|
Regalingualius posted:And now I’m imagining Airy’s reaction if her wing-numbers started going into the negatives... Or worse, went into an integer overflow. Entry 1's Airy has -1 on her wings so she's clearly a signed integer fairy. Makes you wonder if there's a float fairy flying around who needs to work out how to destroy 3.141592653589 worlds exactly.
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2019 01:52
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 9, 2024 23:15 |
|
|
Dudethunder posted:Entry 1's Airy has -1 on her wings so she's clearly a signed integer fairy. Makes you wonder if there's a float fairy flying around who needs to work out how to destroy 3.141592653589 worlds exactly. Ha, exact values in floating point. Better hope your dimension-ending boss agrees with you on rounding errors.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2019 03:53
|
|
|
RandomMagus posted:Ha, exact values in floating point. Better hope your dimension-ending boss agrees with you on rounding errors. If your dimension-ending boss doesn't, are you going to argue with them? Supposedly Airy is just a small fry in comparison, or something, right?
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2019 06:07
|
|
|
Raitzeno posted:If your dimension-ending boss doesn't, are you going to argue with them? Supposedly Airy is just a small fry in comparison, or something, right? Airy is only single precision Unsuited for dimension ending boss work
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2019 08:24
|
|
|
Rigged Death Trap posted:Airy is only single precision Just wait for her replacement in the sequel, Bravely Double
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2019 08:32
|
|
|
Entry 109: A Look Back 4 crystals. 4 Warriors of Light. 5 worlds. 8 chapters plus an intro and finale. 14 jobs. 23 Eternians met 166 times over the course of 83 battles. A story in turns touching and fun, tedious and stupid, spread out over the course of 126 party chats and 613 cutscenes so far (not counting repeats and other versions not in the event viewer). And now...  We've come to The End. We stuck around for it, through the good and the bad. We promised a little fairy we would. But what happens next...?    Hee hee... Hee hee hee... I did it... Something new! Uh... For better or worse.  ...Hm?  Hmm?The party wakes up and gets to their feet.   ...Where are we? You did what, Airy? I did it! I did it, I tell you! Get up, everyone! Ah! The Great Chasm?Everyone races to the window.  Ringabel checks the wheel.  No good. The rudder took quite a beating. It'll take some time to repair. To the deck! Let's go! Yes!The party runs outside, but Airy doesn't follow right away...  Nevermind her; she's probably just happy to be done with the journey, too, in her fairy own way. Out on deck, the party bumps into Datz and Zatz.   Hm? What's with the excited looks? The Great Chasm has closed!Edea dashes off.  But who can blame her for being excited?  Er, sorry...ha ha!We've fixed the world!  Just goes to show: keep chasing your dream despite mounting evidence your method is causing large-scale destruction, and eventually everything will work out fine!   Really? The entire chasm? ...Closed? Seems that way. Oh, and Datz, I'll need a hand repairing the bridge later. Sure, anything you need.The party starts over towards a good viewing spot, Tiz and Edea running ahead like kids at a carnival. Along the way, Ringabel shows his happiness in his more subdued fashion:   Yes, at long last... Wrong way! That's the trader over there! Ha ha ha! I'm so happy, I can't think! Tiz and Edea are just as excited as I, it appears. It is thanks to you, Ringabel. You saved Tiz on the canyon road... We were fortunate the dark knight Alternis Dim infiltrated Caldisla. ...So you knew about that? But you do realize that was not me, don't you? And the person I rescued was Tiz from the world before we met. The Tiz who is with us now... He was saved by the Alternis Dim we defeated in the first world. And the person you spoke with when you reached Caldisla, too, was no doubt-- Even so, we still owe a debt to you. For you are who brought us all together. And after we left Caldisla, we have been traveling the world, guided by your mysterious journal. Ringabel, it is all thanks to you. Really? Well, Alternis would've been happy to hear that, too. Agnès, Ringabel, hurry! Let's go take a look! Coming! Let's go, Agnès. Yes, let us go.All four characters have changed over the course of the story, but Ringabel's arc has been great. His personality change has happened so gradually and naturally over the course of worlds, it's easy to forget how much he's changed from the Intro. The Alternis Dim from his journal was a humorless curmudgeon. His early days as Ringabel were the opposite, a silly playboy. After remembering his past, he struggled to find who he really was. Now, he's grown comfortable with himself and found a balance: someone thoughtful who loves adventure and quietly looks after his friends.  Airy's lagging behind the others. Maybe she's tired from doing the Holy Pillar ritual. ...Strange. There seems to be more...color?...than expected. Probably not important.  The party finally finds a good viewing angle for Norende. Whew, I'm impressed. Ah ha ha ha.The party gathers at the side of the ship, merrily searching for landmarks--  When Airy talks to herself. Despite their excitement, the others turn to Airy. Airy...? Who are you-- The Dark Aurora above the chasm? Yes, Lord! I'll tidy up here, then go straight away! Above the-- But the chasm...?Edea glances back over the side of the ship.   !? The chasm... It's still... Wh-what!? Hmm.... You know what? I'm starting to think something's not right.  What's happened? Answer me, Airy. The Great Chasm's still here! What in the world is going on, Airy? Oh, the Great Chasm mustn't shut. It's far too important. Airy...? But...you just said, "I finally did it."I guess it was too much to expect the party to save the world this easily.  Especially considering we've fallen right for Airy's trap, according to what we learned in the Finale.  