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Oh, hey; this is a fun little game I remember enjoying quite a bit. Not perfect, but the setting is inventive as has been mentioned, and just the act of trading European Fantasy Cliches for Far East Fajntasy Cliches made things fresh enough that I didn't even mind I was following the traditional Bioware Journey, so that's a win from that company. A shame it wasn't ever revisited. Doc Morbid posted:
I remember that you can talk to this guy in the beginning before fighting the guy on the beach, and he explains that he couldn't POSSIBLY insult his guard duty by leaving his post to help fight bandits (because he might hurt a hair on his mysteriously gelled head). It comes to nothing except another opportunity to tell a character how weak and useless they are (which is, like, 75% percent of the dialogue for a Closed Fist character, as I recall), but his mannerisms when speaking and his nifty way of describing being knocked out made him stick in my head so well I remember his voice as he's speaking. Character- that's what this game has; it's good stuff.
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Dec 17, 2016 02:51
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I didn't see her. He was dragging a large sack and I asked if he needed help. He said, "No, just the key to the gate," and then he conjured this ball of flame around his hand. I don't really remember what happened next. I might have passed out. No one's ever threatened me before!
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Yeah, I meant to talk to him earlier but just kinda forgot about him at some point. He'll also mention that he never really wanted to be a gate guard, but it was either that or working the fields at his grandfather's farm.
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Dec 17, 2016 03:12
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Episode 05: Red Skies Last time, we learned from a mysterious spirit that Wu is the last Spirit Monk. Before we could learn more from Master Li, we found out Gao has kidnapped Dawn Star. There is only one way Gao could have gone, and that is to the swamp outside Two Rivers.  Here we are. It's... well, it's a swamp. It's very drab and boring, just like any self-respecting swamp level in a video game. That said, we're here to find Dawn Star, so we should get a move on before Gao gets too big of a head start.   Naturally, the swamp is infested with all manner of scum, and we barely get to take ten steps before we overhear bandits threatening some poor bastard.  Apparently, the local ruffians aren't too pleased about Gao's mercenaries running around the swamp, or about us being here for that matter.    Now that we've murdered/horribly injured our first men outside Two Rivers, we should probably find out why the bandits were threatening Merchant Hing here.   Merchant Hing is voiced by Jeff Page, who you may know better as Conrad Verner from the Mass Effect games. Nothing special about that, really, because BioWare uses the same voice actors all the time, just thought it was funny to hear Conrad's VA voicing another hapless moron.   We were traveling to Two Rivers. I bring goods between the farms that line the valley. I knew we were getting too close to the marshes. Why was I so foolish? Of course these thieves would strike at my beautiful Fen. I can't leave without her. They'll work her to death, or eat her, or worse! Can you do anything? Please? If I see her, I'll do what I can. I thank you, and my Fen will thank you when she is returned to me.I decided to give Wu a new portrait, because that render didn't look anything like her in-game model. Of course that one also stood out more, but this should be okay as well. If it's not, please let me know.  We'll keep an eye out. It would've helped if Hing could have told us what Fen looks like, but if we beat up every bandit in this swamp I'm sure we'll run across someone who knows something about her.  We also leveled up during the fight. I'm not showing off the leveling from here on, because there usually isn't that much to say about it. If there is something interesting, I'll point it out.  As we make our way forward, we're greeted by a cutscene.  Someone's being attacked by Gao's men, but doesn't seem to be intimidated by them in the slightest.    Being surrounded by Gao's soldiers doesn't bother him much either...   ...and as such he proceeds to murder the poo poo out of them with his staff.   He also clearly doesn't mind finishing off a defeated opponent.  When he's done with all the murdering, he notices Wu looking on and approaches her.  This is a very reasonable response on her part. We have no idea who this person is, aside from the fact he's a skilled combatant and fights without mercy. For all we know, he's just another bandit.  A misunderstanding? I still say we had a very appropriate reaction to a staff-wielding maniac approaching us after effortlessly killing half a dozen trained soldiers, but sure, let's call it that.    I don't picture a thoughtful and perceptive emperor fighting in a swamp. I see your point. There are differences. Tien was a knowledgeable man, whereas I feel that a person can sometimes think too much. I don't believe I need to explain myself beyond that.Sagacious Zu is obviously a man of few words. Still, though... why live in this swamp? I doubt he's staying here for the great weather and picturesque scenery.  I meant nothing. It's just that I was trained fairly well, so I recognize when someone else is skilled. If you are not an enemy, why are you out here?Seriously, there's a perfectly fine town right next to the swamp and you even visit it regularly. I'm sure he has his reasons.  Besides, I have already shown that I have no love for the more common kinds of filth roaming out here. Why were you fighting Gao's mercenaries? If you know that name you know the type of men the family employs. I wonder... does their increased presence in the marsh have anything to do with why you are here? Gao the Lesser? I know the family. This is a brazen act, even for them, but now I understand why their men are clearing a path through the marsh. No wonder you came out here as you did; you're looking to rescue someone. You probably gave no thought to your own safety. That is very selfless of you. I tend to think more... efficiently. I did hear something about a camp. They seem to be killing bandits so they won't be disturbed. There wasn't much more. I just wanted some peace and quiet. You must know the swamp well. Can you lead me in the right direction?I mean, you have a unique character model and I'm pretty sure we saw your silhouette in the party screen (and you were on this area's loading screen as well), so we all know where this is going. Let's get to it, shall we?  What? You'll just sit here in the swamp for the rest of your life then? Fine.   I'm sorry. I'm sure. Thanks for nothing, Zu. Have fun doing whatever it is you do around here, I'm off to kick Gao in his dumb smug face again.   Well, that's more like it.  I can refuse some fool determined to get lost in the swamp, but I doubt your friend earned her fate. Gao the Lesser shouldn't get such a prize without a fair fight. Now come, we have some catching up to do. We'll find them. Like I said, they can't get out in that direction. Not on foot. Also, he totally pulled that excuse from his rear end, but we're not gonna ask about it further. Not that we can do so at this point, anyway. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about.  Let's go. The main camp is to the north, but there are soldiers all around this area. If you want to find trouble, let's do it quickly.  Zu has joined the party, and we should not believe what the game is saying about him being a valuable asset in battle because he's just as useless at fighting as Dawn Star. His support ability isn't that great either and he's generally a bit boring, so I rarely roll with him unless the plot requires it or he has unique dialogue with an NPC. He is also a Closed Fist character, so he disapproves of all kinds of altruistic deeds. Not to the extent of MORRIGAN DISAPPROVES (-10), but he's still a bit of a drag at times.   Now before we go anywhere, there is a scrollstand we need to look at. Priorities, you know. This scroll has some information on ogres, which we haven't seen yet but that'll change soon enough.  