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Jan 9, 2019 03:19
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Honestly, based on what we have so far, I don't see any conflict between the early game and the late game at all. It's heavily hinted at, right, that Braev was always doing what he was doing, no matter how many people got hurt, for the sake of containing Lying Airy? It'd be a pretty poor game about coming to understand your enemy's motivations if you couldn't agree with them.
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Jan 9, 2019 03:52
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Glazius posted:Honestly, based on what we have so far, I don't see any conflict between the early game and the late game at all. It's heavily hinted at, right, that Braev was always doing what he was doing, no matter how many people got hurt, for the sake of containing Lying Airy? It'd be a pretty poor game about coming to understand your enemy's motivations if you couldn't agree with them. I don't think it's necessarily a matter of not being able to understand someone just because you don't agree with them. Like, I may not agree that oatmeal is delicious, but I could understand why someone would like it if they actually attempted to explain. If the characters didn't conveniently forget certain facts (like the orthodoxy being corrupt) I imagine the story would only benefit from characters demonstrating that they're loosing their black and white world view of there being"good" and "bad" sides to be on. The game would be like serval chapters shorter if Braev were like "Orthodoxy is bad, and here's why!" maybe they wouldn't agree at first, but the party literally just took a stroll through a giant graveyard that was explicitly explained to be the resting places of everyone who died during a plague that the Orthodoxy totally could've helped with so it would be weird if they didn't take a moment to stop and consider it. Edit: It's kinda like Kingdom Hearts where if some of the characters who are friends were better at talking RandomMagus posted:In FF5 the tentacle enemies in the second mini-dungeon area only attack your female party members. If you only have the male party members active they just won't attack you at all. Reki Kawahara must be a fan of that one Lyumia fucked around with this message at 07:56 on Jan 9, 2019 |
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Jan 9, 2019 06:34
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Glazius posted:Honestly, based on what we have so far, I don't see any conflict between the early game and the late game at all. It's heavily hinted at, right, that Braev was always doing what he was doing, no matter how many people got hurt, for the sake of containing Lying Airy? It'd be a pretty poor game about coming to understand your enemy's motivations if you couldn't agree with them. I think the issue is that the later worlds are just nicer on their own. If things were turning out better because our party knew more and was better able to understand the Eternians that would be one thing, but they're just doing the same things over and over while the Eternians in each world turn out nicer for completely unrelated reasons. We're not agreeing with them, the game just changed genres.
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Jan 9, 2019 15:15
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Snake Maze posted:I think the issue is that the later worlds are just nicer on their own. If things were turning out better because our party knew more and was better able to understand the Eternians that would be one thing, but they're just doing the same things over and over while the Eternians in each world turn out nicer for completely unrelated reasons. We're not agreeing with them, the game just changed genres. To add to this, the only time the party managed to understand someone more and change their mind was Kami dude. There's little to no reason to actually do these sidequests other than the dialogue, which makes them really bad side quests if you're not invested in these characters or the challenge of taking them on in a group.
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Jan 9, 2019 18:35
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RandomMagus posted:In FF5 the tentacle enemies in the second mini-dungeon area only attack your female party members. If you only have the male party members active they just won't attack you at all. I didn't know Ultros debuted one game early.
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Jan 9, 2019 22:30
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To this day I dont understand how Ultros became a recurring enemy and then a side area host. But more RPGs need random animal/monsters carrying a grudge.
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Jan 9, 2019 23:18
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It helps that Ultros is pretty funny. And apparently has some relationship with a number of side characters, like Siegfried (though it's not clear whether he means the real or the fake).
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Jan 10, 2019 00:57
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Octopus Royalty does what Octopus Royalty wants to do.
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Jan 10, 2019 06:19
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octopus royalty is a continuous inking motion
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Jan 11, 2019 00:04
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Entry 106: The Asterisks in Use In a departure from chapters 1-4, the Braev of this world somehow knows the party well enough to not bother sending an invitation to Eternian Central Command.  Sorry, he had to pay his karmic dues for creation of the lolicon character.  After a brief rest in Eternia City, it's imperative we go beat up the Eternians right away. Because.  The party makes their way towards our boy Braev as our scene shifts to him.  Among you are those who have swallowed their pride to follow my command to abandon their posts. Those willing to fight for the duchy and all of Luxendarc, though it goes against long-held convictions.Convictions such as "actively sabotage everyone in Luxendarc who isn't an Eternian"?  Now might be a good time to apologize for putting knowingly corrupt fellows in positions of authority with no oversight. No? Okay. You are all of these, but I bid you now, forget your differences this day! Keep to the battle lines I've drawn and we shall strike a blow against the vestal's forces! But remember this. We do not fight for wanton slaughter of our enemy!...Braev, as in every world, remains the blissful idealist regarding his army's actions.  Anyway, the good news: they won't try to kill us on purpose! I will assign a leader to each company and confer orders detailing my plan of attack.They're just going to beat us up in a meticulously organized manner.  He's looking at you, Heinkel. And Einheria. And Kamiizumi. And... Almost everyone else here. I'll hear any complaints after the battle. Readying to face the vestal is your sole concern now! That is all. May you be victorious in battle!The forces split and take up positions just as the party arrives at the gates.  *action music* Also Edea's got her "screw you Dad, I'm going my own morally grey path and wearing a bikini in sub-zero" outfit on. The party does a slo-mo entrance while we our first opponents go over their plan:  Braev's choice here is of the quality we've come to expect.  