You still have no idea? Talk about a ship of fools! You've all been deceived! By yours truly, no less! I had you going the whole time! Airy, what are you saying? Hmph! I suppose you need some convincing, and I can't do that in this form.We know what that means. Whenever the vestal and her party get suspicious, Airy kills them on the deck of Grandship.  This time, Airy didn't even bother hiding her true intentions from us. She didn't care if we got suspicious.  Because it's a safe guess from the Finale and the countdown on her wings...  The party's important role in her plan is over.  Y-you! Airy, are you-- No, it can't... This feeling... It's pure evil. Who or what are you!? I am Airy, demolisher of world-bounds! Faithful servant to His Malevolence, Ouroboros--God of Destruction!It seems the situation here is the same as in the Finale: Airy's just working for a higher, evil, power.  Airy excitedly raises her teeny T-Rex arms.  Demolisher? Ouroboros? God of Destruction! Will? What will?Unlike us, this version of the party never experienced the Finale, so pull up a chair, because it's time to get the situation explained again.  It'd help if Airy could use a whiteboard or something. Numerous Luxendarcs exist simultaneously as worlds in parallel. ...... I've made you send the crystals spiraling out of control, piercing the boundaries between worlds, linking them.In the Finale, we stopped Airy before she could link all the worlds. But this time, we worked with her until her countdown was complete.  Whoops! But there is one upside to all this. And what is that!? Heh heh heh, the advent of Lord Ouroboros!In the Finale, we'd barely discovered Ouroboros existed before the game ended. We only defeated his servant and never found out his true plan beyond "blah blah evil". This time, maybe we can find out more, and maybe stop his plan for good.  ...Whatever this plan means. The Celestial Realm? At last, the time has come. You have been most useful pawns, and for that I praise you. But I...I fought to close the-- The time for talk is over. I must hasten to My Lord's side and bid Him welcome to this world. I will leave you to die, writhing in your regret!We've never heard of the Celestial Realm before, but Ouroboros invading it is probably a bad thing we should stop. Maybe? If nothing else, Ouroboros eating worlds almost certainly won't do the worlds any favor.  Airy is about the same as the Finale.  But this time, she's facing a party even stronger than before (at least according to the story), and so is missing her automatic battle-ending one-shot attack.  What are you talking about? The pattern on my wings... It heralds the beginning! I have attained a perfect form! So those were numbers! Ahh, yes. You've borne witness the longest. Heh he heh... Ha ha ha ha ha! From your hiding place in the shadows, frozen in fear. A lowly worm, too cowardly to save the one you loved. Rgh!Airy's in a great mood, which means lots of taunting.  It doesn't take much to get Airy to back off. Ha ha ha, pesky mortals. But how will you stand up to this!? Some of the scenes and dialogue here are repeated from the Finale.  Any concerns Airy might have about the party being stronger than expected appear offset by the joy of completing her mission.  She probably considers these battles the cherry on top before she goes and reports to Ouroboros in person. No...! Ahhh, how many worlds has it been since last I took this form? Hundreds of thousands of years have passed without the need. It feels a bit foreign, yet... But no matter, heh heh heh. For her, being defeated here, at the victory party of a plan spanning hundreds of millions of years or whatever, is unthinkable.  This battle is again very similar to the Finale. Elemental and status effect protection make the party invincible.  At first, the dialogue is repeated from the Finale. Now, too late, I see the fool I've been. Those who act by emotion are the easiest to master. I pity your father. To know of me, only to be thwarted by his own daughter. We first met on that precipice overlooking the Great Chasm. You had come forth from the chasm's depths. But you had only just slain us! Our blood had yet to dry! Indeed, you have served me well. Now, die a bitter death knowing you served your enemy! But later on, Ringabel speaks up with a new line. I ought to have seen through you sooner... I knew of your evils! I ought have... You style yourself a hero? Arrogance! You did nothing but stand in awe of my might! Rgh! I... I...!In this version, Ringabel's concerns were shrugged off in favor of continuing with the original plan. Only now, after it's too late, has he found his fears were justified.  Like the Finale, on hitting 0 HP the first time, Airy heals to full, not that buying more time to attack will do her any good.  But all your efforts shall be in vain! You mortals shall know your place! I'll never forgive you for violating Agnès's trust! Always the same. Always about Agnès. I hate that about you most of all!In her own way, maybe Airy wanted love, too -- the love of her master.  Too bad she considers mortals beneath her, otherwise she could've had the party's friendship the whole time. How... How are they different from the last? Warriors of light, bah! Mere mortals! Pawns! You shall pay dearly for this defiance!Instead we find ourselves here, beating her up.  Examine your life choices, Airy.  Airy reverts to her fairy form after battle. Maybe a way of conserving energy?  I must return to the Dark Aurora. Lord Ouroboros will grant me a new form. Grant me power! I must hurry...to the chasm... Curse you!!Airy flutters off.  Leaving the party to recover and reorganize. Some time later:  ...I'll survive. Good to hear. Though I'm not so sure I will if I don't find something to do.It's no surprise the frustration is eating at Ringabel. Luckily he's the type to put his feelings to productive use. After all, that's what being a dark knight's all about.  He needs work to do and the ship needs fixing. He'll take care of himself. Don't worry about me. You should go talk to the ladies.Edea isn't quite as experienced as Ringabel, and for Agnès, Airy's betrayal is far more personal. Plus, neither they nor Tiz have shipwork to distract them.  