As Zu helpfully informs us, we have two paths to the north. It doesn't matter which path we take because they both converge to the same location, and in fact the most efficient way to do this is to explore both paths. There's plenty of EXP to be gained, and the paths are also very short so it doesn't take much time to check out both of them. This whole area is actually very short and linear, if you skip all dialogue you can easily get through the swamp in a couple of minutes. In any event, let's start with the path on the right.   I guess we may have found the Flower of the Fields.   Let's just do a bit of pest control first.   I thought I was saved when they killed the bandits that raided my husband's wagon, but these soldiers were no better. You have my gratitude.  Oh. Oh my. At least we didn't call her Fen, that would have been awkward. Well, more so.  Zu, at least, seems quite amused by the situation. I didn't think he had a sense of humor.  You aren't the Flower of the Fields that Hing mentioned?I guess that's a safe assumption to make at this point.  Fen! Come!  Moo.  I knew this great fighter would save you. I couldn't leave without you. The cart needs your strength to pull it.    Great Dragon give me strength Have either of you seen a man named Gao? Gao? One of the soldiers said someone with that name is at a camp to the far north. Of course, he may have been speaking of someone more important. Perhaps the camp goat! I prayed for your safe return, dear, but the cart will not move itself. You will be lucky if I don't make you pull it while the ox rides. She is clearly important enough. This has all been fascinating, but is there a reward or something?  Yes, dear. Do I have to slaughter that thing for you to show me some attention? No, dear. Are you lying again? No, dear. Are you listening to me? No, dear. Wonderful. Let's forget that whole episode ever happened and check the rest of this path.  This is the camp Sing Wa was talking about, but as mentioned we're not going there just yet because there is a whole other path to explore.  At least someone bothered to build something resembling a bridge on this path so we don't need to wade knee-deep in swamp water. Not that it makes any difference to us at this point, since we've already spent some time doing exactly that.  The left path has a couple of Gao's men, who mistake us for bandits.  Fortunately, some actual bandits show up to correct them.   We proceed to kill them all. There's not much of a difference between Gao's men and regular bandits, really.  And this is the end of the left path. We're right back at the mercenary camp, and standing next to us is quite an interesting contraption. We'll get a better look at it soon.   Just got to take care of business first. We can actually see the contraption a bit better from here, looks like a big mosquito of some kind.  Zu went and got himself knocked out. Good job. The cutscene made him look competent in a fight, but I guess not. What we're doing here is the area attack of the Dire Flame style, in which you conjure up this fire-spewing dragon to immolate anyone foolish enough to be in its area of effect. The problem with this attack is that it's massively slow and you can still get damaged while doing it, which is one reason why I'm a bit low on health here (another reason is that I am bad at video games).  Huh, one of them managed to stay alive. Good for him, he'll tell us what we need to know.  Fine. Just tell me what I want to know. Yes, I can do that. Whatever you want.Hm, he's more co-operative than I expected.    Well, we read that scroll earlier so we know about ogres, but demons? So far we've been fighting mostly bandits and the occasional spirit and have barely heard about demons even being a thing. I think if you speak to Si Pat and ask him to list all the fighting styles, he'll mention transformation styles that will allow you to change into a creature or even a demon, but that's about it.  Why did he kidnap Dawn Star? I don't know. He just said it was very important that he get her tonight. He brought a few groups of us over for it. We didn't take her; we made Gao do that himself. I know we shouldn't have let him talk us into any of this, but he doubled our pay. It was just one woman. Compared to some things... well, all I'll say is that this wasn't the worst thing done by a Gao lately. What do you mean? Look, that's all I can say. Just let me go. I won't be any more trouble for you. If I go back to Gao's father, I'll be killed as a failure. Yep, Closed Fist all right. He's usually fairly pleasant so you kinda forget about that, but then he chimes in with "FAILURE SHOULD BE PUNISHABLE BY DEATH" or something to that effect.  Get out of here. I'll follow Gao into the cave. We don't kill surrendering opponents. What the poo poo, Zu? Maybe he thinks this guy will go back on his word and tell Gao the Greater or whatever, but I highly doubt sparing this random mook's life will turn out to be our undoing.  The merc runs off. Before we head into the cave, let's just explore this camp and steal everything not nailed down.  BLARGHFGHLWell, that's a dick move. Many loot chests in Jade Empire are trapped in various ways, and you get hurt if you don't manage to focus evade the trap. Before this, the game has not told you that is even a mechanic.  I may have accidentally pressed A when the trap activated. I like to interpret this line as Zu making fun of us.  Yes, thanks. We can also get some gems that increase our chance to evade traps, as well as ones that let us see which containers are rigged. Right now, there is no way to tell.  Let's just get into this cave before we embarrass ourselves any further.  This cave could maybe be considered a mini-dungeon, although there is barely anything to it so I don't know if it really counts as one. We can just about see there are a couple of paths we can take, so let's see if we can find Gao and Dawn Star.  Well, first we find two ogres on the path to the right. There's also something going on further ahead, seems to be another ogre walking around.  Walking around or, more accurately, fighting Gao.   Gao has no time for any of that nonsense. If you didn't read the scroll earlier, this cutscene also gives you a hint on how to deal with ogres. They are very weak to both fire and ice.   Gao manages to cause a cave-in by knocking the ogre down. Either the impact was much larger than it appeared, or these are load-bearing ogres.   At least Dawn Star seems to be doing okay and got free at some point, which is nice to see.  I wonder how long they've been at this.  Be careful, that means fresh enemies for us. These caves harbor strange creatures. The path to the right has two ogres, whereas the path to the left only has one. Starting with the path that has fewer ogres is generally a decent idea. Both paths are actually dead ends and there's only a couple of chests at each of them, but since we're here let's fight some ogres.  As you may have figured out, ogres are very strong but also extremely slow. One of them is no problem at all.  Fire works well, as Gao demonstrated in the cutscene. That one fireball is about to hit Zu, but there's no friendly fire here so no harm done.  The two ogres at the other dead end aren't really that much more of an issue. As long as you can avoid their clubs, you should have no trouble whatsoever.  dammit These chests have nothing good in them, by the way. This one has a bit of silver and the other contains a Scholar's Gem of Fate, which increases the drop rate of focus powerups at the cost of a -1 reduction to Mind. Can you say "vendor trash"?  I do quite like those glowing mushrooms. They make this cave a little bit less boring to look at.  Oh, and speaking of inconveniences.   Toad demons are no joke. They're much tougher than ogres and their attacks are harder to avoid, and being demons they are immune to magic styles. They're also too fat to be affected by area attacks from any style.  Oh, and their attacks poison you on top of being pretty strong in the first place.  They have a couple of special attacks, the first of which involves their tongue. I don't know how much damage that does or what status effects it causes, because I'm absolutely not going to get hit by that.   Like I said, magic won't work at all.  This is the toad demon's other special attack. He charges at you and tries to hit you with his massive gut, which (I'm assuming) does massive damage but is pretty easy to dodge because it's telegraphed from a mile away.  Eventually I figure out that weapons work just fine, and Fortune's Favorite makes fairly quick work of the demon.  And we get our first transformation style! That's right, you can be the toad.  