My name is Erutus Profiteur. And you, eldest of the Venus sisters, you are ze valkyrie, er... Einheria Venus. Proud to serve you, sir! Even in Ancheim, I hear good things of your work in leading ze Bloodrose Legion. You give me too much credit, sir. Our captain is Fiore-- At least with Khamer's carrot/stick hanging over Profiteur's head, Profiteur's going for the honey rather than vinegar approach to dealing with his fellow soldiers. And zen we have Jackal. No introductions needed, hm? Whatever floats your boat. So, what were the grand marshal's orders? Let me guess. Moneybags here supplies the BP, and me and you burn through 'em quick as you like. Correct. And as in all things, a good start is key. Drive ze vestal and her people into ze ground before zey know what hit zem! Yes, sir!Einheria shifts, her dress poking into Jackal's leg.  What are those anyway, some kind of blades? What're they doing dangling down by your legs? Oh, these? They are for delivering maximum damage when I dive down on my enemies. Well, save it for them, will ya? I'm an ally in case you've forgotten. Apologies. "Apologies"? That's the best you can do? This team doesn't even need Profiteur's misbehaviour to be a wreck. I'm very sorry! That won't cut it, wither! I want to hear you say it like you mean it! For us thieves, speed's everything. I'm good as dead if I take one to the leg, follow!? Please accept my apology! And to ensure no further trouble, I...I will be standing by overhead! *JUMP* But Einheria does not appear to hear him. Despite the limits of being inside a building, she is far, far above, reaching heights in her embarrassment that would put even Kain Highwind to shame. ...... ............ ...Hellooo! Jackal, on the other hand, is so impressed he's already forgotten his rage.  A short time later, the party finds Profiteur's group waiting just outside the elevator leading to the upper floors.  And so we're starting the first of our Fanfiction: The Final Gauntlet battles.  This one has simple strategy. Profiteur buys BP for the other two...  ...with an ability using what looks like a stock image graphic...  ...and Einheria and Jackal are able to use big BP draining abilities every turn.  Dialogue-wise, these Central Command battles are simplified compared to the previous ones, with only critical health and KO dialogue, no 1/10 lines. Other critical health lines: I'm still in this one! See, I'm fine! Zese rats are more persistent zan I had expected.KOs:  Bah, zis is no place for children!Einheria and Jackal, with his newfound respect: Nngh! ...They're formidable. I must withdraw! Hurry up and get back, frills!Profiteur and Jackal, who continues to give Profiteur the respect he deserves: Aaagh! Zis cannot be... Ugh, Profiteur! That was pathetic!Last, the solo KO lines:  Heh. It's always me alone in the end. You've grown strong, Edea. I almost forgot it was you.Afterwards, Profiteur's team moves out of the way.  Leaving us free to take the elevator up. Meanwhile...  Our second team has time to chat. About what else? Battle.  It was fifteen years ago we met. I've competed against you for glory on the field ever since. In a sense, we have been fighting together the entire time. Heh heh heh, you have a point there. And you. Holly, wasn't it? You were there as well, weren't you? Yes, swordmaster. We were in different units, but I joined you on that day fifteen years ago. I was only a medic-in-training, but I served as best as I was able.From the records: Kamiizumi was with Braev assaulting the Temple of Earth (Everlast Tower) while Heinkel led the charge at the Orthodoxy's head temple (Central Command). Holly was stationed in Eternia City.  Kikyo, in contrast, is a mystery. So, what is the grand marshal's plan? Precisely what it looks like. We are to be an iron wall to neutralize the enemy's attacks.Every job combination we face in Central Command will be unlike any faced before in the game.  One of the strongest points of Bravely Default is its flexible battle system, so plot issues aside, this is a perfect set of challenges to set to the player. Indeed. We'll make a formidable line, though timing will be key. Braev was slow to act, but it seems a fire's finally been kindled within him.Thanks to the asterisk system, we know the Eternians are using roughly the same jobs we now have access to. It creates fun situations like these where we can see some different combos as used by the game, and turn their own jobs against them.  As the party approaches Kamiizumi's group, Holly tries being social with the other woman on the team.   ..................... ..................... ...Try to put your thoughts into words on occasion, Kikyo. ..................... ..................... ..................... Same as other worlds, Kikyo the ninja can only speak while in disguise.  It's breaking with the game, but I'm going to go ahead and separate her words here for readability's sake:  silence while out of disguise to those who do not know the reason places a burden upon the captain, which pains me. Hence I have held my tongue, but I apologize if I've given any offense. *POOF* Oh, boy! Get a load of that! ..................... Far from mocking, Holly seems genuinely impressed.  ..................... *POOF*  I came to loathe my own languid speech and soon stopped speaking altogether, though I found that I could speak at a rapid clip if I was in disguise...*POOF* Well, that would explain it. You poor dear... The Black Blades did nothing to ease this poor girl's troubled soul!?*POOF*  did not scorn me for or grow frustrated at my speech... Save one enormously fat, useless slug...*POOF* No need to keep speaking if you don't want to, Kikyo. Isn't that right, swordmaster? ......... ......... Well, I for one would like to hear a little more.Getting the sadistic streak out of Holly apparently makes her into a great person.  Anyway, this lovely moment of budding friendship and sisterhood is ruined by the party arriving. .................. ..................! Don't worry. No one will laugh, I promise. .................. .................. ..................!Finally, after another long pause:  Amazing what a little moral support can do.  The vestal of wind's party of four! All formidable opponents! There, you see? That was lovely. Well, boss, Kikyo just sounded out the warning! Indeed. Thank you for that, Holly! To arms, one and all! Time to meet the vestal and her followers in battle!What a heartwarming welcome to us getting beaten up.  Or, more likely, us beating them up. But one thing we won't touch is Kikyo's newfound courage.   The gimmick here is finding a way to attack. Heinkel will tank any single-target hits on other teammates, while Holly keeps reflect up on both teams to discourage magic use.  On the offchance you get through the defenses of those two, Kikyo will take evasive actions and Kamiizumi has a chance to deploy a nasty counterattack.  Other critical health lines: ...I will fight to the end for those who accepted me...! What joy! Your growth far outstrips what I had imagined. You people would get all hot and bothered over this!KO exchanges:  Stand back, swordmaster. I'll take it from here!Heinkel and Holly, who seems lackadaisical at a glance but does actually take her job seriously: Aaagh! The iron wall is broken! Fall back, Captain! I'll make these scum pay!Holly and Heinkel: Just lovely... Looks like I slipped up. Kikyo and Kamiizumi, her sympathetic commander: ...............!! Kikyo, retreat! I'll tolerate no needless death!And finally, the solo KO lines:  Heh heh. A brilliant victory on your part! Phew, it's finally over. You lot aren't half bad. Go now, Edea, and never look back!As the party continues on after the battle, the third group prepares.  