Tiz wanders away. After he's out of hearing:  What's with the serious look? Oh, no, it's just, well... *sigh* You're worried Grandship is on her last leg, aren't you? So you've noticed, too! Sure, I've known. We've entered the Holy Pillar five times now. Passing through that intense light and extreme turbulence, and weathering Airy's monstrous attacks... That would leave more than a few scratches on any ship. Yes, but "more than a few scratches" doesn't even begin to describe the damage. I know. It's far more than some damaged or worn-out parts. The hull itself is not long for this world. If we suffer that kind of turbulence again, this ship is sure to-- I know. But let's just keep this between you and me for now. Understood.Datz and Zatz leave. ...... *sigh*Gotta admire their work so far. Three guys managing a ship the size of a small city is, uh, no small feat.  Tiz can go back and badger the shipworkers, but they just want him out of the way.  Let's go provide moral support to the others instead. Tiz may not know airships, but he knows how to be a good listener.  It's just as Father and Master Kamiizumi said. But I was blind. Completely ignorant. I saw everything in black or white... How could I let this happen? How could I have been such an idiot!?While Ringabel's character arc was in the background, Edea's was in the foreground. The Eternian storyline had her at the center, her simplistic worldview being challenged and slowly matured over the course of several alternate realities. She went from seeing individuals as either good or evil to acknowledging that sometimes, people trying to do good end up doing bad things, and selfish people can help do good things. At least, that's how her storyline worked in theory.  ...Right, sure, definitely no way. Airy is going to pay for this betrayal, along with her master Ouroboros, too! That much I know, but still, I... I'll never be able to forgive myself!In practice, all the pieces of Edea's story arc are there, but they aren't quite fit together properly. Part of the problem is perhaps because so much of her growth occurs during optional scenes, so they had to accomodate players skipping some or all of them. There are deeper problems with the handling, however. One of the highlights of Edea's arc is when she goes from fatally clashing with her teacher to peacefully convincing him to leave the Black Blades. It's a great side story on its own, but becomes awkward when it can be seen as a replacement for calling out Kamiizumi on his actions as leader of the Black Blades in continuing a violent civil war which has killed thousands, enslaved orphaned children, and involved employing particularly horrific people and weapons. In the game's efforts to humanize the Eternians for our and Edea's benefit, it ends up glossing over the war crimes it rightly presents as terrible in the first world.  The game's first half brings up an excellent problem of whether ends justifying the means with Braev's strategy of terrorizing the rest of the world to prevent its prophesized destruction. Then, instead of providing an answer, it white-washes the Eternians more and more each world until clearly they're the good guys, no questions needed. Instead of letting Edea deal with a morally grey world, she literally moves on to other worlds where the grey is slowly replaced by clearly defined black and white personalties, with any other moral positions rendered irrelevant to the party and player's interests. Qada, DeRosa, and Profiteur are black. Einheria, Braev, and Kamiizumi are white. Victoria, Victor, and Khint have the depth of their issues taken offscreen. The main plot is no better. Airy lies. According to Edea's system at the start of the game, she's as black as they come, as is Ouroboros so far as we know. In the Finale, trying to apply a more complex morality to Airy's situation resulted in nothing but Airy mocking the party. The game desperately wants to fit Edea's character arc lesson in here, but it just doesn't work when one side has a simple mission plan of "Save the world!  " and apparently the other is "WORLD DESTRUCTION EXCEPT MORE TERRIBLE, MUAHAHAHAHA, DIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIE". ...Have you seen Agnès?Edea pulls herself out of her thoughts and shakes her head.   Now that you mention it, I did see her. She was headed into the Drunken Pig.On the other hand, maybe Ouroboros's plan is more complex than Airy's letting on. It might not be bad to keep an open mind, just in case.  Agnès is tucked away in the pub's balcony.  Agnès doesn't move. ... The repairs are almost done. It's time we talk strategy....She then turns around in a rush.  And that includes you, Ringabel, and Edea, too! All because I was a fool. That's not true! You're not responsible for anyone's fate but your own! ... You're all blaming yourselves...Agnès and Tiz's stories are probably best considered together as a pair.  The whole game, each has supported the other through their worst moments. Tiz has felt anger and guilt over his brother's death. Agnès has felt guilt and despair over the death of her friend and her part in awakening the crystals. But the minute the repairs are done, all that ends! Neither of them has changed much compared to Ringabel and Edea, but they've grown more comfortable with each other. They've learned how the other thinks and feels. That's their shared character arc.  It's been a slowly building relationship, mostly in the background except for a few key moments, but that's arguably the best way to handle a relationship like this in a game where it's not the primary focus. But that's why we can't sit here wallowing in sorrow. She must be stopped. And we're the ones to do it. The time to put an end to this is now! Come to the bridge when you're ready. We'll await you there.In the beginning, they were sympathetic strangers, each with a lot of baggage. Now, they easily trade off the leadership position between the two of them. Agnès trusts Tiz enough to listen to him despite her sadness, even in a time as hopeless as this. Tiz trusts Agnès to do all she can to save Norende and the multiverse once she gets a pep talk.  After Tiz's speech, both have cheered up. Once repairs are finished, everyone's called to the bridge.  