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Oh hey are we in the bit where plot happens again? Woo
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Sep 5, 2018 18:55
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SimplyUnknown1 posted:Personally, I always thought that Edea has Prosopagnosia and the whole asterisk thing was Braev's way of letting her recognize people. It also means that whenever someone changes jobs, it is accompanied either by confusion on Edea's part or her attacking them. I have that and it sucks
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Sep 5, 2018 19:30
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Charitably, Chapter 5 was needed to establish the basic looping premise before they started putting twists on it. In practice, you could cut it out entirely without missing much.
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Sep 5, 2018 19:39
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It looks like there's some overlap between the Eternians who were present in chapter 5 and the ones present in chapter 6. If they'd made it so that you got exactly one second chance at each asterisk holder, that probably would be a lot less painful.
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Sep 6, 2018 00:23
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Chapter 5 was yeah, not really well handled. Generally one of the appeals of repeating events like this is to see what changes and what can be changed. Not much of either happened in chapter 5. Chapter 6 on the other hand immediately comes out with Ringabel remembering things and Tiz actually being the one to die this time.
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Sep 6, 2018 09:22
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I heard the outcry about the repeating and was like "Cool, I can see all the variations" but no its new content, WITH EVEN MORE VARIATIONS! Variations are cool but they tend to add more stress to a game than anything else. Yeah I respect all the effort it takes, but technically you could have just added more to the main story instead for the same result without the stress.
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Sep 6, 2018 10:33
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Dr. Fetus posted:Chapter 5 was yeah, not really well handled. Generally one of the appeals of repeating events like this is to see what changes and what can be changed. Not much of either happened in chapter 5. Chapter 6 on the other hand immediately comes out with Ringabel remembering things and Tiz actually being the one to die this time. Honestly? I hope Til is with the local Agnés (or even better the local Olivia) just for the sheer  from everyone.
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Sep 6, 2018 11:18
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So... Alternis has also been jumping through pillars, but somehow manages to join up with Braev every time? Is that the upshot here?
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Sep 7, 2018 17:39
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Every time Alternis has come onto the airship, he's fallen off before we went into the Pillar.
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Sep 8, 2018 00:28
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Greyarc posted:The sage leads the party into the house. Time passes, and we rejoin everyone in the evening. Upon watching the other LP, I was reminded of this very very early mention of the Harrowing back when we first met Sage Yulyana. It was interrupted by lewd stuff, but it was there all along, hiding in plain sight.
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Sep 9, 2018 16:08
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You've been brave to come this far, Agnès.
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Entry 92: Killing Spree! Tiz is dead.   ......There is no sign of Til at the Great Chasm, but with the oceans rotted he can't be far away. Tiz cracks his knuckles and gets to work, which means it's once again time for:  Long live Tiz.  Barras and Holly should've been Til's first targets.   What!? That pip-squeak just thrashed us by himself, and now he's back with three friends!?She must be mistaking Tiz for Til. Hell, forget protecting Til -- we could use a ten year old like that on our team.  On a good day, Holly and Barras become slightly more competent than the villains from Home Alone. From here the conversation repeats from chapter 5, so let's skip to the important part.  After a quick beatdown the party repeats their post-battle talk from chapter 5, then walks off. But let's not follow them right away...  Barras sits up.  Are they gone? Shhh! Quiet, you fool!Holly sits up next to him.  It might! I've never tested it. That said, reraise sure comes in handy. I said hush! Do you want them to find out we're still alive!? Ha ha haaa! We'd get to fight another battle, wouldn't we!? Let's do it! Don't tempt me to finish the job myself! We're hurting bad. I wouldn't last another battle. And besides... Huh? I wouldn't mind lounging around a bit longer, just the two of us.Hm...  Right, well, that's our cue to leave. They probably won't be bothering Caldisla for a long while, so let's call it done. Back to the party, who are taking their sweet time strolling back to the ship:   The passion of a mature love affair is something special. The passion of what? What're you going on about? I don't know about passion, but Barras is as lively and loud as ever, with that booming voice. And Holly's the only one who can hold her own in a conversation with him. They can talk for days! It's wonderful to have someone like that... If both are the talkative type, better they speak of love for each other than quarrel and hurl insults. Oh, my! I didn't expect to hear anything like that from you, Agnès! It seems people truly can change! I did not mean it that way. That way? And what exactly would "that way" be, hmm? What I meant was the two of them are as two peas in a pod. They are both frank to a fault and put on no airs. And neither are they afraid to bare their souls. Perhaps happiest of all are kindred spirits--alike in most ever way--who find each other. Is that so? ...Hold on! Who were you really referring to, Agnès? Who do you think is your kindred spirit!? Come on, out with it! Oh, umm...I... *ahem* ...... Some might say living too long with someone like yourself might drive you crazy. And a couple with two people like me? That would get old rather quick, don't you think? Ha ha, would it really be that bad? What do you think, Agnès?