A polite argument is underway.  Gah heh heh! Nonsense, Alternis Dim! What better leader than a member of the Council of Six, says I! Besides, the matter's settled. The grand marshal named you the man for the job.Alternis is clearly being trained up for a leadership position, so it'd be surprising for him not to command his own group.  Barbarossa works better as a first mate, regardless.  Ha haaa! Can't say as I understood any of that, but why not have Alternis lead us? I totally, completely, supremely agree! So, what's the grand marshal have planned for us? It's actually quite simple. He wants us to-- Beat 'em to a pulp! Chop them into mincemeat! Sing their eardrums out! Alternis's enthusiasm never shows the way the other Eternians do. It's not until he becomes Ringabel he really shows his personal flair.  It's a shame our Ringabel lost his Dark Knight asterisk somewhere along the way. You'd think he'd have kept it close, considering how powerful and rare it is.  Does that mean there's some fisherman out in Caldisla running around with dark knight powers? Or a goblin? It's nice that the asterisks are explained in the plot, though the way they must work ingame is...kinda inscrutable. Now, my hearties! Let's-- Give 'em a serious thumping! It's show time!Barbarossa isn't leader but can't help backseat-leading. Suleiman must've been one hell of a patient guy.  This is similar to the first Central Command battle, with one BP battery supplying a bunch of heavy damage dealers.  Despite having one more person, it's easier to manage than the other fight, because Alternis's dark damage can be nullified by a spiritmaster and the other two only do single-target attacks.  Other critical health lines: Together we fight! Rally to me! Rraaagh! Do you see these pecs!? They're on fire! Watch out! I still have songs to sing...dances to dance!KO exchanges:  There's been no sign of this world's Edea.  Eek, are you alright!?Barras and Alternis: Huh!? What am I doing on the ground? Barras! Fall back for now!Praline and Barbarossa: Aww... I was almost to my best part! Barbarossa and Alternis: Gah hah hah! A fine mess I made of that! And some of the solo KOs: Let this be the momentum that moves you ever forward! Oh, yeah. Nothing better than fighting to your last breath. The third battle of central command is finished, but we aren't to the top yet. Hope Braev's got a crossword or something to do while he waits. Next: The Final Move of the Eternians. -- Event Viewer Sub-Scenario: The Battle of Eternia Brave Points Galore Showdown: Brave Points Galore The Iron Wall Showdown: The Iron Wall The Powerhouses Showdown: The Powerhouses D's Journal: Jackal the Thief posted:The elevator to the 47th floor of Central Command was guarded by Eternian vanguard forces, led by Erutus Profiteur, Merchant of Death. We faced a tough fight, as he used his wealth to provide the Jackal and the valkyrie Einheria with ample BP to execute their powerful attacks. However, we exploited the slight gap in their teamwork to win the fight. D's Journal: Profiteur, Merchant of Death posted:Profiteur, the Merchant of Death, led an Eternian vanguard force guarding the elevator to the 47th floor of Central Command. He used his wealth to buy BP for Einheria and the Jackal to unleash countless attacks, creating a force of terrifying power. We exploited small gaps in their teamwork to eke out a hard-fought victory. D's Journal: Einheria the Valkyrie posted:The elevator to the 47th floor of Central Command was guarded by Eternian vanguard forces, led by Erutus Profiteur, Merchant of Death. He gave the valkyrie Einheria and thieving Jackal abundant BP, and their attacks were merciless. It was a tough fight, but we exploited small gaps in Einheria and the Jackal's teamwork to prevail in the end. D's Journal: Holly the White Mage posted:The 48th floor of Central Command was guarded by a formidable defense under Swordmaster Kamiizumi. The ninja Kikyo warned of our approach, her hand gripped by the white mage Holly, who seemed close to tears for some reason. She looked truly ravishing. (Grr! -Edea) We won the battle that followed, and everyone seemed in good spirits. D's Journal: Heinkel the Knight posted:The 48th floor of Central Command was guarded by a formidable defense under Swordmaster Kamiizumi. At first the mood was light, but in battle the dark sword flashed, wielded by the former commander of the duchy's elite guard... We emerged victorious, but that is one fight I don't want to repeat. (Agreed... -Edea) D's Journal: Swordmaster Kamiizumi posted:The 48th floor of Central Command was guarded by a formidable defense under Swordmaster Kamiizumi. He had the complete trust of Braev the Templar, and assembled a stalwart team who he could rely on to carry out his orders perfectly. All those there fought without a care for who won or lost, desiring only to battle on. D's Journal: Konoe the Ninja posted:The 48th floor of Central Command was guarded by a formidable defense led by Swordmaster Kamiizumi. When we arrived, a calm atmosphere seemed to surround the ninja Kikyo...but I was too quick to judge. She unleashed fierce attacks in the battle that followed, holding nothing back. It seemed as if she was fighting with newfound vigor. D's Journal: Barras the Monk posted:The 49th floor of Central Command was protected by an elite melee force led by the dark knight Alternis Dim. With the melee attacks of Barras and the axe blows of Captain Barbarossa enhanced by the songs of Praline, Diva of the Battlefield, each strike landed with pummeling force. We bested them after a harrowing battle, and they duly let us past. D's Journal: Alternis the Dark Knight posted:The 49th floor of Central Command was guarded by a melee focused unit led by Alternis Dim: my former self, who concealed his identity to serve under the templar... With each sword strike, my memories of the past became clearer. We both sought the same thing--to protect those we love. Thus, I defeated one who shared my goals, and vowed to continue on. D's Journal: Captain Barbarossa posted:The 49th floor of Central Command was guarded by an elite melee force led by the dark knight Alternis Dim. Barbarossa and the other melee specialists were powerful enough on their own, but they came at us with their abilities enhanced by the songs of Praline, Diva of the Battlefield. We prevailed after an intense struggle, and our spirited opponents let us pass. D's Journal: Praline, Diva of the Battlefield posted:On the 49th floor of Central Command, we faced off against an elite melee force. Alternis, Barras, and Barbarossa, stalwart members of the duchy's forces, were filled with power by the songs of Praline, Diva of the Battlefield. Praline shone in the spotlight, doing her part for the defense of her homeland.  (Note: This is the unaltered aspect ratio of the picture in the artbook. Unsure whether the stretched proportions are intended.) Greyarc fucked around with this message at 04:51 on Jan 11, 2019 |
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Jan 11, 2019 04:48
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hey girl you up posted:octopus royalty is a continuous inking motion  Reach heaven by violence. E: Oh boy update!