We understand. So, what are we to do now? We go see the sage. I don't see any other options. He foresaw that this would happen. What do you think, Agnès? Yes, I agree. Please set a course immediately.Our four flawed but likeable heroes are one of the strong points of the game, and a lot of my complaints about the plot are because the first half of the game has their constant lively reactions, while the back half is largely repeated scenes, focusing solely on the Eternians when it does have new content.  The party's still got a bit more adventure left, though, and now that we've reached The End there's a good chance of getting content more along the lines of the early chapters. Next: Who's the most powerful entity in Bravely Default? Let's take a breather for the super secret hidden boss! -- Event Viewer Main Scenario: At Long Last! The Chasm Closed? Airy's Ridicule His Will Shall Be Done Stand Up to This! Airy Flees into the Chasm Restless Legs Never Forgive Myself I Was a Fool A Visit to the Sage Party Chat: Thanks to You Grandship D's Journal: Airy posted:Beyond the fifth Holy Pillar, we awoke on the bridge of Grandship. We heard Airy squeal with glee, and thinking the chasm had closed we rushed to the deck. However, we were once again greeted by its gaping maw... We asked Airy to explain herself, but at that moment her voice changed. She transformed into a horrible beast, and attacked us... 
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2019 08:52
|
|
|
Also I edited some of my commentary in the entry before this one since it was rushed. Should read more smoothly now.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2019 09:26
|
|
|
You know your villain is gonna pull a 'this isnt even my final form' when her first form battle music gets relocated to her second form.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2019 09:30
|
|
|
In the false ending, Wicked Thing is used for the unwinnable fight, Wicked Battle is used for the real fight with her first form, and Wicked Flight is used for her second form. In the true ending, Wicked Thing is used for her first form and Wicked Battle is used for her second form. Greyarc posted:
Seriously, Tiz, mention your dead little brother that Airy made you kill. Multiple times. What the heck? Blueberry Pancakes fucked around with this message at 10:40 on Jan 22, 2019 |
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2019 10:37
|
|
|
This part is why I put absolutely zero stock into the "default 4 times and then brave!" interpretation of the party's actions (or the narrative flow, I guess). Basically this part assumes that the characters had zero clue what was going on, ignores all their character development, and just sort of pointlessly rushes towards an ending that's only "truer" because the writers say it should. Applying any sort of logic to it after the fact seems to be missing how incredibly not-thought-out it fundamentally is. Frankly it's real real dumb. Like, I didn't even mind repeating all the boss battles over and over again, I honestly found that fun. But the fact that it was all leading up to 'welp, I guess the main characters actually were just idiots who doomed the multiverse for no reason, and this game's writing makes no sense at all" kind of killed my enthusiasm.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2019 10:40
|
|
|
Also very important: Just because you are opposing Black doesn't mean you can't be Black yourself. Airy is a villain. So is Eternia from World 1.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2019 11:40
|
|
|
Clarste posted:This part is why I put absolutely zero stock into the "default 4 times and then brave!" interpretation of the party's actions (or the narrative flow, I guess). Basically this part assumes that the characters had zero clue what was going on, ignores all their character development, and just sort of pointlessly rushes towards an ending that's only "truer" because the writers say it should. Applying any sort of logic to it after the fact seems to be missing how incredibly not-thought-out it fundamentally is. Yeah, that's the biggest problem. Allowing that sure, the party couldn't know for SURE before this, the Sage in world 6 pretty clearly lays out that Airy's out to kill us all, and Airy herself has been getting completely overeager and letting the mask slip for the last couple worlds. And the thing is, that same scene also spells out a much more fruitful dilemma: We can shatter a crystal, and stop this plan for thousands of years! That's real good! But Airy's got time and, sooner or later, will be able to get the ball rolling again. And a thousand years is a very, very long time as people reckon. The Sage and DeRosso were there to personally talk to the Angel and get her warnings about Airy and the plot, they ended up more or less in charge of the biggest and most powerful nation in Luxendarc, and they STILL couldn't maintain a clear record of what was going on, how to stop it, who to watch out for, or how to properly maintain the crystals to prevent this disaster. And that was 1800 years ago, far less than the projected time it takes the crystals to regenerate. Or... the party, right now, knowing who the enemy is and how to reach them, can try and settle things once and for all. They might lose! Badly! It's a dark god of some sort after all. But kicking the can is incredibly likely to doom the future and just get the world a few thousand years reprieve. Far beyond the lifetimes of the party or their descendants in any meaningful degree to be sure, but doom all the same. The certainty of many generations of probable peace, or a gamble on forging a lasting future? That's actually interesting and both outcomes speak to different ways the party can digest the lessons they've all learned in the adventure. This? This just makes them look dumb.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2019 22:08
|
|
|
I'm absolutely baffled by the party believing Airy would close the Chasm considering they know she's untrustworthy at this point.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2019 22:24
|
|
|
Are we the baddies?