[img]https://lpix.org/2703269/agnes_happy.png[img][/img] Who, me!? Err...well, ha ha. I suppose it wouldn't be all that bad.  What? Why're you staring at us like that? Huh?Next up, Ominas, who's milling around in his usual spot in Centro Keep. He's alone, same as last time. As soon as the party approaches, Ominas turns to Edea.  ...Huh? He actually sounds...sane.  I'm Black Mage Ominas C-C-C...Crowe, and I'm to be your superior officer, effective today. And don't expect special t-t-treatment just because you're the Lord M-Marshal's daughter! What's he talking about? First I'd like you to answer a question, Ominas. When did I leave the Knights of the Eternian Sky?Last time, signs pointed to Edea being killed under Ominas's watch.  But in this world, it appears she never showed up for duty in the first place. Plus I said there'd be no special treatment! Tell your valet or whoever to g-g-get out! And you! You... Ahh, it's you! Oops. I won't have it! I've looked forward to having her under my command. I won't let some vestal ruin it! Oh, right. I think I remember this now.  ...Maybe? Anyway, listen, Ominas-- B-be quiet! Don't talk to me! You can't be real, so leave me alone! Hah! This is all some evil illusion brewed up by the vestal! Let's see how it stands up to my f-f-ff...FIRE! Hah hee hee!Okay, that bout of comparative sanity was nice while it lasted.  Ominas does not drop Edea's sword Ise-no-Kami this time, so he probably wasn't lying about Edea not arriving. So where is she?  No matter how many times we meet him, Ominas remains an unstable wreck. Still, Edea doesn't feel great about killing him. There should be no more fires in town now...There's no sign of Til here, either, so the party moves on. Last is the leader of the Sky Knights.  Another blue chest in Lontano Villa contains this item once likely wielded by a certain impish, lecherous, magical former Archbishop.  No Til. Maybe we missed him somewhere on the road to the villa? Probably should've walked instead of taking the giant flying city-ship. As the party approaches, Edea grabs Heinkel's attention.  Don't worry, we took care of that. A soldier runs over to Heinkel.  A message from headquarters, Captain! You intend to capture and kill Agnès again, don't you!? Well, I won't let that happen!Heinkel stone-cold ignores Edea and turns to the soldier.  Yes, sir, but...! No, let her hear it. Sir! The message reads, "Find the vestal and keep her safe. Do not harm a hair on her head." Wait, you're not to catch and kill her?Oh, Ominas, that scamp. He'd get in major trouble if he weren't already dead.  Ha ha, that's a good question, Heinkel. Believe it or not the sanity of the Duchy's been discussed once or twice. We're to protect the vestal from the Orthodoxy and its corrupting influence! How have you risen to this post without knowing that much? Oh, uh...I was just a bit confused, that's all. Ha ha...ha... Your words make no sense!Yeah, well--  Wait what  what  I mean, we're not going to let ourselves get killed, but  So, uh That was He didn't just really--  He did. And with that shocking turnabout, the competition for stupidest Bravely Default death has a new winner! Well, of course he wasn't. The ultimate quality of an Eternian knight is scorning fear in the face of death. That is part of the duchy's code of chivalry and proof of a knight's valor. To fearlessly face death for a cause you believe in is a truly admirable personal creed. But as a doctrine that forces others to prove their valor so? I am not sure I agree. To say, "Do not fear death!" and encourage such a mindset... ...I believe it welcomes a cold, mindless disregard for life. Maybe so, but they say knights thickly clad in courage and hardened against emotion make the most formidable force on any battlefield. Well, I don't know about the other officers, but Heinkel at least is a different sort. I still remember the code of chivalry he drilled into me from a young age. He used to always tell me... "Valor is not fearing death. But when life becomes even more terrifying than death, survival becomes the truest valor there is." I see. So his was the truest code of chivalry of all. Mm-hm!He attempted to kill a new soldier under his command, the vestal he was just ordered to keep safe, and two strangers because of a harmless misunderstanding that was cleared up within five seconds. Honor and chivalry are not the first words that come to mind. I think he just wanted an excuse to have a cool knight combat to death or whatever. He was probably bored. And drunk. You do you, Heinkel.  May not have found Til, but we saved Caldisla in the process. The party grudgingly digs up some cash to spend the night at Karl's inn. The next morning:  Here you go, Ringabel... Strong and black. Thanks. For you, Tiz, weak with milk and two lumps of sugar. Thank you. And for you, Agnès, tea. Still not used to coffee? Thank you. Coffee makes my head go all fuzzy. I hope you will forgive me, Edea, making you go through the extra trouble like this. Ah ha ha, it's not your fault. After all, you never even tried coffee until you left your temple. Blech... This isn't black. You sure this isn't Tiz's? Really? Then whose is this? ...Augh, it's way too sweet! It must be yours, Edea! Who puts this much sugar in their coffee, anyway!? It's a grainy slush at the bottom. Then this must be Ringabel's... Ugh, that's awfully bitter. Well, Agnès, at least you're not the only one making me go through extra trouble.[img]https://lpix.org/2703269/agnes_happy.png[img][/img] ...Ha ha ha. The characters being unable to tell the difference between black and milk coffee at a glance explains something about their powers of observation in other areas. Once the party finishes breakfast, they make for the ship. There are crystals and other Eternians to take care of, and it appears Til can more than handle himself for now. We'll check around here again later.  