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Jan 11, 2019 04:49
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I guess it's due to their lack of presence in the original story, but the Eternian asterisk holders honestly seem like a lot better targets for fanfic than the core crew.
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Jan 11, 2019 05:05
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The Gauntlet is great, but man, some of these fights will spank you hard if you're not expecting it.
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Jan 11, 2019 05:11
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Hobgoblin2099 posted:The Gauntlet is great, but man, some of these fights will spank you hard if you're not expecting it. And some of them will spank you even if you are!
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Jan 11, 2019 05:36
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Hobgoblin2099 posted:The Gauntlet is great, but man, some of these fights will spank you hard if you're not expecting it. Even if you're expecting it for some people. Quite a few friends of mine couldn't finish the entire set of battles.
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Jan 11, 2019 05:40
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The one coming up next is I think the most infamously difficult one.
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Jan 11, 2019 06:02
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I really like the idea behind these fights, even if I'm glad that I'm not the one doing them. Shame about all the crap you have to go through to get here.
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Jan 11, 2019 06:22
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RandomMagus posted:In FF5 the tentacle enemies in the second mini-dungeon area only attack your female party members. If you only have the male party members active they just won't attack you at all. Just be glad Cara isn't in the party at that point. Though now that I think about it... Hobgoblin2099 posted:I didn't know Ultros debuted one game early. Wasn't Child Rydia in the octopus boss fight in FF4? Ultros may have gotten his start even earlier.
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Jan 13, 2019 05:04
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So what OP combo has the party been abusing for these refights? I'm pretty sick of the Eternians and i'm not even playing the game.
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Jan 13, 2019 08:27
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DGM_2 posted:Wasn't Child Rydia in the octopus boss fight in FF4? Ultros may have gotten his start even earlier. Octomammoth? Yep. That octopus didn't have any notable perversion, though.
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Jan 13, 2019 08:32
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WarpedLichen posted:So what OP combo has the party been abusing for these refights? Yeah, I'd kinda like to hear more about the game play. There hasn't been any meaningful story for this entire world, as far as I can tell. Party shows up, things are better for some reason and apparently have been since before they blasted a hole into this dimension, and... we're killing everyone anyway, because there's quest markers on them, I guess. May as well talk about how the combat system works because nothing else is really going on.
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Jan 13, 2019 09:06
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WarpedLichen posted:So what OP combo has the party been abusing for these refights? Honestly it's probably more interesting when you're playing because these fights are basically puzzles to solve. That said there are a number of extremely broken things in this game that can beat anything easily.
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Jan 13, 2019 09:16
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WarpedLichen posted:So what OP combo has the party been abusing for these refights? Akratic Method posted:Yeah, I'd kinda like to hear more about the game play. There hasn't been any meaningful story for this entire world, as far as I can tell. Party shows up, things are better for some reason and apparently have been since before they blasted a hole into this dimension, and... we're killing everyone anyway, because there's quest markers on them, I guess. May as well talk about how the combat system works because nothing else is really going on. I wasn't gonna mention it in the LP, but just in case someone asked, I wrote down the team I used for the Central Command battles in my notes: Edea: Ninja/Spiritmaster -- frenetic fighting/hawkeye/precision (acts first, emergency spiritmaster, otherwise stabs) Ringabel: Vampire/Freelancer -- knuckle lore/natural talent/monster ability up/steady mp recover/phys.atk.up 10% (debuffs, mimics, damage, heals?) Tiz: Freelancer/Performer -- shield lore/dual shields/steady mp recover/armor lore/helm lore (BP battery, buffs) Agnes: Spiritmaster/White Mage -- dual shields/shield lore/steady mp recover/holy one (main spiritmaster, healer, other stuff) Not perfect but it got the job done. I looked up a bunch've different strategies people used and then ignored 90% of that and went with a team I liked personally. I also made improvements on this team later since it was something I put together kind've haphazardly at the time -- making Ringabel more efficient, switching out white mage for salve-maker, and adding hasten world I think were the big things. I happily abuse spiritmaster abilities to have immunity to elemental/status effects plus using stillness to control the flow of battle, which is why spiritmaster is so good. Once you get used to how the jobs work, it's like Clarste says: you can screw around a whole lot, and so long as you know how to abuse the broken stuff, you'll probably be fine. Anyway, feel free to analyze the setup or add your own, I'm just happy my team was enough to deliver me to all the plot. Greyarc fucked around with this message at 10:49 on Jan 13, 2019 |
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Jan 13, 2019 10:47
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Until this point I tried to play the game at least somewhat fairly, but these fights made me break it utterly. Hasten world+stillness until max BP, nuke and repeat. The only real finesse needed for this setup is that your entire party needs to outspeed the enemy, and your stillness caster needs to be the slowest partymember.
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Jan 13, 2019 11:58
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I can't quite remember all the details, but I had something like this (with Hasten World): Edea: Swordmaster/Spellfencer, use both Magic and Physical Counter every turn with Drain Blade cast Tiz: Ninja/Pirate, spam Kairai on Edea every turn and use the other action for damage/utility. Speed Down was vitality important for one fight Ringabel: Spiritmaster/White Mage, the usual "immune to all elements" kinda stuff and healing when necessary Agnes: Arcanist/Black Mage, do 9999 damage to all targets as often as possible (I remember using Annihilation a lot for some reason, although I don't know if that's the best way) Basically Edea was invincible and killed everything. Hasten World made the enemies kill themselves on her blade twice as fast. Clarste fucked around with this message at 13:03 on Jan 13, 2019 |
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Jan 13, 2019 12:30
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Frozenzen posted:Until this point I tried to play the game at least somewhat fairly, but these fights made me break it utterly. Hasten world+stillness until max BP, nuke and repeat. The only real finesse needed for this setup is that your entire party needs to outspeed the enemy, and your stillness caster needs to be the slowest partymember. You can also have everyone else attack with Shippunjirai. That way speed won't matter. I find that looking at the speed stat to figure out the turn order isn't reliable for some reason.