Honestly, I've never used transformation styles very much because even though they're powerful and it's fun to stomp around as one of these guys, they tend to be a bit too slow and lumbering for my liking. There's Gao and Dawn Star. As I said, the cave is a very short area and only takes a couple of minutes to explore.   Gao reacts to our presence in his usual dignified and understated manner.  Did he think we wouldn't come after him after he kidnapped our best friend?      I... don't like the sound of that.   You'll see. Death comes from above to ferret out your hidden master and his real name! Dawn Star was the only thing I wanted to save, and what thanks do I get? Nothing! So be it, I'll just kill you all and forget your pitiful little village ever existed! What have you done, Gao? You'll see. You've already lost, no matter what happens here. You'll see. I'll make you see!Yeah, that's what the ghost of the Old Master said, and look what happened to him. It does seem like Gao knows something we don't and it'd be nice if we could investigate that further, but that's unfortunately not an option here. Most dialog options we get here are of the  variety. If we have to fight this moron again (spoiler: we do), we'll get Dawn Star to help us out.  Actually, I think Dawn Star might want to kick Gao in his stupid face herself, but she'll have to settle for support duty.  I'm pretty sure everyone except the main characters know where this is going. Right now, though, all we can do is fight Gao once more. VIDEO: Boss: Gao the Lesser (again)  I don't know how, but Gao manages to hit us with a strong fireball from point-blank range. That was not pleasant.  Despite that minor setback and the fact he can now use his fire magic against us in the first place, Gao isn't that much tougher than he was in our previous encounter. Dawn Star's chi-restoring ability is of course extremely useful here, and the game even drops a chi powerup for us.  Gao probably didn't expect us to also be able to throw fireballs. What better way to take him down than the very same magic he's been using against us and been all smug about?   Unfortunately, while I spend several seconds setting up my fire-breathing dragon attack, Gao takes the opportunity to heal... and keep healing while on fire. Welp, so much for all that progress we've made in this fight.  One nice thing about the combat in Jade Empire is that enemies can also run out of chi. Gao used all of his on healing, so now all we need to do is beat him up some more and that should be the end of that.  The end of Gao the Lesser.   He had to know that someone in the village would come for me... although I suspected it would be you. I wouldn't let anything happen to you, Dawn Star. Well, I am grateful I have you as a friend. I've always respected your strength. I'm surprised Gao didn't have an interest in you, instead of me.   Yes. Yes, he was. About the things he was saying before we fought him, though...   Never mind that, why are his arms covered in brown gunk?  I don't know, but I think we should head back to the village. Agreed. I want Master Li to know that we are both safe. It's too bad, though; he wanted to reach Gao. I'm sure of it. Gao just seemed to get more and more bitter. He didn't respond well to discipline. It's too bad. Zu, head for the entrance. Dawn Star and I will clear the rest of the cave.We could leave immediately, but there are goodies to be found.  That mosquito-looking thing we saw earlier? That's a flying machine. The world of Jade Empire has a hint of... magical tech? I guess you could call it that. We haven't seen much of that technology yet, but we'll be seeing all kinds of interesting contraptions later on.  Gao drops this gem, which gives us a +5 boost to Intimidation and +1 to Body and Spirit. Pretty good, although I usually prefer to use Charm or Intuition rather than Intimidation.  I'm not sure what the point is of having these spirit and focus shrines AFTER the boss fight. I certainly would've liked to top up my chi before fighting Gao.  Viper's Wit is a technique (Focus +2, Charm +1), not to be confused with the Viper martial style.  Here's what evading a trap looks like. Usually there is some kind of dodge animation as well, but maybe I was too far from the chest for it to actually trigger.   This is the first scroll of the Viper style, which we won't be seeing in this playthrough because it's a Closed Fist style. I'd show it off in the bonus Zither of Discord update, but the save editor doesn't seem to let you add or replace fighting styles.  That's all the loot, let's get out of here.  I didn't realize you took that much of a risk getting to me. Thank you. I didn't want to fight them all, but there was no real choice. I heard Gao yelling at them to kill any bandits who might approach. I guess they wouldn't stop to ask questions. His mercenaries didn't seem too eager to follow me into the cave, though. It seemed like they were humoring him.Yeah, that's what the merc told us as well.     An entire fleet of flyers and some kind of airship. That doesn't look promising.   You may have won a victory over Gao the Lesser, but it looks like he put things in motion that have outlived him. What? What do you mean? These machines have weapons. They drop casks that explode on impact. There will be soldiers on the ground as well.Definitely does not sound promising.  He kidnapped you so you wouldn't get caught in an attack? It doesn't matter! We have to get back! The students... everyone will need our help! No Zu, we're not going to sit in the swamp while Gao's flyers bomb the town.   I doubt there are two people in the Empire that know *how* they work. It's a baffling combination of magic and artifice. How do you know so much about it? I've seen this kind of attack before. The tools used are different, but it's the same kind of destruction.Wouldn't that be a different kind of attack?   There is a handle attached to something like the reins of an ox yoke. You move it left and right, forward and back. It should swim through the air fairly smoothly. Will you come to help us, Zu? You seem to have a good heart. If... you are intent on returning, I will accompany you. I have already done more than I wanted, but I could not avoid this forever. I'm sure that's nothing and will never come up again.  Perhaps I am imagining it. We will discuss it another time. I hope we are not too late.  At least we got it into the air. Flying it and landing it might be tougher, but so far so good.     It seems we've got everything under control as far as flying this thing goes. Now all we have to do is head towards Two Rivers and hope we are not too late. You know how BioWare's games occasionally have vehicle sections spicing things up? KotOR had the swoop racing and the space battles, Mass Effect had the Mako (and Hammerhead, but I'll pretend that doesn't exist) Well, Jade Empire has its own take on these. I don't know if there was a gas leak or what at BioWare's offices when they were coming up with concepts for Jade Empire's minigames, but somehow we ended up with... well, this:  VIDEO: A vertically scrolling shoot 'em up   It's a pretty involved one as well. We can use various powerups (Radiant Aura is the only one we have for now, it's a shield that absorbs a bit of damage) and upgrade our main cannon to fire two or three shots instead of one at a time. As far as shoot 'em ups go, this definitely isn't Radiant Silvergun or even Ghost Pilots, but you can't blame BioWare for half-assing it.  While this is very, very weird, it also works quite well in this particular section of the game. As we fly over Two Rivers, we can see the town on fire below us and I think this is more effective than a simple cutscene would be. This is the school, and it has been hit hard already.  The town has not fared any better. We are, indeed, too late. Not that we'd have had much chance against a whole bombing fleet anyway, I suppose.     We eventually land on the beach. Everything is destroyed, but maybe we can still find someone who survived.    We will find survivors. There has to be someone left. I hope you are right. Master Li wouldn't let this happen. Not without a fight. Do what you can together. We will meet in the heart of your school.Zu runs off, presumably to scout ahead. He seems to know a lot about what's going on, so perhaps he can find something that could help us. Maybe not. Doesn't seem like there's much to be done for Two Rivers at this point.  This is not how it was supposed to go. We were supposed to beat up Gao, rescue Dawn Star and come back in time for a celebration at the beach.  We immediately find out Old Ming didn't make it.  