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  • Locked thread
Rigged Death Trap
Feb 13, 2012

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Hivac posted:

In this particular game this could vary greatly depending on your class choices and overall party setup.

Yeah but there is a difference in wasting tons of TP on randoms just so they die before you and wasting it all on a boss/FOE.

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Glazius
Jul 22, 2007

Hail all those who are able,
any mouse can,
any mouse will,
but the Guard prevail.

Clapping Larry
I imagine the Famer has a decent number of bad event dodges?

Araxxor
Oct 20, 2012

My disdain for you all knows no bounds.

Hobgoblin2099 posted:

The only game I've immediately fought an FOE in is Untold on Normal mode, which made me wonder what the big deal about FOEs was when I killed almost all of them effortlessly.

Then I met the Bane Lizard. :v:

Normal mode in Untold is actually easy mode, so most enemies and all that aren't really a huge threat there. Expert though, yeah you can't take on most of the FOEs on your first visit.

Glazius posted:

I imagine the Famer has a decent number of bad event dodges?

Class events are spread out among a lot of the classes except for the last two unlockables. Those classes can't influence any events in any way. Though the Farmer can avert a couple of super nasty events.

Rangpur posted:

Which is a problem because Kumog's Call Insect has an equally miniscule chance of landing.

Something else I forgot to mention, the Wildling's animals are basically copies of the Wildling, with some key differences. Statwise, they're all the same, except the stats are multiplied by a certain amount depending on the animal that was summoned. In the Insect's case, all stats are multiplied by 70%, so they actually have an even lower chance to land their Poison (On something that isn't immune to it, like the Greedy Lizard.) than normal. Oh, and there's a bunch of other stuff to take into consideration too, like their HP. For one thing, the amount of HP the beasts have when summoned actually depend upon the Wildling's current HP upon cast. Also, their class skill has a weird interaction with he animals. I don't know if it's an actual bug, but the HP boost from Beast Soul is actually applied twice. Which means that even though a level 10 Beast Soul would give a 50% boost to the beast's HP, that weird interaction actually makes it give a 125% boost. I don't know if that actually is a bug, since it could be intentional to make the animals more durable. There's also a bunch of other stuff about them, but I'll save that for later. (The Wildling class showcase is gonna be a mess.) By the way, I'm not posting any of those until after the 2nd Stratum.

Dr_Gee
Apr 26, 2008

Alxprit posted:

I don't think I was stupid enough to fight a FOE right away my first playthrough of EO4. I'm glad that the game added the ability to see how your level compared to theirs so you'd know when to attempt a fight. Defeating them always felt good too. I think I killed one of each naturally throughout the game besides those poison lizard things in the first cave of the second Land. And the gourds on the sixth stratum. I want to finish it completely but at the same time I feel like going back into it I just would have difficulty remembering how to play the game well. I only beat one of the dragons. (Same with Untold.)

I just barely squeaked out a blind win on the first EO4 Greedy Lizard by noticing that it had a yellow halo and deciding to copy Fetus' :black101: strategy. Had to burn a couple of pretty valuable consumables that I can't replace yet, but the weapon it unlocked was very much worth it.

RareAcumen
Dec 28, 2012




Rangpur posted:

Are the enemies dying before you do? Then you are doing enough damage.

The F.O.Es in the third stratum continue to own me.

I restarted the game and played ahead now so I'm in the second stratum again. I might have overleveled because by the time I got to the seventh floor I was able to take down those F.O.Es.

Araxxor
Oct 20, 2012

My disdain for you all knows no bounds.
Update 10: Try, Try Again

DS Version



This a screen that you will see a lot when playing an Etrian Odyssey game. Don't fret, it's part of the experience.



As tempting as it would be to turn off your Nintendo DS immediately after losing a lot of progress, refrain from doing so, because that means you can't save your map progress, which is will be helpful in making sure that you don't succumb to the same mistakes again.

DS Version



Failure is a big part of these games. You must learn to accept your mistakes and move on.





And try again.

DS Version



D-Dammit... It can't... end like this... Huh? What? What happened?

Well, we got mauled by a giant green bird. And then we died. Thanks a lot, Faye.

Wait, that actually happened!? And hey, not my fault that bird blindsided us.

Yep, it happened. No idea how we ended up back here though.

Curiously enough, time seems to have rewound to the point just before we made that particular trip. And we appear to have the same amount of money and supplies we had at that time.

Despite losing all that, we kept anything that we drew on our maps. So we didn't lose everything.

Huh, weird. Whatever, no time to think about it now. Let's go back in! I'll teach that stupid bird a lesson!

Not without preparing first! I will not be bird chow again!

Now saving your map data means that any changes you've made to the map will be saved. There's other things that it saves, but I'll get to that a bit later. I have the party take a nap here for a reason that will become shortly evident. I actually left the floor and saved after killing the Greedy Lizard, so the 2nd floor dialogue is ready to go.



The weather in Armoroad is warm all year round, so we get a lot of tourists here. It might be a good idea to take a break and have a walk around the town.

DS Version



:geno:

...What’s with that look? Do you take me for a tedious woman who cares only about money? Not so... In truth, I... have an ill sister. I need money to pay for her treatment...

Oh. I didn't know that. Sorry-



:mad:



I sold off the Lizard Crest, which unlocked this weapon. Unfortunately, I can't get this just yet.



Wait. I mean, ”information.” Hey, listen. If you go above and beyond on requests, some clients will give you a bonus. Be thinking about what the client really wants instead of what is being asked for!

Certain quests have a hidden extra objective you can accomplish to get an even bigger reward.



...Hm? Whaddaya want? Curious about this one, are ya? Or maybe this one? Huh? I tell ya what... I’m really thirsty. I could go for a nice drink about now.



...Ahhhh! That hit the spot! Armoroad’s water is so clear... So good!



Okay, I guess he wants a real drink. Here's a good one.