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Jan 13, 2019 13:28
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I don't have any team of my own to share, but I'd like to share the team the other LPer who was doing video content used for most of the boss battles. He had a personal stipulation to not double up on any jobs for anyone, so the team ended up looking like this: Tiz: Freelancer/Thief Agnes: Black Mage/White Mage (with Arcanist dabbling) Ringabel: Vampire/Templar (with Spell Fencer dabbling) Edea: Monk/Salve-maker OR Performer The key skills were BP Recovery on everyone, and Group-Cast All on Agnes to be a BP battery for the party by every turn, if she could, doing Poison/Poison/Poison/Poisona, or sometimes Esuna if the enemy had other debilitating statuses. She also had Arise in her pocket if something went wrong. Tiz would spam Godspeed Strike and Mimic it, basically, with a lot of Speed-boosting skills on himself. Ringabel would use the vampire genome Earthquake to hit all enemies for massive damage by stacking Sword Magic Amp, Drain Attack Up, and Monster Ability Up thanks to using the Blood Blade as an item to cast Drain Sword on himself, and would also use the Templar's Rampart to protect from damage. Edea would buff the party with either songs, or the Salve-maker's mixing depending on the battle as an alternative to Spiritmaster, as he considered Stillness too good to use. Then she'd mostly use Pressure Point on the Monk for damage if she could, using Divine Fists and the Luminous Robe to amp that damage. The crux of this strategy revolved around everyone being fast enough to get around enemies, meaning using equipment like Red Caps from the beginning of the game for basically the entire game. Agnes also always had to move last in the party so she could heal their BP after they've already spent it all.
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Jan 13, 2019 14:35
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1234567890num posted:You can also have everyone else attack with Shippunjirai. That way speed won't matter. I find that looking at the speed stat to figure out the turn order isn't reliable for some reason. Yeah, same. It's weird and I feel like there's some secret math the game is using that I can't see.
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Jan 13, 2019 14:48
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Looking back at my 4year old save, I ended up with 2x Timemage/Swordmaster Freelancer/Spiritmaster Spiritmaster/Whitemage Guess I wasnt very creative
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Jan 13, 2019 15:12
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I used a Spiritmaster to give everyone elemental absorption, then had a Dark Knight spam Dark Nebula. It works except that one time the Dark Knight decided to go before my Spiritmaster and I got a TPK.
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Jan 13, 2019 17:19
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I think my team was Dark Knight/Vampire (Use blood blade, spam Rage, vampire for debuff/utility) Dark Knight/Chemist (same as above, set dark weakness on enemy) Red Mage/Time Mage (poison BP battery, time magic for reraise and other utility) Templar/Spiritmaster (negate anything the enemies wanted to try) Usually each hit of rage would do 9999 after buffs/debuffs were up, and both knights could rage twice thanks to the red mage BP battery. 20 9999 hits usually ended the fight pretty quickly, to say the least.
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Jan 13, 2019 20:19
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I forget the exact setup I used but the backbone was basically "Use Spiritmaster to guard team against dark damage, spam the hell out of Dark Knight's powerful total field (Dark Vortex? I forget the name) kill move. Throw in a Black Mage/Arcanist for the ol' Poison/Exterminate combo for good measure.
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Jan 13, 2019 20:29
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I wanna say that I used Tiz (Performer/Freelancer), Agnes (Spiritmaster/White Mage), Ringabel (Dark Knight/Spell Fencer), and Edea (Thief/Freelancer).
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Jan 13, 2019 20:29
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I had: Tiz - Monk/Freelancer Agnes - Spiritmaster/White Mage Ringabel - Dark Knight/ Spell Fencer Edea - Pirate/Swordmaster. Agnes keeps everyone alive while they brave, once they are maxed I nuke the field with Braved Pressure Point + Mimic, Free Lunch Amp Strikes and Drain Sword Dark Banes. With Agnes to cast Stillness afterwards til everyone can move again.
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Jan 13, 2019 21:56
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Yeah I will say that I feel like the most compelling part of these fights is how you're actually taking them apart rather than the dialogue that you get with them.
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Jan 13, 2019 22:45
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When I did my no-exp run of the game, I realized that as long as you can get a 50% buff on a dual shield knight with the best equipment available, that you could take no damage from bosses who only use physical attacks. Keep the other party members at critical health and the party takes no damage from physical attacks. Edea, the knight, would just use ironclad every turn and tank every hit. Once Praline was defeated, equipping buff up made sure that the defense buff never wears off after its first cast. And then Edea learned supercharge and could effectively solo every physical attacking boss in the game at her starting level. Magic users could be neutralized with reflect and an elemental immunity salve. Really troublesome bosses like Yulyana had to be dealt with in two turns, since meteor means instant death. And the simplest way of doing that was by using Shadow flare for a guarenteed 9999 damage for two full turns. It was a bit grindy. A single slow salvemaker can also loop Praline into summoning her goons over and over again, since you'll always act after her at low levels. This game is amazing.
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Jan 14, 2019 02:36
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I'm trying to remember my endgame party for this and I think it was something like: Tiz: Vampire/Dark Knight, Spammed rage and then replenished health with bloodthirst Agnes: Spiritmaster/Salvemaker, though I think I subbed out one of these for White Mage every now and again. Tranquility to give me time to set up giant drafts and all that, afterwards it was just dark banes shadowflares. Ringabel: Performer/Freelancer, standard BP battery, My Hero and Mimic for eternity. Had dual shields and shield lore for maximum survivability. Edea: Pirate/Swordmaster, similar to Tiz, use free lunch and then just spam amped strike. There was always one person with haste world so the murder train never stopped.