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2019 02:42
|
|
|
Nissin Cup Nudist posted:Are we the baddies? Hey. none of us got to design Airy's forms!
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2019 05:47
|
|
|
I've got a lot to say about this plot and it's really just terrible. I'll put together a full thing after the upcoming events because I want to discuss them as well.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2019 08:08
|
|
|
A chill just went down my spine. There's still time to screw this up.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2019 08:31
|
|
|
Entry 110: Wherein the Party Does Everything According to Plan, Apparently? Good News: We're out of the endless loop! Bad News: This is probably the most confused version of the party across the multiverse.  If you paid attention last entry, you may have noticed Airy's brooch was still glowing. Despite going through the Holy Pillar, we're still in the world of chapter 8, presumably because we're at the far edge of the multiverse and Airy just needed to do the final ceremony to tie a big bow on her chain of worlds.  If you haven't spoken to the sage yet in this world, he instead starts with this line:  Hm? You four are... No matter. It seems the time is upon us. There is much I would speak of. At last... At long last... Sage, we must rely on your wisdom. You are all we have. Though I fear I am far from all-knowing myself, child. Now here's an unexpected twist: the sage wasn't holding out on us this time. No... What are we to do if even you don't know? How do we stop this!? Patience, child. He will be with us presently. Ah, and here he is.Our favorite non-vampire, the King of Exposition himself, strides in.  Of all the people who could've helped the party earlier, this guy takes the cake.  All here, I see. No need for pleasantries. I'm more or less aware of the situation. Then let's begin. Begin what? Agnès, take the pendant you received from the sage and raise it aloft.Despite seeming to know more than everyone, he's treated the situation pretty lightly so far. Is it because he's gone insane from spending millenia lurking in his musty castle? Maybe.  Agnès raises up her pendant. That will do. Now, for the rest. Line up behind Agnès and join hands, all of you. Er, right. May I ask why? As party to these events, you have the right to know. And the desire as well, I expect. The revelation as spoken by the angel... Shall we? Indeed!As Yulyana begins an incantation, the pendant begins to glow...    Hey, back here again in the Deus Ex Machina zone from the start of the Finale, this time while conscious! What's happening!? Shh! Remain silent.The center of the area shimmers...  The voice is playing out like a recording.  The mark upon the Evil One heralds the beginning. The Bringer of Ruin has risen. His name is Ouroboros! Ouroboros, Bringer of Ruin, shall devour all worlds linked by his harbinger. You and your world, and the whole of life on myraid other worlds, now face extinction.If DeRosso had this recording all along, he's the only human who's known about Ouroboros. He also never shared this information with the Sage, for whatever reason. This's a pretty heavy duty problem for one guy to have on his mind.  Let's give the game the benefit of the doubt here and say DeRosso didn't talk to the party about this earlier for good reason. You must use every ounce of your being to see this scourge contained. Wise guardians of the Warriors of Light, the time has come. Which of you will do as I have instructed?Maybe he felt he couldn't risk letting Airy -- and Ouroboros by extension -- onto this angel(?)'s plan. He needed to wait until he was absolutely certain the party was ready and positioned to beat not just Airy, but Ouroboros.  Too early, and the party either kills or is killed by Airy, with Ouroboros remaining safely out of the way. Which means DeRosso was gambling on the party not getting fed up and breaking a crystal. Which means he just might've been secretly ticked off at us in the Finale, but really, he's got only himself to blame for assuming the party would continue awakening crystals like blind morons. It galls me, but you're the only one for it... You watch over them, sage. Warriors of Light. Know that you do not walk alone. There are those who protect you. Those who await your return. Those who have entrusted you with the future.Anyway, by awakening the crystals and ignoring all warning signs, things are apparently going according to this ancient plan to stop Ouroboros. So that's good? And DeRosso's volunteered for some important role, which...who the hell knows what that's about, nobody's going to bother explaining to us. And apparently the Sage had a heads up on this plan after all but didn't know about Ouroboros?  The angel(?) and DeRosso must have a hell of a lot of faith we won't screw up their plan in our ignorance. If only they knew about the Finale timeline. Should despair take hold, and your spirits falter, raise me aloft once more. Now, go. Onward, Warriors of Light... My friends across the bounds of time and place.Wait, could we maybe get more info on-- Nevermind.  The angel. The one who suddenly appeared and halted our fight eighteen hundred years past. And if I'm correct-- The Agnès of the world I hail from...This has been the guess for a while, but only if you did the optional scenes in Vampire Castle.  ...Which the game is going to pretend didn't happen.  