...Ahhhh! That hit the spot! This is called a Red Tail. It’s a rarity that’s highly sought after for its bright coloring. When you put the freeze on a Claw Shrimp, its tail turns all red. Don’t tell anyone else about this, okay? It’s our secret.



Hmm, I'll have to try that sometime. Got any more advice for us? Here's another drink.

Now that’s the stuff... This thing here’s a Gigapede’s jaw. On the market, they call it a Large Jaw. I’m a knife man, myself. When I’m looking for a weapon, I want one I can slash with. These are easy pickings for me. I just gotta cut down one of those Gigapedes at night, see? Don’t tell anyone else about this, okay? It’s our secret.

Thank you. I will keep that in mind.



That's all well and good, but I would really like to know how to deal with those giant green birds before heading back in there.

Encountered any Largebills yet? Those monstrous birds with the green bodies and huge beaks... They’re so strong that you might have no idea how to take one, but here’s the secret: They sleep at night. If you don’t want to tangle with one, try doing your exploring at night. Though at night you gotta watch out for those nocturnal Gigapedes... Nature’s got you coming and going!

Ha! So that's how we deal with them. Thanks a lot!



Ugh... They’re ruined! Hm? What, can’t you tell? I’m trying to get the mud off of these things. I should never have wandered into that muddy patch on B2F... I got chased all the way through it! It was terrible! You lose your balance in that mud, and you’ll be some awful monster’s snack. Dammit! I paid a fortune for this anklet at Napier’s, and now look at it!

Some NPCs will warn you about future hazards and enemies, It's worth it to check in every time you reach a new floor.



.........Don’t push your luck in the forest. If a monster seems too strong for you, steer clear.



Whatcha eating there?

...This? It’s Deadly Durian sashimi. The Butterfly Bistro is famous for it. Deadly Durian is quite tasty, but you need to watch yourself if they appear alongside Titan Arums. Titan Arums may look like vibrant flowers, but every rose has its thorns... plus a nasty smell. Between the two of them, the stench will be so terrible that you’ll have a nasty time of it. ...Excuse me, miss! Are my pickled Titan Arums ready yet?



Do you know of the Great Platypus? Its tail has a strong toxin, so you’d better watch out for it.

Interesting. How do you know about it?

Why do I know so much about it? B... Because my husband died from that poison! *sob*

Oh, I'm very sorry to he-



...And goodbye!



Hey, do you know about that clump of mushrooms growing on B2F? They’re really tasty! If you come across them, you should try one! Aura tells me not to, but I say if you’re going into the forest, you might as well have a tasty snack!



...Do you know about the patch of mushrooms growing on B2F? ...Don’t let your hunger tempt you into going near them... You’ll regret it, make no mistake... ...Nerona never thinks twice about approaching anything suspicious... Honestly, that girl...

:confused: I guess we'll just have to be careful if we see any mushrooms.



Let's check out quests.

Alright, so what's this one about?

Ah, accepting this quest, are you? It seems you are finally accustoming to the Labyrinth. The fishers in the city have asked for a Gigapede Leg. Gigapede Legs are used as fishing bait. Armoroad does do a lot of fishing, you know! Of course, you must be fighting Gigapedes to get Gigapede Legs. They only appear at night. The Labyrinth becomes a very dangerous place at night. Keep your guardings high! I am counting on you once again, adventurers! Off you go, to victory!



That money grubbing woman wants something?

Ah, hello! Are you accepting this request? The girl at the shop made it. I am remembering that she said she wanted to speak about details in person. You go to Napier’s Firm and learn more about this request, yes? Yes! Off you go! Goodbye!



Demand is high, but my supply’s too low to maximize my profits! I can’t let this chance slip! That’s why I’ve been gathering Small Flowers, so I can make Nectar out of them. You can gather Small Flowers on B2F. When you find one, come back here and sell it to me. I’ll give you a little bonus on top of the standard asking price for the flower.

We'll keep an eye out.

Don't we need a Farmer to get those...?

DS Version



Ha! As if!

Make sure you’re fully stocked on medicine. If you rely only on your skills, you’re in for a shock. Most people think the number one cause of death in the Labyrinth is running low on supplies.

DS Version



But if you get stuck in there, give the mother ocean a shot to clear your heads. The ocean accepts all. She’ll share her joys, sorrows, hopes, and frustrations with all who sail her. ...Haha, but I suppose waxing poetical won’t do much to coax you in. All in good time.

Good idea. Let's go do that.



Occasionally you'll see some golden arrow icons on the map. These are trade ships.

The other ship has noticed you as well, and one of the sailors waves as you approach.



Ahoy there! We’re merchants who make our livings by doing trade along this route. You’re adventurers from Armoroad, right? I bet you’d have pretty rare stuff. Why not trade some of those goods you only get in the maze? I’ll make it worth your while. I could really use some Topaz right now. If you’ve got any, how about a trade?



Topaz is an item you can get from Mining. Which we can't do right now. But you can trade items with trade ships to get good stuff.

Don’t want to trade, eh? No worries. Let’s do business next time, then.

The sailor returns to his cabin and sets sail for the next trading post on his itinerary.

You get back to your task and resume your voyage.



Now that Meregho Saeno is dead (Until you go on another Sea Quest,) the lighthouse can now be apporached safely from the east side.



You came at a good time... I’m out of the clay I need to mend the walls. There’s an island to the west with red soil called Terra Rossa. Think you can get some for me?

Sure! We'll grab some while we're out here.

The mariner thanks you and then returns to the lighthouse for further investigation.

It’s up to you whether to search for the mariner’s terra rossa or simply go on with the voyage.

So once you liberate a landmark, which is accomplished by killing the Sea Boss there once, most of the time there's something to do there. You can either get a minor sidequest, or an item if you revisit the place.



To get to the island with Terra Rosa, you'll need these ship parts.





The route I took to get here.