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Jan 14, 2019 04:11
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I don't think I ever got to My Hero, so I used the typical Red Mage full-party Poison strat.
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Jan 14, 2019 04:40
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| # ? May 27, 2024 13:41 |
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Entry 107: The Eternal Battle This is the last entry dealing with Eternians. Most of them, at least.  We thoroughly know these guys by now.  I won't have him barking at me later. He wants you to lead, so you're the leader. B-b-but that's mad! If you're high up enough to call the g-grand marshal "Braev," you should be the one in charge! I prefer to hang b-b-back in the shadows. And why is nobody else t-t-tt... TALKING here!? Ugh, leave me out of this. I rather like this arrangement. It'll give us some playtime alone, eh, Mephilia?...And its not as though their characters are particularly deep, either.  But just how many Eternians have we dealt with? Let's count numbers. Two jiggly sisters at once!? Ooh, count me in! Aaah! Help! I'm m-mm-more the lone wolf type! How am I supposed to fight with, let alone lead you lot!?There are 23 Eternians with asterisks. Four each in Caldisla (Sky Knights), Harena (Khamer & Profiteur Merchantry), and Florem (Bloodrose Legion); five in Eisenberg (Black Blades); six in Eternia itself (Council of Six, including Yulyana).  "Don't." The only problem would be if we get carried away and used up all our MP!You'd think this was a hint on how to defeat these guys, but remember, Qada's abilities don't even use MP.  Plus, like all bosses, they have 9999 MP so hah ha ha, not an option.  23 Eternians repeatedly fought over the course of five worlds. Some of them, like Khint, more than once per world. ...My fire, er...fira will... No, make that, my-- Oh, stop your prattling and let's get on with it! Ho ha ha ha ha! To battle! ...What a waste of my talents.But of all the Eternian combos we've fought, this one is arguably the toughest.  Believe it or not, these four work well together, and getting caught unaware can easily insta-kill the party in a firestorm.  To start, Qada routinely debuffs the party's fire resist. This debuff overwrites all elemental resistances, including those from equipment and Spiritmasters, so Enigma or other elemental protections need to be reapplied if there's any chance the party will take an attack.  Ominas has upgraded to firaga, and Mephilia's switched to using the fire dragon-train summon.  Yulyana uses black and white magic to supplement his conjurer buffs, backing up the firepower of the others and keeping the party from using reflect as a defense. Altogether, if you get caught without protection of some sort...  ...your team will die. Solutions? Being able to reapply fire protection is a must. Qada's debuff is key to the whole strategy, so taking him down first makes the battle significantly easier. So long as Qada is active, ensure the party has another form of anti-one-shot defense, such as Reraise or Stillness.  Having a character who acts first is a huge benefit to keeping the flow of battle in your favor, but keep in mind turn order has a 25 percent margin of error based on agility, so if you want to guarantee a character will go first, they need to have a substantially higher agility stat. Other critical health lines: You mean little rascals. It's not nice to bully old folk. Careful now, you are all using far too much MP. I still haven't p-pulled my best spells out of my hat...Once you make a team overpowered enough, you can use virtually the same strategy for every single boss in the game. Even against a fight like this, all I did was play slightly more defensive than usual, reapplying Stillness after my fast attacker acted but before Qada and co. could set the party on fire. KO exchanges, starting with Ominas and Qada:  Alright. If you're done here, clear the way.Qada and Mephilia: Rrgh! Did I use the wrong salve? Ugh, gross! Out of my way if you're done!Yulyana and Mephilia: Ho ho! I'm getting careless in my old age. Sage, please, fall back!Mephilia and Yulyana: Eeeeeeeeek! Einheria...! There's never just one solution that works for these battles. The jobs aren't equally useful, but there are several good job combos you can use in endgame battles. There's also enough leeway that if you really love an underpowered job like, say, black mage, you can fit them into an endgame team without too much consequence. In the end, what matters is playing in a way that makes you happy, and the game does a decent job of allowing for that. Final KOs: Gah! Where'd everyone go!? This is...insubordination... ......I know my...sister would be proud. Battle four is done. Of the 23 Eternians, we've now fought 15 on our way up Central Command.  In the first world alone (Intro - Chapter 4), we fought 20 battles with the Eternians and fought different instances of the Eternians 26 times. Which is a lot, but they were the main plot enemies at that point.  Even back then, almost every single Eternian battle was optional. In the first world, you're only required to fight the Sky Knights, Victor/Victoria (twice), Braev, and Alternis. The Merchantry, Bloodrose Legion, Black Blades and vampire-man are optional.  Not at all. Our course of action is already determined. Obliterate the enemy's hopes of victory in a merciless hail of status ailment attacks? Send man and woman alike fleeing from all manner of malicious magical molestations? Use my dark rituals to cull their lives before they've the chance to fret over their health? Make that vestal and her minions taste rapture brimming with despair?After the first world, every Eternian fight is optional except fighting Alternis a second time at the end of Chapter 5.  Not at all, there are plenty more where these came from!  I had prided myself on being rather twisted, but you three are warped beyond measure. No doubt this pretense at strategy is Braev's little revenge upon me for never listening... Heh heh, then so be it. Challenge accepted, templar.If someone just burned through the game's main storyline and ignored all side content, their only knowledge of most of the Eternians would be a few stray cutscenes. They'd never even see Jackal or DeRosa.  Which brings up a question: is getting to know these characters worth the time and effort the player spends pursuing their side quests? Now, join me. Let us torment the enemy with all our might. ...In moderation, of course.Most of them have nothing to do with the main plot, but considering how much they fill out the backend of the game's content, should they still be considered mere side characters?  Without the Eternian side stories, you're left with a bunch've scenes in the first few chapters that go nowhere, then doing the four crystals -> holy pillar -> four crystals thing over and over. That's it. It'd be a story that barely counts as a complete game, let alone a decent-lengthed RPG, with the majority of battles being the exact same four bosses, unchanged from chapter to chapter.  