The party heads to Eisenberg first to try and cut the war to a swift end. Since the water's still rotten, nobody's out at the House by the Sea, so there's no way to get the breadcrumb to look for Barb's ghost ship.  The party slips north across enemy lines and steals into Grapp Keep on the hunt for another blue chest. Unfortunately, it's quickly apparent Qada's already used his chemical weapon to kill loads of soldiers.  Several of the blue chests contain Genji gear, which appears in most Final Fantasy games. The Genji clan, also known as the Minamoto clan, was one of the great clans of ancient Japan. Its members are made up of descendants of the imperial family who were taken out of the line of succession. In the West, the name is probably best known due to The Tale of Genji, which follows the fictional bastard son of an emperor.  I don't think anyone in the party is feeling as eager to awaken crystals as they used to be. No, let's go cripple the Black Blades first.  The situation with Goodman is a repeat of Chapter 5.  Praline's event is also a repeat. The worlds change with every go-round we make, yet Love in the Crossfire never becomes bearable.  In Hartschild, the party meets Eleanor. Shortly after, they're invited to a mysterious dinner party. Right on schedule.  Konoe is the second Black Blade to go down. The Goodmans at this point are baffled by the godly powers of the Vestal's entourage.  With barely a pause to breathe, the party leaves Hartschild, taking their warpath back north.  They're dropped off outside of the opposing army's headquarters ahead of the enemy's messengers.  Airy, always the voice of compassion. We'll get to the crystal, but first we've got a very special friend to take care of.   If anyone deserves credit, it's you, Dr. Qada. You treat not only your wounded allies, but the wounded Shieldbearers who fought against you. I have to admire you for that. ......Hyah hyah hyah... You are somewhat misguided. Can you not understand that I need as many live bodies as possible for my experiments!? I cannot simply use wounded allies as specimens, can I? At least this time Qada makes no pretense about being evil. We heard what you had to say for yourself! Now we can get to taking this guy down all the quicker. My name is Edea Lee! Edea Lee!? You can't mean... You're the grand marshal's daughter!? We must put an end to him now! Of course! After the battle, Qada dies, supposedly. Unfortunately, the party still hasn't caught on to him faking his death, so they won't check to be sure.  On the way to the top of the fort is another blue chest.  In contrast to legendary swordsmith Masamune, Muramasa's blades had a reputation for bloodlust and driving their wielders to violent madness. Going by this update alone, I'd say the sword will be happy with us.  Kamiizumi starts off with a conversation very similar to chapter 5, ending with this new line.  But this time, things don't have to end this way.  Let's rewind. We're going to go do something else before we face down Kamiizumi.  The party exits the fortress, leaving Qada to his fate.  In the Mythril Mines the party finds another blue chest.  Deeper, in the Underflow, a second blue chest.  You can probably guess where we're headed. There aren't too many sites to visit in an active volcano.  We've got to face the crystals some time. We'll take a shot at our third round and see whether Kamiizumi lightens up a bit.  And who knows? Maybe we can get a hint to end all this...for good. Next: Alternate fates. -- Event Viewer Sub-Scenario: The Great Chasm Remains Here We Go Again Together a While Longer Ominas's Quandary Pyromania Averted, but... The Sky Knights' Mission Qada is Still Qada Party Chat: Two Peas in a Pod The True Valor of a Knight To Each His Own D's Journal: Barras the Monk posted:In the third world, we once again fought the monk Barras and the white mage Holly at the lake southwest of Caldisla. They had just been trounced by another force, and I noticed the wounded Holly casting Reraise, but let it go. As expected, we heard loud whispers from behind us after defeating them. We headed away from the lake, trying to suppress our laughter. D's Journal: Holly the White Mage posted:In the third world, we once again fought Holly and Barras at the lake southwest of Caldisla. I noticed Holly casting Reraise in the midst of battle, but let it go. As we headed away, I heard loud whispers from behind, sounding like an older sister scolding her brother for not knowing when to give up his games. D's Journal: Ominas the Black Mage posted:We found the black mage Ominas Crowe at the ruins of Centro Keep in the third world. He scolded Edea for being late. It seemed he had been looking forward to having her under his command. He mistook us for her attendants, and was shocked when he recognized the wind vestal. He attacked, believing Edea to be an illusion, but we prevailed. D's Journal: Heinkel the Knight posted:In the third world, Heinkel read us orders from headquarters saying that the vestal should be found and kept safe. He claimed they meant her no harm, and merely sought to protect her from the Orthodoxy's corruption. He admonished Edea, who was at a loss for words. Though what he said made sense, we won the battle, and were left questioning our situation... D's Journal: Qada the Salve-Maker posted:Coming across Qada at Starkfort in the third world, he seemed to spend his days complaining to subordinates about how he was removed from the front lines. Boasting of his achievements to his silent underlings, it was clear just how insignificant he really was. As before, he was using captured soldiers in tests to create heinous weapons, so we gave him his just desserts. 
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Sep 11, 2018 02:56
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Alxprit posted:Upon watching the other LP, I was reminded of this very very early mention of the Harrowing back when we first met Sage Yulyana. It was interrupted by lewd stuff, but it was there all along, hiding in plain sight. That's a good catch!