I failed...to protect her... She may be, or perhaps not. Airy has interlinked tens of thousands of worlds. Myself, from a different world... But, why? How could she have...Made a recording of herself? Teleported to another dimension without Airy in hot pursuit? Known future events?  What is the Celestial Realm, anyway? The Sage supposedly had never even heard of it until a couple minutes ago. There is no way of knowing now. ...... May I ask, Lord DeRosso, what is it you must do? ...That burden is mine alone. You will know before long, if all goes to plan. ...*sigh* Now if you'll excuse me. I've preparations to make.DeRosso exits but we'll see him later? I guess.  I mean, it's pretty safe to assume at this point the party's just going to do what comes naturally: charge to the bad guys and punch them in the face, world-eating demon god or no. Speaking of, I shall break the final seal upon the Kustra Archipelago, if it be of any use to you.The Sage has a special treat for us before we go.  You might seek them out, should you think it necessary before you face Ouroboros.Now that we've reached The End, the final section of the bonus dungeon has been unlocked.  With all that in mind, let's give DeRosso time to prepare for whatever he's going to do and go check out other stuff.  In The End, every town has all new dialogue.  We're going to be doing the final fights after this update, so for now, let's take one last look around the world.  With the Eternians settled down at home, everything's peaceful. We can get a feeling for how Luxendarc can be at its best, and what we're setting out to protect.  You've got to be kidding me, Goodman. Maybe he's secretly a bloodthirsty guy who'll take any excuse to stay at war.  Starting with the events in Chapter 6 and the Finale, the plot has gotten increasingly confused.  The game's story isn't simply bad so much as woefully uneven. The first half is fine.  The second half is not, and it isn't just the ratio of Eternians to main plot, or the repetition.  The party may not have seen the Finale like we did, but they were pretty well set to break a crystal since Chapter 6. So why didn't they in this version of the timeline?  At the end of Chapter 6 in the Holy Pillar, the party states their reason for continuing with Airy's plan: Entry 99 posted:
They don't know about Ouroboros, so they must be talking about Airy. They know she's behind the Great Chasm. They know she's lying to them. They've got at least a solid guess about the countdown on her wings and are waiting for them to reach zero so they can do...something. Yet once that countdown finally ends: Entry 109 posted:They're shocked by Airy's betrayal. Any semblance of the party having a longterm plan, or understanding the warnings they've been given all game, is washed away in a series of scenes which are good character moments but make little sense in context.  Inconsistencies in a story are common, but the above case is a pretty drat egregious example since it involves changing/ignoring the game's main motivation. It takes the player from thinking "Yeah! We're gonna outwit Airy and save the day!" to "Wait, what's going on? Why are the characters acting clueless? Did I miss something?"  As the party travels north to Kustra Archipelago, Ringabel mutters to himself. Huh? Oh, no, I was just thinking back to when I was still the dark knight Alternis Dim. Barras said something to me back then. He said... "My Phoenix Flight and your Minus Strike are the ultimate combination." You sacrifice HP for major damage with Phoenix Flight, then you do as much damage as your HP loss with Minus Strike... Hmm, that could be interesting! You could even have multiple pairings like that in a party. It's worth a try! And if there were a way to add some major healing after the Minus Strike, it would be icing on the cake. Let us try to find something of that sort. We were both really excited about it back then, even though neither of us had mastered the moves yet. Holly was there with us too... I think it was her suggestion to use the freelancer's Stand Ground until she could follow up with healing. Ringabel...This would be more useful if the party weren't already hitting the 9999 damage cap all the time.  Our eventual pursuit of Ouroboros may clear the plot's inconsistencies up...or make them worse. But first, let's dip into the last section of the bonus dungeon.   Previously, floor 9 was a dead end. Now, with Yulyana's unlocking the seal, there's a passage open to floor 10.  It contains only one treasure.   Durandal/Durendal is a sword from French myth owned by a paladin of Charlemagne. As appropriate for the Catholic-inspired Orthodoxy, it was said to have been given by an angel and contained the following: a tooth of Saint Peter, the blood of Saint Basil, the hair of Saint Denis, and a piece of cloth from the Virgin Mary, just in case three holy relics wasn't enough.  It's also the final item in D's Journal!  But that's not the main reason we're here. Go behind the treasure chest...  ...to find a very special secret passage, containing...  Friends!  If you decline, Adventurer is their usual cheery self:  Ahh, that's a shame. Another time, then. No rush at all.Let's ask again.  And this time, graciously accept. Alright, you're on. I'll hold nothing back! Introducing us to Bravely Default's secret bonus boss.  Outwardly simple, this battle has a rough gimmick if you aren't aware of how your opponents fight.  The fox, also known as Comrade, has a small HP pool and mainly does things like dispel and blind.  