On top of that, without fighting optional Eternians, your gameplay options are reduced to a mere nine jobs: Freelancer, White Mage, Monk, Black Mage, Knight, Spiritmaster, Arcanist, Templar, and Dark Knight. We will annihilate you in a hail of crippling ailments!Speaking of jobs, after that last battle, a player might worry about what the game's got in store next.  If you don't have Spiritmaster or Salve-Maker leveled, this next battle can be a nightmare.  But if you do have some sort of protection against sleep, fear, poison, charm, doom, paralyze...  You're fine. Because ailments are all these guys do, even DeRosso.  Without their normal damage attacks, these guys actually end up easier than they were in other fights. I suppose the eldest ought to pick up a bit more slack. I'm far from sated... If you know what I mean. I won't be bested by the likes of the vestal!KO exchanges, starting with DeRosa and Victoria:  I agree! Now move your miserable carcass out of my way!DeRosso and Victoria: Hmm, a most spectacular failure... Retreat! I'll handle matters from here.Victoria and Khint: This is no fun at all... Stand back and let the grown-ups handle this!Khint and DeRosa: So, it ends here... And a couple of the final KOs: I fought to my fullest. I have no regrets. Team 5 is out of the way, bringing us to four Eternians left to fight.  Led by Braev himself, of course.  In chapter 5 (world 2), we fought 19 battles against 24 iterations of the Eternians.  I understand. I shall leave the offense to Your Lordship and the beast woman. Yes, Artemia beast! Beast crush enemy! Rawr! My Lord Templar, 'tis an honor to be chosen to join in this final stand. Your visionary--In chapter 6 (world 3), we fought 17 battles against 25 iterations of the Eternians.  In chapter 7 (world 4), we fought 10 battles against 26 iterations of the Eternians. Four! Here now... Exhausted, but courage full! As well they ought be. Nay, must be!Although the number of Eternians fought went up, the battle count went down because we started fighting them in clusters rather than one at a time.  Which brings us to motivations. In worlds one and two, the goal of the Eternians was to stop the vestal from awakening the crystals at any cost. The intra-personal relationships of the Eternians was kept to a bare minimum. We shall be the crucible to fire their steel. Give them the training ordeal of a lifetime!In world three, Braev originally intended to work with the vestal, but the Eternians each became caught up in their own personal ideals/schemes/personal failures.  In world four, Braev and the Eternians were downright jolly, battling the party over silly matters. Braev trusted the vestal to do the right thing and cheered the party along.  ...Sure enough, here's Father at the end of the line... The rest of his band seems like no easy task, either.Now, world five:  Every battle has been in service of the Ultimate Training Session for the vestal and her party.  Forgive me for stating the obvious, but we'd best be careful here! But enough talk. Now is the time to brave the storm!The Tiz of this world died when the Great Chasm formed according to the graveyard in Caldisla, and there's been no sign of Edea or Agnès. How does Braev know about the party's backgrounds? How is Tiz a hero if the Sky Knights were already leaving Caldisla as we arrived? Is this Braev aware of events in other worlds, or are we to assume the party's done a ton of heroic things in this world behind the scenes?  Let's take a breather from that mess to focus on gameplay. This team has a traditional RPG setup of tank (Braev), healer (Victor), physical DPS (Artemia), and magical DPS (Khamer).  Braev's rampart and Victor's heals make it the most defensive of the bunch, but it's nothing a semi-decent party's damage can't outpace.  Moderation is a new ability for Victor, potentially lowering the party's BP, but its effects are minimal if you have any way of manipulating BP.  Focus down one opponent at a time to be more efficient vs. rampart and do the occasional heal if needed. If you got through Ominas's team, you'll be fine here. Rawr rawr! I am Time Mage Khamer, king! Know your place! This will not do. I can afford no further blunders.Braev and Victor:  Lord Marshal, be prudent. You must retreat.Viktor and Khamer: Ngh! The rest is in your hands, Lord Khamer. In my hands!? I shall do my best, my good doctor!Khamer and Artemia: I've...failed to meet...the grand marshal's...expectations... ... Loser, run. In Artemia's way.Artemia and Braev: Ow!  Yeah, this is definitely a healthy and okay way for Artemia to be treated by all of her superiors and parental figures.Solo KOs: I've...failed to meet...the grand marshal's...expectations... So, it's come to this. ...Well done!  So, why did Braev pull out all his troops from foreign occupation? Why did he halt all his Anticrystalist planning, virtually all the duchy, to accomodate the party? Use that same steadfast determination to fulfill the hope that lies deep in your heart!What was all this training for?  The final boss. We will remain here. Should your heart waver, return to us at any time.[img]https://lpix.org/2703269/agnes_happy.png[img][/img] ...I thank you.  We'll be back, Father! I'll watch out for Edea. And this rascal here, he'll-- I'll protect Agnès!If only the Braev of world 1 had been so well-informed about Airy and the vestal's intentions.  But we aren't done here yet.  We can talk to Braev again for something really special: Is there something more I can do for you, Lady Vestal? Of course, if you're sane, you can turn him down. Very well, then. The future of Luxendarc is in your hands.But instead, I'm doing this LP. So:  Asking to battle again means repeating the six Central Command battles. What, again? Zis is abuse! Back for another lesson, are you? I've a few things left to teach! I do love a good fight! Insolence! Vestal, Edea, you're as bloodthirsty as I. We'll not hold back, Lady Vestal. Now, my sentinels, take up your positions!This time, however, there are no breaks between the fights. This is when abilities like the Conjurer MP regen come in handy, allowing a team to fight infinitely if needed.  The battles themselves are exact repeats of what we've already seen, so I'm cutting those out. After the Brave Points Galore team is beaten:  Prior to this no-breaks version of the gauntlet, Chapter 8 consisted of 11 battles against 42 Eternian iterations.  What? Wait, what!? No break? There is oft no rest for the weary in battle.  Is this part of that "no holding back" that was mentioned earlier? Fight!Each run through this gauntlet consists of six battles against 23 Eternians.  Defeat the Iron Wall:  Add up the total tally of what we've fought across all worlds, including this final run through the gauntlet and... Ha ha ha, must be your lucky day, Barras. I must say, I'm impressed you passed the swordmaster! Prepare to fight, you bilge rats! Gah ha hah! Here's your encore performance!This LP has a grand total of fighting 23 Eternians in 83 battles.  