On the cliff, you see a type of soil known as Terra Rossa, often used in baking bricks. If you wish, you are free to land here and take some of the soil.



You anchor your ship near the cliffs, pass out shovels, and start digging. After collecting a barrelful, you raise anchor and return to your voyage.





Now let's head back to the lighthouse.



Here ya go!

By way of answering, you unload the barrel of terra rossa and hand it to the mariner.

You’ll give this to me? Thanks! Now I can get back to mending the walls!

The mariner then gives you a copper coin and a book.

Consider this my thanks. The book is something I found in the tower... I don’t know if that or the coin will be of any use to you, but I want you to have them anyway. The mariner then disappears into the tower, rolling the barrel of clay as he goes.







After seeing to that, you board your ship and set sail for new horizons.



Sometimes you'll find a book or something you can read on voyages. They provide bits of lore, and forshadowing about future stuff. Let's see what this has to say.





Spooky.

Those of you that have played EO1 may recognize the name...




Also, after accomplishing something major, like advancing the story, you'll get an icon for your Guild Card. I should also note the Charted stat on the Guild Card. While Labyrinth maps don't count for 100% completion, ocean maps do, which is what the Charted stat keeps track of. What the game counts in that instance is checking to see if ocean and land tiles are in the right places, and if you drew the land borders right. The game doesn't really care about much else. But one single mistake will prevent you from getting 100% completion.

DS Version



The First Stratum’s been thoroughly picked over at this point. How unfortunate for you, mm? Better hurry and shape up so you can reach an unexplored Stratum. That’s where all the fun is!

Our Guild is pretty much nothing but regular explorers at this point. Who knows if that will change or not. The only way to do that is to go through the Labyrinth ourselves, so let's go do that.

DS Version



The nighttime splash screen.



You know, we never saw what was down this path.



Throughout the LP, I'll be showing each FOE's movement patterns, which differ from FOE to FOE. The Greedy Lizard that used to be here patrolled this hallway. Now, FOEs appear on the map if they step on a tile you've stepped on, not painted in. However, they'll also appear on the map if they step on a tile adjacent to any tile you've stepped on, which is handy for keeping track of them.



What's that?

It's... :psyboom:

Come on. Out with it!

It's... a coupon for Napier's Firm. It cuts the price of our next purchase by half.



:psyboom: WHAT!?

Th-that can't be right!

I'll show these off later.

DS Version




Claw Shrimp
HP: 88
TP: 21
STR: 10
VIT: 5
AGI: 1
LUC: 1
TEC: 5
Attack Type: Slash
Exp: 133
Item Drops:
-Drop 1: Small Shell - 35% Drop Rate. 1 needed for Culnerin (Gun) and Cirius's Blade (Sword. Must be restocked.) 3 needed for Round Shield. (Shield.) 8 needed for Tauret Hammer (Mace. Must be restocked.)
--Shrimp's shell that's resistant to cracking.
-Drop 2: N/A
-Gold: Red Tail - 80% Drop Rate. Kill with Ice. 1 needed for Tale Gloves (Gloves.) 3 needed for Pallasch (Rapier.)
--Shrimp's tail that shrunk and hardened after being cooled.
Description: Denizen of the forest's outer Stratum. Its claws are its primary weapons, but it is easily handled.
Damage Resistances: Slash: 100% Strike: 100% Pierce: 100% Fire: 50% Ice: 150% Volt: 50%
Ailment Resistances: Sleep: 100% Confusion: 100% Plague: 100% Poison: 100% Blind: 100% Curse: 100% Paralysis: 122%
Bind Resistances: Head: 100% Arm: 100% Leg: 100%
Other Resistances: Death: 100% Petrification: 100% Stun: 100%

Skills:

Claw Cut: Uses the Arms. A single target Slash attack that deals 200% damage.

Trash mob. Incredibly low stats aside from STR. It uses Claw Cut once it's not at full HP anymore, but really this thing is nothing.'





Remember, if we freeze it, we can harvest its tail for money.

Heh, don't worry. I got this.





Glad we could meet, mace to face!

:neckbeard: Oh, I'm so glad that you finally discovered the joy of puns!

Wha? ...Dammit!



Hey, he was right! I guess that drink payed off.

I wonder what other unusual methods we can employ to get these special materials.

If you kill an enemy in a certain way during a fight, you'll have a chance at getting a Gold drop. But even if you qualify for one, you aren't guaranteed to get them. I should note that if you need to kill an enemy with a certain element, a dual elemental attack such as Strike/Ice will still qualify you for the Gold drop. However, dual elemental attacks can disqualify you if the condition was to not kill them with a certain element, so keep that in mind.

DS Version



Now when you save your map data, only the map data gets saved. Any shortcuts you've unlocked or events you've triggered go back to the way it was just after your last save.

You try peering inside, but it’s too dark to make out whatever is glistening within. It probably wouldn’t be hard to reach if you tried, but is that the best idea...?



Shiny! Let's grab it!

If you say no:

Have you learned nothing from eating that flower? Sticking your hand into everything is hardly a good idea in a place as dangerous as this!

Anticipating danger and avoiding it preemptively is often a wise choice when in the Labyrinth. Caution seems to dictate that you should leave the area and return to your explorations.

If you say yes, two different things can happen because this is a class specific event. If you don't have a Prince, Ninja, Monk, or a Zodiac, the following happens:

As Sidney prepares to stick one hand into the hole, an eerie growl emanates from within it! In an instant, a monster with slime-encrusted hide jumps out before your eyes. Having sensed danger, the monster attacks faster than you can draw your weapons!

Dammit, Sidney!

And then your party gets blindsided. Now if you have one of those classes in your party, this happens instead:

You are about to approach the hole when Faye suddenly stops you!

Whoa! Calm down there! You were about to grab something pretty nasty.