At least it seems he died doing what he liked best, tending to the statue of the Emperor. This whole section has pretty great atmosphere, bolstered by the fact we've actually spent time in this area, knew all the townspeople and therefore have a connection to Two Rivers. Obviously, it was the boring tutorial village and I doubt anyone's too broken up by its destruction, but at least they gave us some reason to care.  I think that was Lin.   They said no survivors, so there better be no survivors.  Looks like we have a few more peasants to put down. Let's just make it quick. Well, if you insist.  Things aren't getting any better as we approach the school. No sign of survivors.  Wait, perhaps I spoke too soon. Looks like someone's still fighting.  Kia Min is still kicking rear end, thanks to us helping her out earlier. Had we screwed her over and given her the bearded tongue grass, this fight would have had a very different outcome.   I'll look to the villagers and save as many as I can. Go! It's a bit hard to tell in the screenshot, but there are a couple of other people escaping ahead of Kia Min. At least some made it out okay, it seems.  Not that you could tell by looking at the state of the school. There's something going on in the center ring, but it doesn't look good.  Indeed, it's just one of Gao's men murdering yet another student.   Of course he's gloating. With the exception of that one merc whose life we spared back in the swamp, everyone who works for (or is related to) Gao is required to be as much of a raging dickhead as possible.   I think we have a pretty good idea why, but might as well ask.   Men! Gao the Greater wants this village cleared! Get the job done!  A couple of waves of Gao's mercs for us to mop up, they can't really do much to us at this point.  The lieutenant eventually joins the fray with his Leaping Tiger claws.  He has more health than the low-level mooks around him and hits a bit harder, but dodging his attacks isn't that big of a deal.   This is a support style we haven't seen before. It's called Storm Dragon, and it's one of the more useful ones especially if you want to do harmonic combos. "Shocked" status causes damage over time, although the amount is rather minimal.  The fight takes a bit longer than I would've liked, because this dick keeps avoiding that last hit and his martial style has a range advantage over mine. So, I end up throwing a fireball in his face.  Jing Woo emerges from the wreckage, badly wounded.  Shhh. We've chased off all of Gao's men. You'll be safe now.    It turns out Gao's men weren't responsible for this whole thing. They were involved, obviously, but it seems the Lotus Assassins did the heavy lifting and Gao's goons got to mop up what was left.   Death's Hand himself arrived to oversee the proceedings. No wonder almost nobody made it.   Jing Woo finally succumbs to his injuries. It's a miracle any of the students even survived this long against such a horde.   Master Li was taken when it began. He went without a fight, giving them what they wanted, but afterwards the students... they were killed anyway. The figure your friend spoke of is Death's Hand, the leader of the Lotus Assassins. This... student was strong to live as long as he did. Woo mentioned a woman giving orders. What about her? A lieutenant, perhaps? Death's Hand leads all others. He would not appear unless this was important. He usually acts behind the scenes. I don't know why they were so intent on taking your Master Li, but they never attack without purpose. Master Li told me that he was the Emperor's brother. Gao overheard. That's... not possible. Sun Li the Glorious Strategist was the Emperor's brother and the head of the Imperial Army. Your Master Li cannot be him. I'm pretty sure this is the first time Dawn Star actually learns about Master Li being the Glorious Strategist, although I suppose Gao may have mentioned it at some point.  And besides, the Glorious Strategist would not have made such mistakes. What mistakes? Revealing himself, for one. For another, he would have known that giving himself up would not save your students. If Death's Hand is as vicious as you say, he had to try something. The Glorious Strategist would know his enemy, and if anything is true about Lotus Assassins, it's that they don't leave survivors. I should know. That would explain how he knew so much about the attack. Still, if Zu was still associated with them, he would've tried to kill us already and certainly wouldn't have helped us find Dawn Star.  I like it when these games let you pick a reasonable response.  You know a lot. We will have to talk about the source of that knowledge. Well, I guess this is still a reasonable thing to say here. Zu may not be a Lotus Assassin anymore and doesn't seem to be trying to actively kill us, but we'll still want to be on guard just in case because we still don't know much about him or what he may be planning.   I have to say - while the faces in Jade Empire occasionally end up in  territory, the expressions we see here are quite well done for the time. Especially Dawn Star's. It won't be stable enough to get to the Imperial City, but we might reach the trading village of Tien's Landing. All trade routes lead to the heart of the Empire. If we are lucky we can find someone to give us passage. If we're lucky. And so, with Master Li missing and most of their friends dead, our heroes leave the ruins of Two Rivers - their past - behind them for good.  As for the future, all they know for sure right now is that they must find Master Li, and to do so they need to get to the Imperial City via Tien's Landing... somehow. Wu and Dawn Star have spent their entire lives being guided by Master Li, and now that that guidance is gone it's pretty much off to the unknown for them.  Let's go.  
DMorbid fucked around with this message at 21:32 on Dec 21, 2016 |
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Dec 21, 2016 21:02
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I agree with you on transformation styles; this game has a glut of styles already and there's one (two, maybe) transform styles which are excellent one-point-wonders so they don't require much investment to be useful ... but toad isn't it. I don't think I've ever used it. At this stage in the game you don't have the chi to sustain it and the damage output isn't worth it. Also, small note: You can use JSE to give yourself Viper and/or any other style, I did it just this last week. It should be as simple as adding the style to your list of available styles, and unless you hate yourself, giving yourself some style points to assign to it.
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Dec 21, 2016 21:32
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Huh, I must have missed an option in the editor then. I saw that you could remove styles, but didn't notice a way to add them.  I'll give it a shot.
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Dec 21, 2016 21:37
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"No! My beloved peasant village!"-box: ticked. Anyway, despite his uselessness as a companion (and really, all the companions are useless in combat, with one or two exceptions), I do kinda like Sagacious Zu in his relationship to your party and the story. I think he's another example of the Closed Fist mindset- coldly pragmatic and goal oriented, as opposed to just  - and even then he's not so married to that mindset that he becomes a zealot about it (you will note that he tried to spare Dawn Star the sight of Two Rivers' sacking, which doesn't really gel at all with the way CF has been described thus far in the game, ie. greater challenges hardship and pain make you more strong). As I recall, he's not particularly sussed if you do choose the more rude/suspicious options during these parts, because he knows full well how suspicious and weird what he's doing looks and doesn't blame you for being wary. And that's another memorable bit, the Flower of the Fields quest. If you can, you should listen to the voice acting for that part, because it, particularly Sing Wa, really makes it. 
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Dec 21, 2016 22:02
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resurgam40 posted:And that's another memorable bit, the Flower of the Fields quest. If you can, you should listen to the voice acting for that part, because it, particularly Sing Wa, really makes it.
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Dec 21, 2016 22:09
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The save editor was a large part of making the game less tedious to me.  But yeah, the Flower of the Fields "quest" is hilarious, like usual, Bioware is great at humour, middling at drama.