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Sep 11, 2018 03:08
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It was nice seeing Barras and Holy having a happy moment together after killing them last time.
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Sep 11, 2018 03:17
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Heinkel he dumb
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Sep 11, 2018 03:33
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Pureauthor posted:Heinkel I completely forgot about that fight. Good lord, that's just... how? He attacked his own soldier for being confused about orders, and in the process was breaking his orders by attacking the person who the soldier he was betraying was saying he wanted to kill in the first place?
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Sep 11, 2018 03:40
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Heinkel is the Tank of the Knights of the Eternian Sky. He's probably suffered one too many blows to the head during his time as captain.
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Sep 11, 2018 03:45
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Congrats to Barras and Holly for not being casualties.
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Sep 11, 2018 03:46
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Greyarc posted:
I love how even Ringabel is tired of his own rambling about women. 
Blueberry Pancakes fucked around with this message at 05:20 on Sep 11, 2018 |
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Sep 11, 2018 03:51
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XainZero posted:Congrats to Barras and Holly for not being casualties. I was kinda wondering when she'd pull out Reraise. I guess now is better than never!
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Sep 11, 2018 03:56
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Thing is, Reraise is Time Magic in Bravely Default.
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Sep 11, 2018 03:57
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Oh there is one thing I forgot to mention, and I can't recall if it came up! If you were to put off doing Praline's quest in Chapter 3 and start Chapter 5? The flying Grandship is the one that the quest starts on, not the one that's still at sea. It's a very perplexing thing, but that's how it is.
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Sep 11, 2018 04:02
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Pureauthor posted:Thing is, Reraise is Time Magic in Bravely Default. And that's why she hasn't used it in the other worlds. This Holly decided to sub-class to Time Mage. This world's Eternians seem marginally saner. In retrospect, how low is that bar if this Heinkel still comes out as marginally saner than the last two worlds? Will we finally get half an explanation from Braev this time? (narrator voice: we won't) Although the question stands again: where are the local Agnés, Edea and I still say Airy* is murdering the loose ends before our party of merry morons starts running around yet another time. *or whomever the actual villain is
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Sep 11, 2018 05:02
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If the party is smart, this time they'll fly into the pillar and fly right back out again to bait out Alternis before letting Airy try the ritual. Not that being smart is their strong suit...
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Sep 11, 2018 10:01
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Omobono posted:And that's why she hasn't used it in the other worlds. This Holly decided to sub-class to Time Mage. I was going to mention that we could just be mind jumping, but the whole Alternis thing puts a damper on that.
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Sep 11, 2018 18:42
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Silegna posted:I was going to mention that we could just be mind jumping, but the whole Alternis thing puts a damper on that. Ringabel. Mind jumping was never an option. E: sorry, mindfreeze. We're agreeing here and I restated your position
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Sep 11, 2018 18:55
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I'm just assuming that the old versions go poof and disappear when the party visits the new world. Which means either Tiz's grave is empty right now, or destiny decided his brother was close enough and HE just kinda disappeared. It's magic, you can't explain that. e: vvv Oh yeah that does make no sense with Ringabell. Dang it. Rainuwastaken fucked around with this message at 22:55 on Sep 11, 2018 |
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Sep 11, 2018 22:03
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Rainuwastaken posted:I'm just assuming that the old versions go poof and disappear when the party visits the new world. Ringabel is pretty much confirmed to be Alternis from the world where (when?) Airy had a six on her wings. But in the world where Airy had a five on her wings Alternis was still around. World 4 also had an Alternis. Is he special because Ringabel has amnesia? Or does Airy kill the current world versions of our party while we are out and simply doesn't know what Alternis looks like under his helmet?
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Sep 11, 2018 22:45
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werbear posted:Ringabel is pretty much confirmed to be Alternis from the world where (when?) Airy had a six on her wings. But in the world where Airy had a five on her wings Alternis was still around. World 4 also had an Alternis. I think the real answer is even simpler than that: Alternis fell in to the pillar of light but his opponents did not.
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Sep 12, 2018 02:08
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Heinkel suiciding himself into the party for no reason is so stupid that it loops all the way around to being funny. Actually looking forward to what Braev and Kamiizumi do this time around, now that things have started to turn out slightly different.
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Sep 12, 2018 07:46
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GimmickMan posted:Actually looking forward to what Braev and Kamiizumi do this time around, now that things have started to turn out slightly different. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say "find a contrived reason to pick a fight." Call it a hunch.
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Sep 12, 2018 09:27
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DGM_2 posted:I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say "find a contrived reason to pick a fight." Call it a hunch. You think they'll bother with a reason? You're an optimist.
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Sep 12, 2018 10:44
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Omobono posted:You think they'll bother with a reason? You're an optimist. I... have no answer to this.