You shift to Faye’s vantage point and see that in fact, a monster was hiding inside! What you saw before was the monster’s hide, glistening with viscous fluids! The beast that had hoped to catch you unawares rushes out in a blur! Draw your weapons and fight!

DS Version




Spotted Frog
HP: 136
TP: 32
STR: 13
VIT: 7
AGI: 15
LUC: 8
TEC: 14
Attack Type: Strike
Exp: 202
Item Drops:
-Drop 1: Elastic Tongue - 35% Drop Rate. 1 needed for Hakenbuechse (Gun.) 2 needed for Hobblegeon. (Light Armor.) 4 needed for Caetra (Shield.)
--Tongue that stretches about 30 times its original length.
-Drop 2: N/A
-Gold: N/A
Description: Larger than a normal Forest Frog, its jumping kick is given greater heft by its larger body.
Damage Resistances: Slash: 100% Strike: 100% Pierce: 100% Fire: 100% Ice: 150% Volt: 100%
Ailment Resistances: Sleep: 100% Confusion: 100% Plague: 100% Poison: 100% Blind: 25% Curse: 100% Paralysis: 100%
Bind Resistances: Head: 100% Arm: 100% Leg: 100%
Other Resistances: Death: 100% Petrification: 100% Stun: 100%

Skills:

Jump: Uses the Legs. A single target Pierce attack that deals 120% damage.

Spotted Frogs are enemies from the 3rd floor. If they catch you by surprise, they'll probably kill a party member or two. But when you fight them normally, they're trash mobs. They're just stronger versions of the Forest Frogs.











They don't last long.





Shortcuts! Now the first one might seem like it was placed too soon, but the floors are designed in such a way that it's very easy to get back to the floor you left off at. If you look at the map for the 1st floor, you'll find that there's a clear-cut path to the stairs leading to the 2nd floor.




Great Platypus
HP: 76
TP: 22
STR: 7
VIT: 6
AGI: 9
LUC: 13
TEC: 8
Attack Type: Pierce
Exp: 145
Item Drops:
-Drop 1: Poisonous Tail - 35% Drop Rate. 1 needed for Light Muffs (Gloves.) 4 needed for Panzerstecher. (Rapier.) 6 needed for Pallasch (Rapier.) 10 needed for Poison Charm (Accessory.) 15 needed for Poison Gas (Item.)
--Tail that injects secreted toxins into its targets.
-Drop 2: N/A
-Gold: N/A
Description: A gigantic platypus monster. Novice explorers must be wary of the toxins in its tail.
Damage Resistances: Slash: 100% Strike: 100% Pierce: 100% Fire: 150% Ice: 100% Volt: 100%
Ailment Resistances: Sleep: 100% Confusion: 100% Plague: 100% Poison: IMMUNE Blind: 100% Curse: 100% Paralysis: 100%
Bind Resistances: Head: 100% Arm: 100% Leg: 100%
Other Resistances: Death: 100% Petrification: 100% Stun: 100%

Skills:

Poison Tail: Uses the Legs. Attempts to inflict Poison on a single target, and has a 60% chance of succeeding. The Poison ticks for 20 damage.

Now these things are actually pretty dangerous. They can be encountered on the first floor if you get unlucky with an event. They don't hit too hard, but the Poison is the real worry here. Of course, it's not too much of a problem on the 2nd floor, but it's still something to watch out for.





MY EYES!

Blind is a really annoying status effect. It reduces your accuracy by 66%, so most of your attacks will miss.







In all honesty, the only thing on the floor that is a threat is the Greedy Lizard.



Eventually, 3 of my party members get level ups! :toot:

DS Version



Line Guard reduces physical damage taken by 37% if casted on the Hoplite's own row. Otherwise ti reduces it by 16%.





The decoy now has 20 HP and 20 TP. Leveling Kagerou up to 3 unlocks Bunshin. I will not be putting anymore points into Kagerou. All maxing it out does is give the decoy 80 HP and TP, which falls off fast.



Dark Ether costs less TP to cast.





More inaccessible shortcuts.



Hey, didn't that shopkeeper say we could find some Small Flowers on this floor? Let's grab some from here.

Great idea! But you're forgetting something.



Oh. Right. Uh, who usually knows how to do stuff like that?

Well, Farmers do. But they're usually in high demand because of their gathering skills. So it's difficult to find any to hire.

Ugh, what are we gonna do? Wait for one to just fall into our laps?

C4 Take Point:
Anra Fruit: 60% Gather Rate. 1 needed for Therica B (Item. Must be restocked.)
-Popular fruit with a pleasant texture and sour taste.
Small Flower: 40% Gather Rate. 1 needed for Nectar (Item. Must be restocked.) 1 needed for the quest Request from the firm.
-Often found growing near the Labyrinth's entrance.
Hibiscus: Rare. 1 needed for Blaze Oil, Freeze Oil, and Shock Oil (Item. Must be restocked.)
-Red flower famed in Armoroad for its tonic effects.
Common Gather Periods: 2 to 12.
Rare Gather Periods: 2 to 5.

I'll go over gathering in the next update, so just hang tight, okay?



Here's another Greedy Lizard. But even though the party is capable of killing one, I'm not gonna fight every single one I come across. That just takes up too many resources.





If you slip past the Greedy Lizard, there's some treasure you can get. And there's a little alcove where you can walk back and forth to wait for a chance to sneak out.



There are a couple of weapons in the game where their job is to inflict ailments, not deal damage. The Stun Blade here has a 15% chance of inflicting Paralysis (The 1st forge adds a 6% chance, while the rest only add 3% to that.) I don't really find ailment weapons to be that great, although you could give them to a class that doesn't rely on attacking too much to give them something to do.



Noticing you, the figure comes near. You can see it is female, and what’s more, she is smiling.



Those are some nice headphones. I want those.

Hello. It is nice to meet you. You must be explorers from Armoroad.

An incongruously cheerful voice comes from the girl, who ignores your bewilderment and continues.