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Dec 21, 2016 22:24
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One of the transformation styles is REALLY good though and let's you beat up demons with ease. It's quite a while before we see it however, not until closer to the ending. So it's best to forget about it until we see it. Toad is okay. Not great but I believe it has a decent area attack that would have been a lot better if you weren't so slow and easy to hit while getting your frog on. As long as you're not fighting a terribly hard fight you can just and bash away to get some variation in combat.
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Dec 21, 2016 22:47
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One of the transformation styles clowns literally every fight in the game, up to and including the final boss. So there's that. But most of them aren't really worth using, yeah.
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Dec 22, 2016 16:56
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The style system was not very well balanced in general. I don't know if it still works in the PC version since I've never played it, but in the original Xbox version you could use Storm Dragon to stunlock dudes literally indefinitely. It even worked on some bosses.
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Dec 22, 2016 17:07
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Dec 23, 2016 00:37
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Did doing whatever it was to the Water Dragon even make it rain, in the end?
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Dec 24, 2016 00:26
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Glazius posted:Did doing whatever it was to the Water Dragon even make it rain, in the end?
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Dec 24, 2016 18:17
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Does it feel clumsy to anyone else how the Lotus Assassins are inserted into the story here? Two River's destruction didn't need to have two different groups responsible. And if Gao's forces passed the information on, then they didn't need to show up themselves.
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Dec 24, 2016 19:00
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MightyPretenders posted:Does it feel clumsy to anyone else how the Lotus Assassins are inserted into the story here? Two River's destruction didn't need to have two different groups responsible. And if Gao's forces passed the information on, then they didn't need to show up themselves. You remember that first Assassin at the beach that said "We expected an army"? Gao and the Assassins probably still expected an army, or at least a really nasty surprise. That's why they both showed up with insanely large forces.
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Dec 24, 2016 19:07
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The assassins and co. were expecting to turn up and discover the valley was the training camp for a secret army big enough to overthrow the Emperor, trained and led by one of the premier strategists of the age. They threw everything they could get there in time into the attack.
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Dec 24, 2016 20:26
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MightyPretenders posted:Does it feel clumsy to anyone else how the Lotus Assassins are inserted into the story here? Two River's destruction didn't need to have two different groups responsible. And if Gao's forces passed the information on, then they didn't need to show up themselves. Honestly, yeah. It seems like either the Lotus Assassins or Gao the Greater's men could have orchestrated this - having both feels like overkill, especially since they both struck in the like, hour, that the PC was away from town. What might have been more effective would be managing to drive off Gao's henchmen, going to bed feeling accomplished, then waking up in the middle of a slaughter when the Lotus Assassins showed up and having to sneak away.
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Dec 24, 2016 22:56
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Fantasy China... with airships and biplanes?
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Dec 25, 2016 01:47
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nothing to seehere posted:Fantasy China... with airships and biplanes? Oh it gets even better once we meet the One Sole White European.
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Dec 25, 2016 02:42
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Quorum posted:Oh it gets even better once we meet the One Sole White European. I actually thought it was hilarious, apart from the meta-ness (for lack of a better term) of the game's token minority being a white dude.
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Dec 25, 2016 02:54
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It also helps that he is voiced by John Cleese.
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Dec 25, 2016 10:03
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Episode 06: The Landing Last time, everything went to hell as Two Rivers was burned to the ground, nearly all of our old friends were killed, and Master Li was taken away by the Lotus Assassins. We know we need to get to the Imperial City, but our first stop will be the nearby town of Tien's Landing because our Mosquito flyer doesn't do long distances all that well.  If we wanted to, we could've had another shoot 'em up section after leaving Two Rivers. However, I decided to skip it by choosing the evade option instead of attack. I like the fact the game doesn't force you to do the flyer sections after the initial one, although we will still be seeing plenty of that stuff because there is a fairly important sidequest that involves a lot of flying and shooting.  This is what the cockpit of a Mosquito flyer looks like. We're experiencing some minor turbulence at the moment, but no worries, everything is under control.   Well, at least until a big chunk of our horizontal stabilizer snaps off.   After that, it's mostly a matter of finding a bit of ground that doesn't have too many people or buildings on it. Maybe also avoiding the cliffs. And the dam.  We've found some ruins and it looks like we might be able to land smoothly between the buildings. Just gotta keep it steady and...  ...dammit   And we're dead. We could've totally pulled that off if some idiot hadn't left a chunk of wall in the way. VIDEO: I can fly this thing, I sw--*CRASH*   Actually, we seem to be doing relatively well after that, we're moving and everything. Considering this was the first time our heroes were flying an aircraft (aside from Zu, possibly), that landing was a fairly decent effort.  It's a miracle we all survived unharmed. Uh... we did all survive, didn't we? I like the option, but the decent thing to do is ask if our friends are doing okay. How did we survive such a violent impact without so much as a scratch on any of us? The safety measures on these flyers must be outstanding.  A what? Maybe he could've mentioned this before we took off, although I guess we were leaving Two Rivers no matter what and it wasn't like there would've been wind maps lying around. Maybe one of Gao's men might've had one? Someone must have.  Huh, we could actually ask why Zu didn't mention wind maps earlier, although I didn't do so and therefore don't know what he says about it here. I'm gonna assume it's something similar to what I just wrote there.  And there's our first main goal for this section of the game: find a wind map.  Hey, just because the flyer has exploded into a million pieces and is currently on fire doesn't mean... eh, he's right. We need to find a replacement somehow, which would be our second main goal at the moment.  Ha! You make it sound so simple. Flyers and wind maps are rare things, even in the Imperial City. Out here they're all but unknown. Gao and his pirates used flyers to attack Two Rivers, and the Lotus Assassins who took Master Li had them, too. Somebody around here must know something about them. Don't worry, Dawn Star. I'll find a way to get us flying again. I'm... I'm sorry to get upset, but every second we're stuck here, Master Li gets farther away from us. We're near Tien's Landing. It's a small village, but maybe someone there knows where we can find a new flyer. If nothing else, I remember a clearing suitable for a camp. And if we can't find a flyer, we can always follow on foot. To the south of the village is a forest. A trade route leads through it to the Imperial City. The village is across the bridge and beyond a large marker stone. Look for the giant rock with a painting of a fish on it, and you'll know you're heading in the right direction. Let's get moving. Dawn Star, come with me. Very well. I'll wait here for now. It's not so different from the marsh, actually. More of an impending sense of doom, but that could just be your influence.What? Hey! Just because I almost got us killed in a flyer crash doesn't mean...  The Chapter 2 introduction is actually supposed to pop up at this point, but I thought the beginning of the update was a more appropriate place for it.  Oh, good. That'll explain the sense of impending doom, I assume.  It's just a bunch of ghosts, though. Convict ghosts, to be exact. We're going to assume these are ghosts of convicts who died and not inmates of a ghost prison, but whatever they are they're just a random trash mob and no different from the ghosts we've been fighting so far.   Once the ghosts are dealt with, Wu is hit by a sensation she remembers from earlier.   He carried a piece of your amulet. It was separated, broken apart, so your enemies could not find it easily. You have the first piece. It trains your abilities now.Huh. Wonder what happened to that Spirit Monk. I'm assuming he died since Wu is supposed to be the last of her order, but who knows.  