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Sep 12, 2018 11:15
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Entry 93: A Changed Man To the surprise of no one, the crystals are in trouble once again.  After a quick battle with demonic entity Chaugmar, Agnès starts her prayer. Is this the right thing to do? Well, the demons are definitely bad news, and we have to protect the crystals. The crystals need to be awakened to moderate the world's environment. For the moment, that's enough reason.  Everything went well, at least. We stop when Airy tells us to, awakening fire. Three left to go! Are you alright, Agnès? You ought to rest for now. Y-yes... Thank you. I wonder if it will work this time. I hate not knowing if we're even doing the right thing. ...Ngh! Ringabel? *flop* Okay, maybe everything's not going well.  I told you...this would...! Aaaaaaaaagh!  Ringabel wakes up to the sound of Edea's voice.  He stands up. ......!? Are you alright!? You just collapsed out of nowhere. Are you not feeling well? I... I... I was frozen in fear. Huh?The group tries to get more information out of Ringabel, but he goes silent. After Agnès gets changed they move on.  Something about awakening the crystal sparked Ringabel's memory. It may not have been happy for him, but it gave us some new information to work with. Unfortunately, that information involved Agnès, Tiz, and Edea being most probably dead.  While we mull that over, the party's returning to Kamiizumi. The Swordmaster's always been relatively reasonable. Is there any way, any at all, we can get him to avoid death-by-party? Let's hear him out from the beginning.  ...... So the Fire Crystal has been awakened. It has all been in vain. The war we started in this realm... The deaths of both ally and foe... And the demise of the fire vestal... Do you not think so, you who resemble a disciple I once favored?Kamiizumi starts us off with the same speech as chapter 5 and pre-fire crystal chapter 6. But this time, Edea's ready.  I've spoken with my father of it. Any number of times. And my mother. She told me much of what happened... It gave me a new appreciation for the friendship and undying trust between you and my father. And your feelings for my mother, and your sense of purpose... She gives Kamiizumi a formal Wa-style bow. Thank you for bringing my mother and father together. Thank you for helping my father. Thank you for teaching me the sword. Thank you for helping me become the woman I am today. And forgive me. Forgive me for what I've done. ...It does my heart good to hear those words. And... Edea's done it. By learning all we could about Kamiizumi's history and relationship with Edea's family, she's gained enough insight into his thought process to change his mind. For once, finally, we've managed to stop a pointless death by combat. This almost makes up for the trainwreck that was Heinkel. Come at me with all your might. You and your comrades alike! I will show you the essence of mastery of the sword. Now, come!Of course, we still get an excuse to fight. No sense wasting perfectly adequate gameplay!   After a light, refreshing battle, Kamiizumi yields.  And sheathes his blade. ...You have grown strong, Edea. I've nothing more to teach you. Master... I'm so very grateful to you. Farewell, child.Kamiizumi starts walking away.  The way of the sword runs far and deep, as do the journeys on which it takes me.With that, Kamiizumi makes his exit into the metaphorical sunset, not only not dead but no longer willing to stubbornly support the current Swordbearer/Shieldbearer war.  Kamiizumi was always one of the Eternians most likely to come around. Despite his loyalty to Edea's family, he was willing to root out internal corruption given enough leeway. There are several variations on his journal entry depending on how you face him. Those'll be shown at the bottom of this entry.  With the war in Eisenberg essentially over, the party moves on to Florem's Water Temple.  After beating up the local demon, they prepare for the ceremony. Wait. Can I ask you something, Airy? You did say to ask.   But what would happen if she continued to pray to the crystal even after you told her to stop? How many times do I have to explain it? Haven't you been listening? The crystal would be destroyed if she didn't stop. And what happens if it's destroyed? What!? That would be terrible! Mankind would no longer receive its blessings. Normally anti-establishment rhetoric would be refreshing in a case like this, but the game's done an excellent job showing us just how nightmarish it is living without the crystals. Their power and importance are not in question.  It's not a matter of getting used to it! I mean, without the crystals, we couldn't rid the world of darkness. It hasn't worked in two tries so far. I know, but that's not the issue here! Besides, if the crystals were destroyed, ummm... Uhhh... The wind! It would cease forever, and fire would rage out of control! Water would turn putrid, and the earth would dry up. ...I see. Sorry for interrupting. ......But if Ringabel's intentions were simply to test Airy's reaction for odd behaviour, he succeeded.  Airy's focus has been on preventing the destruction of the world, so why was that the moment where she hesitated? She's hiding something, but what? Knowledge or a lack of knowledge?  The second crystal is awakened. Two left to go...  And right on cue, Ringabel collapses. If we get more visions of the past, it might be key to figuring out where we've failed.  That memory didn't bode well. Ringabel! ......! We may be doing something very, very wrong. Y-yes. Sorry about that. You sounded as though you were in terrible pain... No need to worry about me. I'm fine. ...... I've been wondering about something, Ringabel. ...... It was every third word from my mouth before. I... I...After Agnès finishes changing, Airy drifts over to Ringabel.  ...... I can't have you doing that again! Huh? Oh, you mean asking questions before the Rite of Awakening? That's right. I need to focus before I begin. But how can I when you suddenly upset me like that!? I upset you? I was merely asking what would happen if the crystal was destroyed. Or was it when I asked why we can't do without its blessings? Or...was it when I said we had failed to rid the world of darkness two times already? Did that strike a nerve? S-strike a nerve!? What're you talking about!? What nerve could that have possibly struck? Tsk! You're just plain rude! And annoying to boot! ...... Alright, alright already. You don't have to shout. I hear you loud and clear. You're not exactly helping my headache. And truth be told, Agnès is the one who really needs to concentrate during the rite, not you, Airy.