You needn’t be frightened. My name is Olympia. I am active in helping explorers like you.

The girl smiles again and hands you one of the backpacks she is holding.

This is a camping tent. It is practically a necessity here. You may have it if you like.



Um. Thanks. We're the Tidehunt Guild.

The girl called Olympia points to the right fork of the road ahead before continuing.



Olympia looks again at the tent in your hands.

Many explorers use tents to rest during their travels. You should make use of that spot as well.

Though she has said little, the girl turns to leave as if there is no more for her to say.

I will rest at the campground myself for a while. If you would like to talk more, come see me.

The choice is yours: investigate the campground Olympia spoke of or continue on your way.

Should we investigate this campground?

Might as well check it out.





It is spacious enough to camp; you can see traces of countless others who have been here. Near the trees further in, you see a lone girl resting against one of the pines.



Those poles mark campgrounds.





You can use up a tent at these spots to restore 100 HP and 50 TP for your party. 3 hours will pass by when you use one. I personally don't find tents that useful, aside from like one instance early on. The heal falls off really fast, and I don't want to camp now since that'll make it daytime much faster. They might be worth using if you're using a Farmer in your main party, since they have a passive that can cause tents to restore 500 HP and 125 TP, which is a much better heal. Otherwise, it's just best to use items.



As she notices you, she smiles and addresses the guild.



You try to remember if there was anything you wanted to ask the girl...



Okay. Who are you, and why are you helping us?

Would anyone in the Labyrinth really be so free with advice and expect nothing in compensation...? You ask the girl called Olympia who she is and what reason she has to assist other explorers. Despite the suspicion evident in your voice, the girl is cheerful and upbeat as she answers.

Don’t worry about that. I have my own reasons. After some time, if you grow as strong as I think you will... I’ll tell you what they are.

Olympia then closes her eyes and shakes her head quietly. It seems futile to inquire any further.



You seem to know a lot about this Labyrinth. Do you have any advice for us?

As the girl seems to be a veteran of the Labyrinth, you ask her for suggestions on how to proceed. The girl looks up and thinks to herself before answering slowly.

Hmmm... listen carefully. Some paths in this forest exist where you’d least expect them to. Even when you think you’ve come up against a wall or dead end, search carefully. If you can find these hidden passages, travelling from town and back will be much easier.

The girl looks at you and smiles once again. It looks as though she expects you to ask another question.



I don't think we got any more to ask you right now.

You determine that you have nothing to ask her right now and tell her so.

I see. I’ll be here for a while longer, then. If you have any other questions, you can find me here.

You say your farewells to Olympia and resume your journey.

Huh. Wonder why she was so helpful.

Hmm.





You seem to have no way to open the door at the moment. You leave it be for the moment to explore elsewhere.

What's with all the locked stuff? Come on! We're explorers, we need to explore!

Another locked door.



Think we can cross that mud?

Probably, doesn't look too deep.



That Greedy Lizard isn't scripted to move until you step on that mud tile, which I'll mark with yellow. As for that little thing in the bottom right corner, that's the FOE radar. That tells you how close you are to an FOE. Handy for trying to determine where you should move next if you can't actually see the FOE. That's also why the random encounter radar is there, so you can avoid getting into a fight in places where an FOE patrols, and yes, FOEs can join random battles. Also, unrelated, but you can actually see the FOEs moving from tile to tile in this game, where in the first two games, they just teleported around. Technological advancements!



On closer inspections, there are certain areas here that are like a marshy wetland. It doesn’t seem too deep, but the mud does put a noticeable damper on your walking speed. You shudder to think how easily any monster chasing you through this muck would catch you. You make a note to be careful of the mud from this point on.

Ugh, it's so sticky! And there's mud all over my shoes now.

Forget about your shoes, it doesn't look like those lizards are affected by the mud.

Oh dear. If they were to catch up to us while we walked through it...

Mud tiles are a new hazard in this game. They eat up 2 turns when you step on them, and FOEs aren't affected by them at all.



Just make sure to plan out your movements carefully.



Sidney gets a level up. :toot:



Giant Kill now provides a 55% boost to all damage. Now it's time to get him some damage skills.



:geno:

Handy if you forgot to bring one, but otherwise you just saved like a measly 100en.

DS Version




Gigapede
HP: 124
TP: 25
STR: 9
VIT: 11
AGI: 5
LUC: 15
TEC: 10
Attack Type: Strike
Exp: 247
Item Drops:
-Drop 1: Gigapede Leg - 40% Drop Rate. 1 needed for Spiked Club (Mace.) 4 needed for Tale Gloves (Gloves.) 1 needed for the quest Ho! The gigapede!
--Centipede leg that tightly grasps its prey.
-Drop 2: N/A
-Gold: Large Jaw - 80% Drop Rate. Kill with Slash. 1 needed for Leg Guard (Accessory.) 2 needed for Main Gauche (Knife.)
--Jaw with the power to fell even the Labyrinth's trees.
Description: A gigantic centipede that grew in the forest. It takes its prey at night and consumes it slowly.
Damage Resistances: Slash: 100% Strike: 100% Pierce: 100% Fire: 200% Ice: 200% Volt: 200%
Ailment Resistances: Sleep: 100% Confusion: 100% Plague: 100% Poison: 100% Blind: 100% Curse: 100% Paralysis: 100%
Bind Resistances: Head: 100% Arm: 100% Leg: IMMUNE
Other Resistances: Death: 100% Petrification: 100% Stun: 100%

Skills:

100-Leg Bind: Uses the Legs. Attempts to inflict Leg Bind on the entire party, and has a 70% chance of succeeding.

The Gigapede only appears at night, and it's a pretty rare enemy. It's not really a threat, so elementals will take it down easily.

Hello there. I am Akatsuki. Will you please let me cut off your jaw and legs so we can sell them?





I think that was a no.