These three pieces are physical, but there is one more. It cannot be found, only earned. This final piece is all that will save you in the end. A vision. The same creature I saw in the spirit cave at the school. You saw a vision? Strange that I could not make it out. Strong spirits are usually quite clear to me. Please tell me if you have any more. We shouldn't stay here. It... it isn't safe. There's so much pain and suffering in this place that I can barely think. What did Zu say again? A clearing near Tien's Landing across the bridge and south. It sounds simple enough. Lead the way, and I'll follow.Bringing Dawn Star to areas with a big spirit presence occasionally gives us some interesting dialogue. Sadly, she usually can't tell us when we're about to be ambushed by ghosts like she did here.  There's nothing of interest in this area near the flyer, aside from a destroyed focus shrine. Obviously, it doesn't work, not that we need it right now anyway.  Let's keep heading south. The scenery here is a bit brown and grey for my liking.  We can interact with this headstone, so let's check that out.  This is a cutscene, we didn't actually have to evade the trap.  If you mess with grave stones outside Tien's Landing, there's a good chance you disturb some spirits and get attacked by convict ghosts.  Like so. Nothing special about these guys, and I don't think they drop anything interesting either. Headstones do have money and items, so checking them is usually a good idea if you don't mind fending off a few angry spirits.  This must be the clearing that was mentioned before.  The bridge leads to the site of the Great Dam. We can't do anything with it right now, so let's keep moving.  Past the spirit font, we see this building we must pass through.  There's nothing inside except for these conscripts. I guess this is just a tunnel of some sort.  stupid 3rd person action cameras  Yep, nothing else in the tunnel. We should be pretty close to Tien's Landing when we come out.  However, it appears someone's been watching us.   If you've been paying attention, you'll recall we saw this person in the cutscene when we left Two Rivers. Now she's followed us all the way here.    At this point we don't know why she's following us, but she certainly knows how to make an entrance.   And she thinks we're working for Death's Hand. Perfect.  I don't suppose we can talk about this?  Oh, we can. Or at least we can try.   Death's Hand went too far in ordering its destruction, and Gao the Greater sought to profit from it. My retribution will end with them, but it will begin with you. Let's all say hi to Silk Fox. Technically we're not supposed to know her name because she never mentioned it in that conversation, but since the game helpfully points out her identity on the HUD there's no reason to pretend we don't know.  Despite talking a big game, Silk Fox is a complete pushover in this fight. She's less dangerous than a random trash enemy, so this doesn't take long at all.  When we get her health low enough, she yields.  Allowed. Uh huh. I don't think Silk Fox expected to fight a Spirit Monk, and now she's trying to save face and pretend we didn't completely clown her right there.  I am not in league with Gao or the Lotus Assassins. So it would appear. You lack their branding... but if you are not one of them, who are you? A monk? A mercenary? A bandit? You chase a great evil... larger than you realize. Leave, and you may survive. Others have tried to face Death's Hand, but were destroyed, as Two Rivers was.I don't know why she would even consider we might be bandits, we're far too competent for that to be the case. That said, Silk Fox seems to know a lot about Death's Hand and doesn't seem to think we have much of a chance against him. And to be fair, we'd get destroyed if we tried to fight him right now.  Your honor sends you toward peril, but you do not flinch from it. A trait of fools... and perhaps the occasional hero. I also seek answers from Death's Hand and his minions. If you truly oppose him, you will need to find your way to the Imperial City. Of course, only the Lotus Assassins can come and go as they please, thanks to Gao. Travel routes by land and water are blocked, but they use wind maps and flyers to further their goals here and in the surrounding forest.So we can't walk to the Imperial City, then. We have to find a flyer and a wind map.  Farewell. Gotta say, that's a hell of a vertical leap.  With Silk Fox gone, we're free to head towards Tien's Landing. There's the big fish rock Zu mentioned earlier, and past that to the right is the path to town.  So, obviously, we go left. The first thing we see is a small herd of goats doing goat stuff.  Any of you fellows seen a wind map around here or know where we could find one? No? Aw.  Maybe these gentlemen will be more talkative.  They are, but they also want to murder us so I doubt they'll be very helpful in our search.   I am a soldier of the Imperial Army, sent by Death's Hand to destroy anyone foolish enough to enter this place. Unfortunately, this includes you! Kill the peasant! This goes about as well for them as you might expect.  After the fight, this guy comes out of hiding and begs us not to kill him.   Even though I wear this uniform, I am no soldier. My name is Chen Yi. I'm just a simple peasant from the town of One Stone. These soldiers passed through my village a few weeks ago. One of them angered the Lotus Assassin who was in charge, and the Assassin killed him! As I was coming back in from the fields, they grabbed me to fill his place. They put this uniform on me--blood stains and all--and told me I was in the army!That... seems like it would be a rather ineffectual method of conscription.  Like, don't you even get any training? Arming random peasants who may or may not know which end of the sword you point at enemies doesn't seem like something the Imperial Army would do, even if the Lotus Assassins are actually calling the shots. What would the Glorious Strategist say?  Go. Leave here and never return.In any case, I let this poor fool go. If it turns out he was lying and he attacks us, well, he saw what happened to the last three guys who tried.  I want to say there are a couple of situations in BioWare games where you decide to show mercy on someone like this and they do in fact attack you afterwards, but I can't think of specific ones. There's that one asari merc in Mass Effect 2, but it's pretty obvious from the start that she's lying and just wants Shepard to lower their guard. Also, she doesn't attack you, she just runs off and you find out later that she was the murderer the cops were looking for.  Dawn Star approves, of course.  There's a focus shrine and a few chests in the watchtower. The loot is fairly inconsequential for the most part, but then there's this. The Silk Strings are a quest item that's completely useless to Wu, but our buddy Wei Shen will be able to make use of these in his very special episode later.  Traps? Pft.   This orb that has a picture of the amulet is a gem pickup. You very rarely see these, as you generally just get gems from containers or vendors and even when you get a drop from a boss it just goes straight into your inventory.  The path that leads to more ruins is crawling with spirits, and due to the danger it's locked right now. We need to find a key for the gate if we want to get in.   As we've finished looking around here for now, we can finally enter Tien's Landing.  Zu got bored of waiting and just came straight here. He seems to have missed all the action, as he doesn't mention seeing our fight with Silk Fox or anything like that.  Well, that's very thoughftul of him. We'll take a look at the gem in a bit.  I will stay here at this new camp unless you need me. It seems like a good enough place to base ourselves out of. Good Fortune (Intuition +5, Mind +1, Spirit +1) is quite a nice gem and will go into our amulet right now. That means we have gems equipped for all three of our conversation skills now.  Since we're at camp (well, we technically aren't, but close enough) it's a good time as any to have some conversations with our party members. Let's start off with Dawn Star.   Strange enemies, troubling plots; I will be glad when we can leave this place to find Master Li.Unfortunately, we just get the "I don't have anything important to say at the moment" conversation at this time. Everyone who has played Jade Empire should be quite familiar with these.  Maybe I just feel this way because of what happened at the school or what I fear will happen to Master Li. I just know we must be careful.We can also ask what Dawn Star thinks of the area we're currently in, which in this case is of course Tien's Landing.  I will... but I cannot help worrying, or thinking about what has happened to Master Li. It will be okay. We will save him. Yes, of course. I am glad you are strong in the face of all the death and destruction we've seen.Let's actually get to the camp now.    I don't want to think like that. We will set things right. We have to. Not that we won't be performing a whole lot of killing nonetheless, of course.   Okay, now that we're actually standing around this campfire here, let's see if we can get anything interesting out of Zu.  I have questions about you and the Lotus Assassins. I can assure you that I no longer share an allegiance with them. It was a short dalliance that ended on poor terms. Why did you leave them? I won't discuss that. Perhaps I will say more when I know *your* motives better, but for now, my past is my own. I am supposed to accept that answer? I wouldn't have much respect for you if you did, but it is all that I am going to offer right now.Oooo. Mystery man.  Still, he's got our back. Maybe later he'll tell us what went down with the Lotus Assassins.  It has been a long day, so we'll take a break here. When we continue, we'll explore the town of Tien's Landing and see if we can find the piece of the amulet that was mentioned by the spirit earlier. ----- DMorbid fucked around with this message at 17:48 on Mar 7, 2017 |
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Jan 6, 2017 06:03
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Ah yes, the magical NPC skill of leaping to places where the PC's can't path so they can make a clean getaway.