*Ringabel leaves* Hmph! You sure have a big mouth! Hey, I'm not done with you yet! You get back here, Ringabel!*Airy chases after Ringabel* ...... ......The others have learned to tune Airy's emotional rollercoasters out, but with Ringabel's current concerns he's no longer willing to give our cryst-fairy the benefit of the doubt.  Airy, for her part, is claiming innocence, but the naive act is getting a thinner and thinner veneer.  The party heads over to Florem, which is the same as ever. Hard to believe Alternis/Probably-Ringabel grew up here.  Those monkeys are playing flower checkers! Ah, one of those monkey shows this town is famous for. Flower...checkers? What exactly is that? It's a game that originated in Florem. You play it on a board using pieces representing different flowers. Along with Caldislan chess, it's one of the most challenging games there is. But what about the monkeys? They're not really playing, are they? They're probably just moving the pieces around. You'd think, right? Well, I actually just played that monkey over there yesterday. Really!? How did it go? Ha ha ha, I wiped the floor with him! I mean, they really are just randomly moving pieces around! I thought so.[img]https://lpix.org/2703269/agnes_happy.png[img][/img] That is to be expected. It is a thinking man's game, after all. Yep! And I won three out of five games! It's like that old saying, "Monkey see, monkey do." Uh, Ringabel...Ringabel has changed, and it isn't just that he's dropped the sexist jokes. He's now confronted his identity, past, and alternate self. Slowly, he's learning to have people he cares about.  We know Florem isn't as pretty under its surface, so it's not a surprise to learn an orphan like Alternis could grow up here alone and unloved. Alternis's anger and fear, stoked by his childhood in Florem, shone through even in the amnesiac Ringabel's behavior.  Ringabel's playboy thoughts on women are based on some of the residents of Florem, who were beautiful but, in his mind, ignored him when he needed help. That emotionally distant nature he was trained into comes through when he treats relationships with women like a game and assumes the worst of them (remember his winning moments hitting on Eleanor, Goodman's wife?) as a means of protecting himself from further harm. Even now, after Edea and Agnès have proven reliable friends multiple times, Ringabel takes his concerns to Tiz, keeping the other two at a distance.  Ringabel's cavalier behavior is part genuine goofball, part based on the fear of being alone. Out of the four party members, he was the only one excited to keep journeying after the world reset, because he'd never had friends before and was afraid once the world was saved he'd go right back to being alone. His motivation to protect these friends from increasingly probable harm is also, as it happens, what's finally broken him out of the cavalier playboy facade. Not surprisingly, the more he quits the cavalier playboy act, the better he gets along with the others. He's stopped antagonizing and demeaning Agnès and Edea, he's spared Tiz a lot of awkward caught-in-the-middle moments. He's proven himself reliable when the going gets tough and feels relaxed enough to be honest and make silly mistakes. He may still stumble up in places, but he's getting better.  But while Ringabel's changes have mostly been to his benefit, the party may soon desperately need his help. For now, he stays quiet and continues to observe... The party visits the Matriarch while in Florem, introducing themselves and announcing the crystal's awakening as before. But afterwards, rather than explaining Olivia's death, the Matriarch asks a question:  So, where is Olivia now? What? Oh, no... I fear we are not here together. I see... Since she went into hiding half a year past, I've heard no more than that she is alive and well. Of late, even such meager tidings have ceased. They have? If you should see her again, please ask her to return to Florem.Because Olivia is still possibly alive, there's no prospective vestaling with the Matriarch. If we'd spoken to the Matriarch before awakening the crystal, the second half of that scene would also alter from the chapter 5 version: Sadly, Olivia has gone into hiding. Oh, I see. Do you know where we might find her? I'm afraid not, but I do receive word from her on occasion. This version is more certain about Olivia being alive. Given how hidden the Crystalists are, however, we aren't going to be able to find her without a lead.  Does he mean food, or-- Wait a sec. Isn't DeRosa's hideout nearby?  The party heads down and finds the situation the same as in past worlds. The conversation with DeRosa is a shortened version of chapter 5 sans psyching Edea out, since we've already confirmed Braev is as clueless about DeRosa's plots as everything else under his command. After the battle, Ringabel calls Edea aside.  Just the two of us? I've already made a reservation at the Tri-Flower, the restaurant at the very top of the Central Flor Hotel. They serve a full-course Florem dinner! Isn't that your favorite, Edea? We can enjoy the night view while we eat! I think...I think I'll pass! Listen, Edea. I want you to know something. I don't go around asking out just anyone like this anymore. ...I know, Ringabel. And I don't go around rejecting just anyone, either. Huh? Wait...huh!? What's that supposed to--*Tiz drifts by* Edea delivers a bruising blow to the male ego! That one's got to hurt! Oh, ha ha... Ha ha ha... Ha... *sigh*Unfortunately for Ringabel, he's got a lot of past bad behavior to make up for before the others trust his intentions. Baby steps, Ringabel. Next on the Eternia hit list are the three sisters: Einheria, Mephilia, and Artemia.  The party starts with Mephilia's usual hangout, Florem Gardens, pausing to get a blue chest on the way.  ...Huh. No dead fairies, no crazy summoner. A quick check for Artemia has her missing, too. Einheria's got to be around, though, right?  