Binds are a different type of disable, there's 3 different kinds and they can all disable a body part. Certain skills use body parts, and if that body part is disabled, the skill can't be used. Though some skills don't use any body parts at all. While your party and the enemies can only be inflicted with one status effect at a time, they can be inflicted with all 3 binds at once.

Now binds also have a little side effect along with disabling a body part. In the case of leg binds, you can't run away, and they completely disable evasion. Even if your accuracy is extremely low, or if you got hit with Blind, you will always be able to hit an enemy that has their legs bound.


Very well. Then I shall have to use force!





YEEEEART!



Success! I have acquired its jaw!

Uh, that's great, but we also needed its legs.

I think you were a little too rough there. Those legs aren't usable in that condition.

My apologies. I shall be more gentle in cutting off its limbs next time.

Ugh. This is a pain because Gigapedes are rare encounters. But they're more common the deeper you get into a floor, and you can still encounter them in the rest of the Stratum. So don't fret if you can't find one at the moment.

DS Version



The guard nods in response to your hail and raises a hand to acknowledge you.

Are you explorers investigating the forest? How goes it?

Despite his question, the guard continues speaking without waiting for your answer.

I’ve been gathering materials left by monsters for a certain investigation. I’ve found a few... but there are still some I’m missing. I have a proposal for you. If you have any of what I’m looking for, can you spare some for me? I’ll make it worth your while with something I know you’ll find useful in your journeys.

Upon saying so, the guard shifts his gaze to you to gauge your reaction. You consider the offer carefully...



Hmm. Sure. What do you want?

The guard nods happily and clarifies his request.

What I need now is... a Sharp Tooth, a Pungent Ivy, and a Purple Scale. Have any of that?

The guard’s hand is already out, eager to receive... If you have anything, you can hand it to him.



We have none of these right now. The first two can be acquired on this floor, but we can't get the Purple Scale until we reach the 4th floor. If you try to claim that you have something when you don't, this happens:

You regret your lie before you speak it, as you know perfectly well you have no such thing. You consider the guard’s requests again to see if there are any that you can fulfill...

But since I have none of them, I just tell him that I don't.

I'm sorry, but we don't have any of that at the moment.

Oh... Too bad. If you do find any of that stuff and you’re willing to part with it, come see me.

The guard falls silent and rests himself against a tree trunk. You part with the guard and return to your explorations.



Here's a shortcut back to this point. Now before I do anything else, lemme show off the Coupon I just got.

DS Version



We'd like to use this coupon please.

Where did you get that? I thought I disposed of those a long time ago.

We found it in the Labyrinth.

drat it. I should have known that someone would find one. Very well. Then what would you like to purchase?



Every single item in the game will have their price cut in half. Every one. So you want to save these for for like the most expensive items.



However, I blow mine on a Medica. There are only 8 Coupons in the entire game, and is no way to get any more of them. NONE. So hoard them until the postgame.



Also, after buying something, the store will go back to regular prices, even if you have multiple Coupons.

Araxxor fucked around with this message at 18:05 on Jun 21, 2015

FrickenMoron
May 6, 2009

Good game!
RIP, coupon 1. I actually never managed to get into those treasure areas with the mud blocking them because I'm bad at planning such things ahead. I always came back later and killed the FOEs.

Blueberry Pancakes
Aug 18, 2012

Jack in!! MegaMan, Execute!


Edie is a terrible person and I love her for it.

Reco
Feb 26, 2011

enemy one body to the proximity Zan attack discard the power slap hit.
Every wasted coupon is a hundred stairs I will not draw walls around

poorlywrittennovel
Oct 9, 2012

Hivac posted:

Every wasted coupon is a hundred stairs I will not draw walls around

You monster, walls must go around every door and staircase.

RareAcumen
Dec 28, 2012




Did anyone else have a problem with half of some of the images loading?

BlazeEmblem
Jun 8, 2013

Uh oh. Do I use Ariadne thread or Goho-M?

Hivac posted:

Every wasted coupon is a hundred stairs I will not draw walls around

You'd better do what he says, Dr. Fetus. I've seen his maps in the megathread. This is no idle threat :ohdear:.

Araxxor
Oct 20, 2012

My disdain for you all knows no bounds.

Hivac posted:

Every wasted coupon is a hundred stairs I will not draw walls around

You realize your terrible cartography skills are why I blew that coupon in the first place, yes? I warned you that I was going to do that.

RareAcumen posted:

Did anyone else have a problem with half of some of the images loading?

Everything looks fine on my end. Though I did have 2 pretty big GIFs in the update, so those might be causing some problems.

Anyways, gonna be reaching the 3rd floor on the next update, so I'll probably open up votes if people want to see the party changed up this soon. (You didn't think I was sticking with LPer's Choice for the whole LP, did you?)

Kinu Nishimura
Apr 24, 2008

SICK LOOT!
Bring in MEGAQUEEN otherwise I have no opinions

Crosspeice
Aug 9, 2013

You've put a Small Shell as the Spotted Frog's drops, fyi.

And sure I'll vote for a new party. Erm, who are the voted characters? The second post only has the members we've used.

Pureauthor
Jul 8, 2010

ASK ME ABOUT KISSING A GHOST
I imagine Edie staring at Faye for several very long moments when she used the coupon before shrugging and completing the purchase.

thenightsshadow
May 12, 2013
Alternate Universe Take: M/H/F A/-/W

Even at Level 7, Largebills are a pain to deal with and 2-shot Cassandra without using Line Guard. It's even worse in this AU, as Cassandra doesn't have many points in Line Guard, and has more points in Provoke and Guardian to protect the frail Alice. As such, I avoid fighting in the 2nd Floor until Night Time and move Alice to the back row after giving her a Pitchfork. It'll be a while before I even consider fighting Largebills.