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Jan 6, 2017 10:00
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Hey, this isn't your culture, ninja! Go menace a feudal daimo somewhere! Shoo! (Goldurned infestations...) I kid, I kid, I have fond memories of that character, but it still amuses me how all of the Asian cultures have still, even today, become this massive pop-culture gestalt that crosses all kinds of real life cultural lines without anyone noticing or caring because of laziness and racism. Getting an Asian Studies degree has taken so much fun out of everything, but allows me to be a fun-hating pedant to people, so I'm OK with that.
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Jan 6, 2017 13:06
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I was so, so close to calling this update "Chinese Ninja Warrior". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVIpnoptwSQ
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Jan 6, 2017 13:22
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Doc Morbid posted:
This scene would have been better with this playing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-G0SVEQW8A
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Jan 6, 2017 14:23
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Takes guts to point out flaws in the technique of the lady who just smeared you across the not-Chinese pavement without even trying.  It's weird, everything close up in Jade Empire is blocky and low res but somehow it comes together to make some genuinely really gorgeous landscapes and scenery that hold up well despite their age.
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Jan 6, 2017 14:33
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Quorum posted:Takes guts to point out flaws in the technique of the lady who just smeared you across the not-Chinese pavement without even trying. This is the result of really good art direction and an eye for detail - it trumps graphical shortcomings.
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Jan 6, 2017 16:55
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Robindaybird posted:This is the result of really good art direction and an eye for detail - it trumps graphical shortcomings. I guess it's the opposite of the way everything in Hyper Shootymans 2017: Black Ghost Wars is super high resolution but nonetheless incredibly brown and grey. (Not that art direction is really integral to the multiplayer arena focus of those games.)
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Jan 6, 2017 17:58
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Yeah, one of the things Bioware really started doing well at about this time was making their games look good, without needing to push the technological envelope. A lot of the environments in the original Mass Effect also hold up really well. That said, this is the part of the game where things just kinda drag storywise. There's stuff happening and all, but this section, especially the first part that we've just gotten past, is so dull with gently caress-all interesting.
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Jan 7, 2017 03:37
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Yeah, the stylized environments really sell the atmosphere. Also getting challenged by a random ninja completely sells the martial-arts movie aesthetic.
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Jan 7, 2017 15:37
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Uh, is it just me, or does Zu seem to have disproportionately sized arms?
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Jan 16, 2017 12:07
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Episode 07: The Brave Last time, our heroes crashed their flyer outside the town of Tien's Landing, eventually reaching the town itself despite getting attacked by ghostly convicts and a mysterious warrior known as Silk Fox. Next order of business for us is to explore Tien's Landing and see if we can find 1) a new flyer, 2) a wind map so we don't crash that flyer, and 3) another piece of the Dragon Amulet, which is supposed to be around here.  Making it to Tien's Landing also gives us a new main menu background, at least on the rare occasions the game actually bothers to show it instead of the default one. This one looks quite nice, although the stretched logos bother me more than they probably should. I've looked for a proper widescreen patch that would fix these and the FMVs, but apparently there isn't one.   Here we are, at the lookout point next to our camp. We could stand here enjoying the sunset for a while longer, but we have more important things to do so let's get on with it. This and the next couple of updates are going to be very talky as we explore the town and chat up all the people.  Tien's Landing is one of the best-looking areas in the game, which is kind of a good thing because we're gonna be here for a while.  These women, on the other hand, look like they're leaving the place.   Huh. Well, that's not really the kind of thing we wanted to hear as soon as we arrived.  About that... you do know the way out of town is crawling with ghosts and bandits, right?    It's sure to be more exciting than this dead place. Though impulsive, my daughter Fuyao speaks truly. The Great Dam down river has opened, the river is too low and treacherous for anyone to navigate. We are cut off from the Empire. The people are starving and pirates terrorize the town. Our leader Minister Sheng seems powerless to do anything. So, we choose to try our luck in the wilderness.Things do sound quite bad around here, but at least your town is still standing and your friends haven't been murdered by the Lotus Assassins. And did I mention there were bandits and ghosts all over the wilderness? We were just there, you know.  You don't know the whole story. Minister Sheng would probably pay someone to close the dam, but nobody is brave enough to make the journey. There are dark things up there. Some claim it is ghosts, trying to torment us. Some think it is pirates. I don't know. All I know is that there seems to be no way to get the Great Dam closed again. I thank you for your concern. Most people only look out for themselves in days such as these. I have heard of the dangers: wild animals and worse men. Pirates and slavers who swoop down in their flyers on unwary travelers.Yeah, you know what they say about swooping. Still, we might be able to... liberate one of those flyers.  I brought Zu along for this first trip to town, as he has some interesting dialog a bit later.  Some believe there are even worse things in the wilderness: ghosts that torment the living. Still, it's better than sitting in Tien's Landing waiting to die.As much as I'd like to have an "yeah, about those ghosts... I just fought a dozen of them right outside the town so it's really not a good idea to leave" dialog option, there isn't one.  The dam is down river from us. When it was closed, the water backed up and drained very slowly, causing the level of the river to rise. Now that it is open, the water is flowing too fast and low where it flows at all. Most ships cannot weather it. The town is cut off. That is why we are leaving. Why did the Great Dam open? I don't know... Minister Sheng doesn't know. Nobody knows! But the town is dying, and I would rather try my luck out in the wilderness than stay here. I will let you be on your way.That is a great and in no way suicidal plan. I swear, if I end up having to free these two from slavers in a couple of hours...  If we ask about Fuyao's dad, Yifong implies he died and doesn't go into specifics.  Yifong and Fuyao head out to the wilderness, and we continue on towards the nearest large building. It seems there's some kind of commotion going on outside.   Wanna bet? Of course, he's not talking to us right now and is addressing the older lady in front of him.  