It's a pleasant day when the party goes to Witherwood in search of Einheria. That bird! I could swear I've seen it before! That would be a Luxen sea swallow. Really? A Luxen sea swallow? I know I've seen one before, but where? You must've seen one back in your homeland. Most likely in the summer. Yes, now I remember! But how could you possibly know that? Ha ha ha, the Luxen sea swallow is well known for its migration across Luxendarc's northern hemisphere. They spend a short summer in Eternia, spring and fall in Caldisla, then winter in Florem, where it's warmer. That was impressive, Tiz! You're quite an expert on the subject. Not really. It's just Luxen sea swallows pass through Norende around planting time, and then again around the harvest. They're one of the signs of the seasons. Not bad, Tiz, not bad. Let me see if I can give you some non-Norende pointers, though. For instance, that black falcon on that branch over there... That's a Flor crow. But its common name is the flower crow. It's indigenous to this land. Ah...yes. Well done. I was testing you, you see. What about that Flor goose in that pond over there? Did you know-- Sure, it stores the energy it needs for its migration as fat in its liver. That trait is exploited by man in the creation of foie gras. Ugh! Tiz, you are like a living encyclopedia of bird watching![img]https://lpix.org/2703269/agnes_happy.png[img][/img] Try as he might to impress with notes scribbled on his hand, Ringabel cannot match the depth of your knowledge! Ooh, ouch. Poor Ringabel... Don't worry, Ringabel! I for one appreciate the effort you made! *sigh*Edea, for her part, is being surprisingly supportive of Ringabel now that he's laid off the jokes at her expense.  Witherwood's blue chest contains the spear which a Roman soldier used to poke the prophet Jesus Christ, a central figure in *checks notes* Christian mythology. Jesus blood is especially potent against sharks.  The group reaches Einheria's former post to find it deserted. Just where are the sisters? They have to be somewhere around.  Or not. But you know who is now available? Barbarossa.  Everything leading up to the Barbarossa fight is the same as Chapter 5.  Suleiman and Barbarossa obviously had a great friendship in life, and they can continue that in death.  I've had enough of this creepy ghost ship! Yeah, and there aren't any women here, either. Your womanizing is so far beyond appalling that it's almost impressive. Agnès, you're not scared of ghosts, are you? Not at all. Rather, I feel quite sorry for them. Life is a miraculous gift born of the harmony between the four crystals. And once a soul's life has come to an end, it may be reborn again by returning to the crystals. But ghosts, on the other hand, are doomed to haunt this world. Such pitiable creatures. First of all, our teachings tell us that-- I'm not really following all this, but does it go on much longer? Well, there are several beliefs as to where the souls of the dead go, but according to Crystalist thought-- I know this is a really important topic, but I'm sorry, I just can't take any more! Yes, it is a really important topic! Now, as I was saying-- No... Please... For the love of the crystals, stop!Just how much did the Crystalists know about the crystals, given that any sort of examination of them was sacrilege? How much was formed by experience and how much was made up to justify the Crystal Orthodoxy's rule? On a different note, this conversation was likely originally set in an earlier chapter, given Ringabel's well-documented personality change.  Contrary to Edea's belief, these ghosts don't seem like they're going to harm much of anyone. The party's more than halfway through the continents, so they head over to the seabound Grandship for a break.  Same as before, the local tavern can't match up to the Proprietr-- Wait, "top-rate"?  So the tavernkeep in this world used to be a layabout like the one in Chapter 5...  But this time, something's changed him. More to the point, something we did changed him. If we'd come to Grandship before fighting a certain someone, the tavern would've been in a state similar to Chapter 5. ~~THAT NIGHT~~  The tavern is full of happy people, the place is filled with music, and there's an excited crowd gathered around the stage.  The local seamen are taken by the tavern singer's charms. She even has foreign fans coming to see her perform. Her shows are getting more popular by the day. And the singer herself...  Is happy. In this version of the world, she and the tavernkeep have found a greater purpose. Which brings us to our current tally.  Three of the five continents have been freed from the Duchy's tyranny, though Florem is up for debate. Til and Olivia are alive, so far as we know. Two of the four crystals have been awakened and doubt over doing so is only growing. Ringabel's visions may be blurred, but one thing's become clear: something very important is being hidden from the party -- something that could mean the difference between life and death. But without more information, all we can do is keep watch, act normal, and find our answers before it's too late. Next: The enemy revealed. -- Event Viewer Main Scenario: Fragments of Memory (1) Doubt Fragments of Memory (2) Sub-Scenario: The Quintessential Swordmaster The Way of the Sword Olivia Lives - B Olivia Lives - A Party Chat: Airy's Temper The Monkey Show Ringabel's Invitation Bird Watching Edea and the Ghost Ship D's Journal: Edea Lee posted:At the Swordbearer stronghold Starkfort, Edea laid her soul bare before Swordmaster Kamiizumi. She thanked him for his unwavering friendship and support to her father, and the affection he had shown her. She also begged his forgiveness for her ignorant actions. He was pleased to hear her change of heart, and offered her a long overdue lesson. D's Journal: Swordmaster Kamiizumi posted:We confronted Swordmaster Kamiizumi on the top floor of Starkfort, lair of the Swordbearers. The desperate struggle between estranged master and disciple was a grim sight to behold. The master fell at the hands of his student, and she could do nothing but weep as his life slipped away. D's Journal: Olivia Oblige posted:When visiting the Matriarch in the third world, we learned that the water vestal Olivia had vanished half a year earlier. Apparently she still sends letters to let everyone know she is safe, but nobody has any idea where in Florem she could be hiding. 