They also give BP to the Adventurer, who has more health than any other boss in the main game.  If you do single-target attack to Adventurer while Comrade's alive, Comrade covers the damage instead. But every time Comrade is K.O.'d...  Adventurer brings them back the next turn. Also, if you focus down Adventurer's massive HP pool alone, Comrade will revive them in a similar way.  On top of that, the Adventurer hits the entire party incredibly hard every turn they aren't reviving Comrade.  But if you do lose, don't worry: Adventurer is your friend and would never kill you!  You're free to heal up and try again.  Win by bringing down both Adventurer and Comrade together.  That way neither can revive the other.  Once you've beaten Adventurer and Comrade, you get a unique award!  It's completely useless.  Adventurer is, of course, a gracious loser. That was the most fun I've had in ages. Any time you'd care to go again, just say the word. Any time at all.After making our way back to the surface, it's time to head to Caldisla.  Unlike the Finale, this time around, everyone's noticed the Dark Aurora.  Chapter 8's world is more endearing by virtue of being slightly less oblivious.   I pray nothing comes of it.Not if we can help it.  Next: We're going to fling ourselves into the Dark Aurora and hope for the best. -- Event Viewer Main Scenario: The Angel's Revelation The Bringer of Ruin Lord DeRosso's Role Party Chat: Alternis's Memory D's Journal: Agnès Oblige posted:Airy revealed her true ambitions after we passed the fifth Holy Pillar, and transformed into a monster to attack us. We defeated her in the battle that ensued, but were left in shock at what had happened. We visited the sage, and heard the voice of the angel he had met long ago. It seems this was the voice of an Agnès from a world before we had all met... D's Journal: Sage Yulyana posted:We defeated Airy after she revealed herself, and she retreated into the Dark Aurora. Not knowing what to do next, we went to seek the sage's advice. There we met Lord DeRosso, who let us hear the angel's voice. Our true enemy is Ouroboros, who Airy merely served! Lord DeRosso left to make preparations, and the sage removed the final seal upon the Kustra Archipelago. D's Journal: Lord DeRosso posted:Beyond the fifth Holy Pillar, Airy transformed into a monstrous beast. When we went to seek the advice of the sage, Lord DeRosso appeared and let us hear the voice of the angel. The sage removed the last lock on the Kustra Archipelago, and DeRosso hurried off, saying he had preparations to make. 
Greyarc fucked around with this message at 08:34 on Jan 25, 2019 |
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2019 08:00
|
|
|
Yeah the plot's a mess at this point.
|
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2019 08:16
|
|
|
Greyarc posted:
"You might seek THEM out" suggests he hid more than one piece of gear down there, but we only find Durandal? Also, is it ever explained just how the Adventurer gets around? On top of being everywhere else we go, he's just chilling in the place Yulyana has kept sealed off for centuries? Maybe that explains where the rest of the gear the sage thought was down there went.
|
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2019 11:30
|
|
|
The Adventurer is also the secret boss of Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light.  DGM_2 posted:"You might seek THEM out" suggests he hid more than one piece of gear down there, but we only find Durandal? You can get every other weapon from here before the final chapter since you have access to Floors 1 - 9. DGM_2 posted:Also, is it ever explained just how the Adventurer gets around? On top of being everywhere else we go, he's just chilling in the place Yulyana has kept sealed off for centuries? Maybe that explains where the rest of the gear the sage thought was down there went. Magic!
|
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2019 17:17
|
|
|
e: might've mentioned a spoiler, redacted
TwoPair fucked around with this message at 19:21 on Jan 25, 2019 |
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2019 18:11
|
|
|
I always assumed memories were being erased with each dimension jump. But I will be damned it the game itself never gave me that excuse.
|
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2019 18:15
|
|
|
I don't think we're allowed to mention that.
|
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2019 18:53
|
|
|
Hey guys, know I've been chatting even less than usual lately; January turned out to be a rushed time. Just a heads up that the LP should be wrapping for the most part this week. I'm planning to post the penultimate entry in a few hours, but before then I'm hoping this thread can push to the next page. The final update, still planned for Thursday, is going to be a two-parter, so getting that on its own page as well would be ideal.Hobgoblin2099 posted:The Adventurer is also the secret boss of Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light. DeafNote posted:I always assumed memories were being erased with each dimension jump. But I will be damned it the game itself never gave me that excuse. CmdrKing posted:The certainty of many generations of probable peace, or a gamble on forging a lasting future? That's actually interesting and both outcomes speak to different ways the party can digest the lessons they've all learned in the adventure. Pureauthor posted:Airy is a villain. So is Eternia from World 1. 
