egg-like object!* Why are you staring at your hand like that? What are you doing…? Stop joking around. I’m not joking! To me it looks like you’re pretending to hold something…You best not be gaslighting us, Remus. I swear to God. After picking up the egg, a little sound will play. Oh! I heard something at the door. I wonder what’s over here… Weird. Crevanille will stop, then turn around and take a knee. Wh-What’s wrong!?Then—  Ahhh! Y-You’re bleeding!No poo poo! We just got blasted by a Digimon like an hour or two ago. *Crevanille collapses onto the floor* Oh no! Are you all right!? Hang in there! Uh oh. [Guard Member]: Intruders! How did you get in here!? Never mind, you’re coming with us! Oh no… Oh no, no…!We got busted by the local PD. The scene fades out and there’s a brief time skip.  You have some alternative explanation, dumbass? [Guard Member]: Honestly… for someone your age to make up these ridiculous lies is just pathetic. I bet you snuck in to steal this pendant, didn’t you? Don’t think you can hide it. What about the egg?[Guard Member]: Egg? What egg? What’re you talking about? There’s a chance that Crevanille may be going insane and hallucinating stuff. *There’s a knock at the door and the Guard Member gets up to check it out* [Guard Member]: What? I’m interrogating in here!  [Military Man]: Don’t worry about it. But I’d like some time alone with him. [Guard Member]: Yes, sir! *Guard Member then salutes and leaves*  Yes.Might as well. Not like we’re going to get out of here if we suddenly decide to keep quiet. *A little speech bubble pops up over Crevanille’s head as the scene fades out for a moment*   Hm… if you can see a Familiar’s egg, you must have quite a gift… ???A what now? This is called a Familiar Egg. It was made with ancient spell technology… They’re not rare, so you can have it.Great, so it wouldn’t be worth much even if we could find a merchant who can actually see the drat thing. Booo. But I’m keeping the medallion.Douche. That’s probably the expensive poo poo right there. *Familiar Egg obtained* Now, to my real business here. I want you to join our army. No.Screw that. A Hero doesn’t go joining in with the jackboots. Let me guess… you won’t yield to threats?We’ve got New Game+ stuff in our back pocket, so no. Fortunately for me, this isn’t a threat. We can both benefit from this arrangement. The same army that wants your talents. If you join, you’ll be issued missions to investigate these ruins, allowing you legal entry to them. I’d say it’s a fair trade… So, let me ask again: Would you like to enlist in our army?As much as I hate moments like these in games, this guy does make a solid argument. There’s no reason for this country to give us free reign over the ruins under their control without getting something in return. We also need to get into those ruins at some point or another if we want to fulfill Ghost Dad’s last wishes. Don’t get me wrong. If we are in a game and the main character is offered the position of Admiral or some poo poo, then I am totally on board for that. I’ll lead the poo poo out of an Army/Navy/Air Force. I just don’t like RPGs where the MC gets forced into being a grunt and bossed around by random assholes. Yes.Oh yeah. Just in case you thought that this guy seems very reasonable and understanding: Saying “No” a second time has him make veiled threats to Remus’ life, which forces us to accept the offer anyway. So yeah, this deal isn’t quite as benevolent as he makes it seem. I’m glad you’re quick to understand.*And then the scene fades out* We’ll stop there for now. The next update is (hopefully) going to be an important one, because the people following along in the thread will get to have some major input on something. Something that I need to get sorted quickly so I am free to record at my own leisure for a while. Psycho Knight fucked around with this message at 00:39 on May 24, 2021 |
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May 23, 2021 18:05
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As I said, I dropped off from this game fairly early. I didn't even unlock the time travel mechanics (which I presume are going to be a thing based on the game's name and the thread's title). I basically know nothing and I'm coming into this thread almost blind. Having said that, speculation: That totally was Crevanille's cryogenic pod, wasn't it? The whole facility was keyed on him. I hope we'll be able to save cool dad and Regina with the assumed time travel. Oh, and Steve too. I hope we punch this guy eventually. Because I recall thinking he needed a punch from day 1 in the army.
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May 23, 2021 20:07
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