Greyarc fucked around with this message at 04:24 on Sep 18, 2018 |
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Sep 18, 2018 04:12
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I really enjoy how Ringabel is becoming increasingly more disenchanted with Airy's poo poo. I must say that I never contemplated how Florem was the cause of his attitude towards women, though. Also, the cutscene with Kamiizumi is probably one of the most difficult to get, but the payoff is worth it. Blueberry Pancakes fucked around with this message at 04:38 on Sep 18, 2018 |
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Sep 18, 2018 04:32
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So I know you're expediting all this, but this would feel like a drag to go through since it's all just rehashes of everything, wouldn't it? Sure, there are changes here or there if you do the right things in the right order, like the Kamiizumi scene, but... Well, thanks for showing off everything in pain-staking detail, because I think this would've been goddamned tiring and old to go through.
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Sep 18, 2018 05:41
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BlackPersona posted:So I know you're expediting all this, but this would feel like a drag to go through since it's all just rehashes of everything, wouldn't it? Sure, there are changes here or there if you do the right things in the right order, like the Kamiizumi scene, but... Well, thanks for showing off everything in pain-staking detail, because I think this would've been goddamned tiring and old to go through. My only experience with this game is the LP, but it seems to me that if you don't do things right you can just reset the world and try over again. One thing I disliked about rpgs I used to play was missing side quests that became unavailable after certain story events. I always felt that I needed to check a guide before playing so I didn't miss anything. It might be tedious to have to redo things over and over in this game, but I'm sure if Greyarc weren't showing absolutely everything, you could blaze through each reset very quickly. I might have a different opinion if I'd actually played this game, but I'm loving the LP so far.
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Sep 18, 2018 05:49
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enahs posted:My only experience with this game is the LP, but it seems to me that if you don't do things right you can just reset the world and try over again. One thing I disliked about rpgs I used to play was missing side quests that became unavailable after certain story events. I always felt that I needed to check a guide before playing so I didn't miss anything. It might be tedious to have to redo things over and over in this game, but I'm sure if Greyarc weren't showing absolutely everything, you could blaze through each reset very quickly. This is exactly right, and if you, for whatever reason, didn't hunt down all the Eternians in Chapters 1-4, they're easy to round up now. (Excepting our favorite Vampire, who is a pain in the rear end to get to no matter what cycle you're on). Plus, all the refights remain optional.
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Sep 18, 2018 05:52
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I will say this: the Asterisk bosses at least do manage to be interesting, if only because of the story around them and how it changes. The Crystal Bosses are boring every time you fight them. And if you want to do the story faster without sidequests, then up to this point your experience would have been fighting only the crystal bosses and Alternis, only to come into Chapter 6 and needing to fight the Crystal bosses again.
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Sep 18, 2018 06:41
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BlackPersona posted:So I know you're expediting all this, but this would feel like a drag to go through since it's all just rehashes of everything, wouldn't it? For me (and as far as I can tell from the internet also for many others) that is exactly right. While the last world was the worst one because nearly nothing changed even on this world the gameplay is still very repetitive. We are doing the same thing over and over again and for all the travel time, reused cutscenes and repeated fights the few changes don't really stand out all that much. Especially when stuff like Heinkel happens where you fight just because. In a western RPG with dialogue trees you would at least have the faint hope that your words might make a difference but you are at the mercy of the group (and usually Edea especially). Which just ends in murder. The sisters being nowhere to find was the most interesting thing that has happened thus far as far as the Eternian forces are concerned. In short: This LP is pretty much the ultimate way to experience this part of the game. Greyarc cuts the tedium down to a minimum.
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Sep 18, 2018 08:10
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BlackPersona posted:So I know you're expediting all this, but this would feel like a drag to go through since it's all just rehashes of everything, wouldn't it? Like the others have said, yeah, it's a slog and a half. I'm not sure about how it turned out, but one of my goals with editing the Chapter 5 entries was to get across a taste of just how tedious the game had gotten. Now that we're in Chapter 6 it's been-there-done-that, so I'm fast-forwarding through huge amounts of repeat content. I mentioned in the OP that I can't recommend the game, and it's largely because of how much the back section of the game is designed to waste the player's time. The lack of new content relative to the amount of effort the player's encouraged to spend -- especially given how many times it bait-and-switches the player with zero payoff -- is abnormal for a relatively modern entry in such a story-dependent genre. Worse is that it's coming on the tail of the mostly good story-rich first four chapters (and prologue). Gives a serious case of whiplash when you're playing through.
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Sep 18, 2018 09:19
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