I don't have the offensive muscle yet in the party, so I avoid fighting the Greedy Lizards and move on. The main problem to watch out for are any enemies that are considered moderate threats. Titan Arum, Great Lynx, and 2 Gigapede monsters all count. They're not bad on their own, or with weak minions, but running into a group like Gigapede, Gigapede, Great Lynx, or Great Lynx, Great Lynx, Titan Arum, is annoying and forces some TP use with this team. This is especially true if playing with the 5 Farmers, but that's for later. But first, a Status Update with this team:


Faye - Monk
- Form Qi - Level 6
(Healing Skills heal 45% more HP)
- Healing - Level 2 [5 TP]
(Healing is 75% effective)
- Refresh - Level 1 [6 TP]
(Restore 1 Ally)
- Unbind - Level 1 [6 TP]
(Free 1 Ally)

Cassandra - Hoplite
- Guardian - Level 4
(Physical Damage incurred reduced by 19%)
- Shield Mastery - Level 3
(Physical Damage incurred reduced by 3% if equipped with a Shield)
- Line Guard - Level 1 [3 TP]
(Damage to row decreased by 10%, 23% if Hoplite is on that row)
- Provoke - Level 2 [3 TP]
(Personal Aggro Level rises from 3 to 6)

Sidney - Arbalist
- Giant Kill - Level 10 *MASTERED*
(Damage dealt to enemies with more than 2x Arbalist's HP increases by 55%)

Alice - Farmer
- Earth's Bounty - Level 1
(Experience earned increases by 10%)
- Lullaby - Level 3 [4 TP]
(25% chance to inflict Sleep on all enemies, user falls asleep regardless)
- Play Possum - Level 1 [3 TP]
(Personal Aggro Level falls from 0 to 5)
- Strange Seeds - Level 3 [4 TP]
(At the end of the turn, 28% chance to inflict random bind(s))
- Keen Eye - Level 1 [6 TP]
(For 5 Steps, all FOEs on this floor are shown on the map)
- To Market - Level 1 *MASTERED* [13 TP]
(Warps the party back to town)

Fang - Wildling
- Wild Mastery - Level 7
(Summoned Beasts get an additional 11% chance to inflict their ailment(s))
- Call Insect - Level 3 [21 TP]
(Summon a Venomfly with 24 Base HP and 70% Wildling's Damage, attacks are Slash type with a 40% chance to inflict Poison, dealing 110 base damage at the end of each turn)

----------------------

Challenge Run: F/F/F F/-/F

One of the biggest things to note now is the lack of a good weapon. The Front Row, after equipping four slots, is able to switch from the Large Hatchet to the Makiri, but the back row will do better damage with the Pitchfork. It'll have to do for now. Still, neither weapon is impressive for damage. You'll barely be able to damage Gigapedes and Great Lynxes will still terrorize the group. Before embarking on a journey to the second floor, you should be around Level 5 and thus able to Rest and Respec one last time with no penalty. After completing a good portion of the Sea Exploration, the ental you receive should be enough to outfit your entire team. I would suggest leveling one more time before heading into the second floor. Here's what my team looks like:

All members equipped with Scale Jerkin, Light Muffs, and Strap Shoes. Front Row has Makiri, Back Row has Pitchfork.

Andy
- Bandage - Level 3 [2 TP]
(Restores 20 HP to 1 ally, usable only outside of combat)
- Earth's Bounty - Level 1
(Experience earned increases by 10%)
- Lullaby - Level 1 [2 TP]
(15% chance to inflict Sleep on all enemies, user falls asleep regardless)
- Play Possum - Level 1 [3 TP]
(Personal Aggro Level falls from 0 to 5)
- Harvestry - Level 1
(Increase ability to Chop, Mine, or Take from points by 1)

BillyBob
- Bandage - Level 3 [2 TP]
(Restores 20 HP to 1 ally, usable only outside of combat)
- Earth's Bounty - Level 1
(Experience earned increases by 10%)
- Lullaby - Level 1 [2 TP]
(15% chance to inflict Sleep on all enemies, user falls asleep regardless)
- Play Possum - Level 1 [3 TP]
(Personal Aggro Level falls from 0 to 5)
- Harvestry - Level 1
(Increase ability to Chop, Mine, or Take from points by 1)

Carol
- Bandage - Level 3 [2 TP]
(Restores 20 HP to 1 ally, usable only outside of combat)
- Earth's Bounty - Level 1
(Experience earned increases by 10%)
- Lullaby - Level 1 [2 TP]
(15% chance to inflict Sleep on all enemies, user falls asleep regardless)
- Play Possum - Level 1 [3 TP]
(Personal Aggro Level falls from 0 to 5)
- Harvestry - Level 1
(Increase ability to Chop, Mine, or Take from points by 1)

Danni
- Earth's Bounty - Level 1
(Experience earned increases by 10%)
- Lullaby - Level 5 [6 TP]
(35% chance to inflict Sleep on all enemies, user falls asleep regardless)
- Harvestry - Level 1
(Increase ability to Chop, Mine, or Take from points by 1)

Edgar
- Earth's Bounty - Level 1
(Experience earned increases by 10%)
- Lullaby - Level 3 [4 TP]
(25% chance to inflict Sleep on all enemies, user falls asleep regardless)
- Rotten Egg - Level 1 [5 TP]
(For 4 turns, reduces all enemies' damage by 5%, or 20% if that enemy has a status ailment)
- Keen Eye - Level 1 [6 TP]
(For 5 Steps, all FOEs on this floor are shown on the map)
- To Market - Level 1 *MASTERED* [13 TP]
(Warps the party back to town)


In this party, what you really want is two party members that can make use of a status ailment and Rotten Egg. Danni's role is to put to Sleep very dangerous targets, like Titan Arums and Great Lynxes. Edgar can then reduce their damage significantly, and with Play Possum in use you can minimize the damage done to you each round. Remember, you don't do a lot of damage and your skills can only carry you so far. Do not be afraid to turn tail and run using To Market after just 15 steps.