Greyarc fucked around with this message at 01:14 on Jan 29, 2019 |
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2019 01:11
|
|
|
I think if the other Vestals were made fuller characters in the vein of Olivia, necessitating the usage of the Bloodrose Legion and Black Blades further in the plot, and if Airy's suspicious behavior was more prevalent from the outset, you could probably have breaking the crystal or awakening it be a choice come Chapter 4 and end the game with alternate Chapter 5s. Of course, you'd need to flesh out the Eternians a lot in that kind of story, so maybe ease off of them being giant bags of crazy from the outset?
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2019 01:31
|
|
|
Sometimes I wonder what sort of reception Bravely Default would have gotten if it had a really straightforward narrative. Because like the graphics are cute, the job/battle system is just oodles of fun, and the soundtrack slaps. Like, it performed well enough to get a sequel, but it's not one of the games I reccomend to my friends.
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2019 01:42
|
|
|
this is hardly the first case of this but: it's weird how following along as an lp makes flaws of the game a lot more obvious when i completely glazed over them all playing the actual game years ago i think the repetitive bits didn't bother me so much since i was mostly looking for something to keep my hands busy while listening to podcasts
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2019 02:29
|
|
|
Trust me, the sequel is Even Better. Won't go into detail as to why or how, but it is amazing!
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2019 02:33
|
|
|
Other people have already talked about this, but I figure I may as well throw in my two cents (and help bump to the next page while I'm at it) about this ending path so far. As much as I like this game, and it really is one of my favorite 3DS games warts and all, I honestly can't stand how the party takes this ending. The fact that they're dumbfounded by Airy's betrayal even though they already know she's up to something, even if not what that is, is just absolutely awful writing. I can't really forgive that, since it's a level of stupidity that's even beyond what I had thought the party capable of.
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2019 02:40
|
|
|
What killed my momentum was the world reset and the realization that I would need to level a bunch of classes to make use of some of the more broken combos. And my reward, according to a few battles I decided to try, would be no real new developments or story? Just harder battles? I put it down never to return. That said, I definitely tried going overboard when powering the crystals after the millionth Eternian vaguely hinted that we did not have the full story.
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2019 02:51
|
|
|
Speaking of the sequel: Now that we're at the end of the game do you have any plans to continue onto it?
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2019 02:53
|
|
|
AriadneThread posted:this is hardly the first case of this but: it's weird how following along as an lp makes flaws of the game a lot more obvious when i completely glazed over them all playing the actual game years ago YggiDee posted:Sometimes I wonder what sort of reception Bravely Default would have gotten if it had a really straightforward narrative. Because like the graphics are cute, the job/battle system is just oodles of fun, and the soundtrack slaps. Like, it performed well enough to get a sequel, but it's not one of the games I reccomend to my friends. FoolyCharged posted:Speaking of the sequel: Greyarc fucked around with this message at 03:40 on Jan 29, 2019 |
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2019 03:37
|
|
|
I suppose I was thinking less if they unspooled this story, and more of they scrapped it and made a different one altogether. Just go the Dragon Quest route and give us a series of barely connected vignettes and a Chosen One. And bam! You're set.
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2019 03:44
|
|
|
Six more posts until the new page.  We can agree Artemia is the best side character of the Eternians, though, right guys?
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2019 03:47
|
|
|
Greyarc posted:Not at the moment. I had a lot of fun doing this LP, but it takes more time/effort to do a completionist SSLP than I'm willing to give right now. I'm gonna cover this more in a little write-up after the final entry. Fair enough. I'm not particularly surprised you're done. That was a ton of effort hunting down all that incidental dialogue.
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2019 03:53
|
|
Hobgoblin2099 posted:Six more posts until the new page. That’s a weird way to spell Lord DeRosso.
|
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2019 04:02
|
|
|
Regalingualius posted:That’s a weird way to spell Lord DeRosso. Neither if those characters is a cool, happy pirate man in all his iterations.
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2019 04:07
|
|
|
YggiDee posted:Sometimes I wonder what sort of reception Bravely Default would have gotten if it had a really straightforward narrative. Because like the graphics are cute, the job/battle system is just oodles of fun, and the soundtrack slaps. Like, it performed well enough to get a sequel, but it's not one of the games I reccomend to my friends. Honestly, this is basically what Octopath Traveler is: modern take on JRPG mechanics (obviously not as Final Fantasy V derived as BD, but still a lot of similarities), but instead of a wannabe Metal Gear Solid convoluted slurry plot, you get a series of short vignettes that rarely try to break new ground but instead present themselves in charming and straightforward fashion. The result? You have to try really hard to find someone who rates Octopath worse than "Interesting but wasn't what I was looking for". If Bravely Default had gone that direction it probably would have gotten regarded closer to the Chrono Trigger tier than the Final Fantasy 8 tier.
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2019 04:17
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 9, 2024 23:15 |
|
|
I just caught up with the last 2 months of posts. Holy moly I forgot what a grind the end is. I also never fought the adventurer! That's so cool!
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2019 04:20
|
|