With the Powerhouses downed:  In those 83 Eternian battles, we encountered 166 iterations of the 23 asterisk Eternians.  ...We know! No need to gloat, you little weasel! (...He really is.) Ho ho ho. No argument here. You insolent little--! And that goes f-f-for the rest of you, too! Mm, it's sweet of you to give them this time to recover... S-silence! I'll show you all! My f-ff...my f-- Forward! To battle!All but eight of those 83 battles were optional.  Overcome Mega Magic:  So if you don't feel like battling the Eternians, good news: you can skip almost all of them! A pity your struggles have led you to us. But we wouldn't be us if we let pity sway us. If anything, kicking them while they're down is our forte. But all this talk is a bore. It's time for violence!  Just keep in mind that, all said and done, they make up a huge amount of the game's content.  After taking a break with Ailment Hell:  And if you do find yourself skipping that much of the game due to finding it boring... Yes, but for them to truly make it this far... It is but a taste of the bitter task that lies ahead for their fellowship of four. May this prepare you for the darkness ahead, Lady Vestal!What does that say about the game overall? Does the main story, involving repeatedly fighting the four demon bosses and awakening the crystals, stand up well enough on its own?  Once Braev's final battle is complete, we get our reward!  It's a shortened version of the same cutscene we got the first time the gauntlet was defeated.  But then you can choose to redo the fights if you want! Again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and Next: Suddenly, awakening the crystals doesn't seem like such a bad idea. -- Event Viewer Sub-Scenario: Mega Magic Showdown: Mega Magic Welcome to Ailment Hell Showdown: Ailment Hell Showdown: The Last Sentinels Onward, Warriors of Light! Hospitality, Eternian Style The Iron Wall to Battle! The Powerhouses to Battle! Mega Magic to Battle! Ailment Hell to Battle! The Last Sentinels to Battle! Save the World! D's Journal: Ominas the Black Mage posted:The passage of the 49th floor of Central Command was guarded by a unit specializing in magic. This odd band, including Sage Yulyana, was led by none other than the black mage Ominas Crowe. Pestered by the summoner Mephilia, he showed little leadership, but in battle he more than held his ground with searing attacks aided by the salve-maker Qada and the others. D's Journal: Sage Yulyana posted:Our way through the passage on the 49th floor of Central Command was blocked by a company of mages. We first thought them led by Sage Yulyana, but his hands were busy tormenting the summoner Mephilia. When the battle began, it was our turn to be tormented by his insanely powerful attacks... D's Journal: Mephilia the Summoner posted:The passage of the 49th floor of Central Command was guarded by a force of casters led by the black mage Ominas. The summoner Mephilia used her abundant power and full range of summoning spells to batter us, serving as the main source of firepower. The battlefield became a sea of flames, and though we prevailed, the whole area was left a charred mess. D's Journal: Qada the Salve-Maker posted:Our way through the passage on the 49th floor of Central Command was blocked by some of the duchy's most skilled casters. Qada played a support role, supplying raw magical power and healing to the other three, while targeting us with debilitating spells. Staring into the conflagration he had caused, Qada wore a grin much like that of pyromaniac Ominas. D's Journal: Spell Fencer Khint posted:The way to the council chamber at Central Command was guarded by a force specializing in inflicting ailments, led by the arcanist Victoria. It consisted of some of Eternia's quirkiest fighters, with the reticent Ciggma Khint being one of the more tolerable among their number. He fought with complete devotion, and saw us off with a look of satisfaction on his face when the battle ended. D's Journal: Victoria the Arcanist posted:The way to the council chamber at Central Command was guarded by a force specializing in inflicting ailments, led by the arcanist Victoria. She was in the company of some of the duchy's more unique characters, including Lord DeRosso, the red mage DeRosa, and the spell fencer Khint. She led them decisively and fought to the end, without suffering any seizures. D's Journal: Fiore the Red Mage posted:The way to the council chamber at Central Command was guarded by an ailment-focused force led by the arcanist Victoria. Compared to Lord DeRosso or the duchy's more powerful mages, the calculating red mage DeRosa who corrupted Florem from within seemed little more than a petty middle-aged crook. His vulgar laugh in the face of defeat only punctuated his villainous nature. D's Journal: Lord DeRosso posted:The way to the council chamber at Central Command was guarded by an ailment-inflicting force led by the arcanist Victoria. Lord DeRosso was aghast at the twisted minds gathered there. He believed the assignment to be reprisal from the templar, who he so often ignored. His annoyance only fed his will to win, and he pounced on us with a steely look in his eyes. D's Journal: Time Mage Khamer posted:Braev the Templar made his last stand in the chambers of the Council of Six at Eternian Central Command. Khamer, a believer in the Anticrystalist ideals that Braev pursued, was in high spirits at having the honor of fighting at his side. Khamer provided support through his time magic and rained down Meteors whenever an opening appeared, making for an extremely challenging battle. D's Journal: Victor S. Court posted:Braev the Templar made his last stand in the chambers of the Council of Six at Eternian Central Command. He was accompanied by an old man with a strange piece of metal on his head, and a girl in beast form. Victor oversaw the battle with a look of cool disdain. When he fell, our victory was sealed. D's Journal: Artemia the Ranger posted:Braev the Templar made his last stand in the chambers of the Council of Six at Eternian Central Command. In addition to the key figures Braev, Victor, and Khamer VIII, there was a lone girl among them. With formidable support on her side, Artemia was free to shine on the battlefield. She displayed great valor and skill with the bow. D's Journal: Braev the Templar posted:We once again found Braev the Templar's forces in the chambers of the Council of Six at Eternian Central Command. Each blow felt both harsh and puposeful. The stalwart band before us was here to push us to our limits, so we would be ready to defeat our ultimate foe. After the battle, the templar told us we could return any time we wished. 
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Jan 15, 2019 02:33
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