To clear this floor, you're going to level up a lot due to the constant shifting between advancing and retreating. Here are the main goals you'll want to accomplish on each trip down to the second floor. Oh yeah, don't forget to always come here at night, despite the Leg Binding Gigapedes.

Goals:
1) Clear the first shortcut at D4
2) Clear the second shortcut at B4
3) Clear the fourth shortcut at D3 (Leveling up a few levels here will help before attempting this)
4) Clear the fifth shortcut at D2

I would clear the Nectar quest as soon as possible to get the Volt Hammer, something very important to have on your front row, as having any sort of element will help. You should be able to get some good increase in damage once you forge Volt onto your Makiri. This allows you to deal better damage against the Gigapede and in turn allows you to complete the Gigapede Leg Quest, which gives you a Pedant Book (21% chance to inflict sleep). Put this immediately on your Lullaby user.

thenightsshadow fucked around with this message at 10:13 on May 31, 2015

cdyoung
Mar 2, 2012

alcharagia posted:

Bring in MEGAQUEEN otherwise I have no opinions

Seconding megaqueen, give Sidney some time to loaf in the bar, trying to hit on Missy.

Rigged Death Trap
Feb 13, 2012

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Well losing Sidney is sort of a bad idea since he provides about half the damage of the party.

Araxxor
Oct 20, 2012

My disdain for you all knows no bounds.
Okay, why don't we start the votes for who gets to explore the 2nd half of the 1st Stratum, since there doesn't seem to be any objections to changing up the party.

List of Candidates posted:

Prince:

Orange Fluffy Sheep with Susan.

Gladiator:

W.T. Fits with Rose.

Hoplite:

theshim with Cassandra.

Buccaneer:

Tyty with Scott.

Ninja:

Endorph with Akatsuki.

Monk:

Chilblain with Faye.

Zodiac:

cdyoung with Asteria.

Wildling:

Arcade Rabbit with Fang.

Arbalist:

Level Seven with Sidney.

Farmer:

blizzardvizard with Alice.

Vote for up to 3 party members. The top 5 choices will make up the next team. Voting ends when I post the next update. (Which will still use the current team.)

theshim
May 1, 2012

You think you can defeat ME, Ephraimcopter?!?

You couldn't even beat Assassincopter!!!
MEGAQUEEN, Cassandra, Alice

RareAcumen
Dec 28, 2012




Asteria, Susan and Scott.

Susan is a Princess by the way! :argh:

poorlywrittennovel
Oct 9, 2012

MEGAQUEEN, Scott, and Sidney

Alxprit
Feb 7, 2015

<click> <click> What is it with this dancing?! Bouncing around like fools... I would have thought my own kind at least would understand the seriousness of our Adventurer's Guild!

Sidney, Scott, and Rose.

Why? I dunno. I've never played this game so I'm just yelling at what seems cool.

BlazeEmblem
Jun 8, 2013

Uh oh. Do I use Ariadne thread or Goho-M?

MEGAQUEEN, Rose and Scott

I refuse to call her Susan.

AweStriker
Oct 6, 2014

MEGAQUEEN Susan, Asteria, and Fang.

Theantero
Nov 6, 2011

...We danced the Mamushka while Nero fiddled, we danced the Mamushka at Waterloo. We danced the Mamushka for Jack the Ripper, and now, Fester Addams, this Mamushka is for you....
Susan, Asteria, Cassandra.

Night10194
Feb 13, 2012

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

MEGAQUEEN

You have to love someone with the confidence to use that title.

KonvexKonkav
Mar 5, 2014

MEGAQUEEN(Susan), Rose, Akatsuki

Rigged Death Trap
Feb 13, 2012

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Sydney, Asteria, Rose

Omobono
Feb 19, 2013

That's it! No more hiding in tomato crates! It's time to show that idiota Germany how a real nation fights!

For pasta~! CHARGE!

HRMH Susan, Cassandra and Fang

cdyoung
Mar 2, 2012

cdyoung posted:

Seconding megaqueen, give Sidney some time to loaf in the bar, trying to hit on Missy.

Let me amend myself with proper diction.

MEGAQUEEN(Susan), Cassandra, Rose, Asteria, Sidney

Blueberry Pancakes
Aug 18, 2012

Jack in!! MegaMan, Execute!
Fang, Asteria, Susan

Reco
Feb 26, 2011

enemy one body to the proximity Zan attack discard the power slap hit.
Rose, Cassandra, and Scott.

Death Dealer
Jul 25, 2006

Scott, MEGAQUEEN, Akatsuki

This LP inspired me to start EO3 back up with a different party style since my original setup was ENTIRELY too defensive (Monk/Princess/Hoplite/Zodiac/Farmer) which makes fights take drat near an eternity, though it does technically work. I know what I was thinking when I went with it, since my Monk was half weak-beatstick/half-healer but like has been mentioned - that really does not work all that well.

Rigged Death Trap
Feb 13, 2012

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Death Dealer posted:

Scott, MEGAQUEEN, Akatsuki

This LP inspired me to start EO3 back up with a different party style since my original setup was ENTIRELY too defensive (Monk/Princess/Hoplite/Zodiac/Farmer) which makes fights take drat near an eternity, though it does technically work. I know what I was thinking when I went with it, since my Monk was half weak-beatstick/half-healer but like has been mentioned - that really does not work all that well.

Oh man how far did you get?

Death Dealer
Jul 25, 2006

Level 24/Floor 6. Things are going a hell of a lot smoother this time around, unsurprisingly.

UncertainKitten
Oct 10, 2012
MEGAQUEEN, Cassandra, Alice

So the EO 2 LP kind of ate my entire Wednesday. I look forward to what you do with this one, Dr. Fetus.

OgretailFood
Oct 9, 2012

Recommended by 10 out of 10 Aragami

MEGAQUEEN, Fang and Alice

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Rawkking
Sep 4, 2011
Rose, Fang, Alice

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