This lady here, who doesn't have the time or patience for any of this nonsense.  I hate this town already.   All right, enough of that. These idiots are going down. For some reason, you get the option to just stand back and watch as they attack this lady. I'm not sure why you'd pick that, but you can if that is your thing.  Sure. Good luck with that!  These guys turn out to be sailors, and there's quite a few of them hanging around town. I'll try my best not to make too many Shenmue jokes when interacting with them, but I'm not promising anything.  They don't put up much of a fight.  And this is why I brought Zu along. It turns out he and Hui here are old acquaintances.  I know. After we spoke, I followed you. I... I wanted to be sure she was given a good home. You did well, Hui. Hui and I knew each other long ago. She was a soldier, and I... I needed her help. There was a child... an orpham. I knew Hui could find a good home for her. Nah, I don't think they're talking about Wu here, despite the top option assuming that to be the case. Not everything revolves around the player! Well, I guess it kinda does since we're the only ones who can fix the world. In any event, it might be better to just ask them who that kid was.  Where is this child now? She's... safe. That's all you need to know; she doesn't concern you. Besides, we don't have time to worry about something that happened almost twenty years ago. Yes, those are old worries. Thank you for your actions today, even if these men were no real threat. Just simple sailors frustrated at the shallow river that holds them there. There *are* pirates in the area, and they pose a far greater danger. You will likely encounter them... especially if you are the one I am waiting for. As Sagacious Zu mentioned, my name is Hui. Tell me, young woman. What is your master's name? We don't really know what's going on with Hui, and it might not be the best of ideas to blab about Master Li's true identity to everyone we meet, so let's just keep things simple.  So much for not worrying about things that happened twenty years ago, I guess!  Hui's word is also enough to convince Zu that we were telling the truth about Master Li being the Glorious Strategist. Maybe we can get something useful out of him next time we have a chat.  The Glorious Strategist was certain the path to the Imperial City would bring you here. He was also very specific about how I present my information to you. You must be ready.Of course the Glorious Strategist would expect his past to catch up to him one day, and he'd prepare accordingly for that situation.  I served under Sun Li and was one of the soldiers he trusted enough to contact after Dirge fell. Li knew the events there would have great consequences. He told me of the weeks-long siege, and how the Spirit Monks were slaughtered so his brother could take their temple. It was madness... the Emperor killed the Water Dragon itself! The Water Dragon... the Shepherd of the Dead, a goddess of rebirth. To try and steal her power; to even think it could be attempted... has any mortal ever shown such arrogance?How did he even manage to pull off something like that?  There are many beings that exist beyond our experience. The heavens are governed by a Celestial Bureaucracy. Each facet of existence is managed by a specialized attendant. Most appear to have little influence, but some, like the Water Dragon, have a portfolio that grants exceptional status. She was said to have governance over the Great Wheel. She was not a maker, but all life that ended passed her gaze before returning to the earth in another form. Sun Hai sought rebirth for his Empire at the cost of the natural order. Her body was taken to the palace as a grim trophy of the power that ended the Long Drought. All the while, the people hailed the Emperor as a hero, ignorant of the price.We've touched on a lot of this stuff before, but this is the first time we really get an idea of what happened to the Water Dragon. This is also the first mention of the Celestial Bureaucracy, the pantheon of gods and spirits that govern all existence and presumably do a whole lot of paperwork.  Even a god is not invincible. They have their place, and it can be challenged. Sun Li could not stop the slaughter of the Spirit Monks. He fled the battle with you in his arms. Most believe Sun Li fell at Dirge... a lie spread by the Emperor. A handful of us knew that he lived, and we also learned the terrible price of his rebellion.I don't think he ever mentioned that last part of the story.  Oh.   In case you didn't yet figure out Death's Hand was really loving evil, here you go! He murders babies, or at least orders his goons to do that for him.  He probably didn't think his family would be harmed, but even had he known, he might still have saved you. Li knows you have a destiny to fulfill. You're the last of your kind.So because Wu is special and apparently the only one who may be able to fix this entire mess, Master Li would've sacrificed his own wife and child for... the sake of the greater good, I guess? Whether or not that is the case, I'm sure thinking about it will make her feel just great about herself.  It is time to continue your training, and I am honored to add to the basics that Sun Li instilled. A brief description should reinforce the style you saw me use.Actually, I was too busy beating up those sailors to pay attention to what Hui was doing alongside us, but never mind that.  I'm guessing she's going to teach us something useful. If Master Li specifically told her to teach us whatever this style is, it can't be a complete waste of our time.  Magic and weapons tire you. Draw on them too much and you could be left defenseless. Spirit Thief restores your chi, prolonging your ability to fight or ignore wounds. It is especially useful when enemies are immune to basic martial attacks, when you *must* use magic or weapons. It can even immobilize a foe, allowing time to recover even more. This short lesson should be enough for now. Come, speak with me in the teahouse. We will talk of your master... and more. I don't know why she kept mentioning weapons because those use focus instead of chi, and Spirit Thief doesn't restore focus. She's not completely wrong though, Spirit Thief can be a lifesaver in certain situations.  We might as well put it in our quick style menu right now to replace Heavenly Wave. Unfortunately, we can only have four styles mapped to quick slots when using a controller whereas the keyboard lets you map up to ten styles to the number keys. I can't play this game on a keyboard at all, so I'm stuck with four quick slots.   Before we go inside, we'll take a look at a few things. First of all, we've got another bookstand. This one mentions an inn somewhere in the Great Southern Forest, as well as some kind of a shadow in the trees that keeps following people around.  We've also got some townspeople to talk to, so let's do that.   We're definitely planning to leave this town as soon as possible, but turning around is not an option. Sorry.    Why do you wish that? Everything in Tien's Landing is falling apart. Sheng, the local minister, is helpless to deal with all our troubles. You should get out while you can. Goodbye.This minister sounds rather useless.  Well, technically we don't live anywhere because our home was just burned down.  Good to know!  We saw this woman in the background while we were talking to Hui outside the teahouse. She seems to be having some problems, as indicated by the sobbing and that large yellow quest marker over her head.     It's my fiance, Baker Bei. Every day a group of thugs attacks him and beats him up. He tries to avoid them, but they find him wherever he goes....why? What did he do?   Seriously. I doubt they're going around beating this guy up just for fun. There has to be some reason for it.  I'll take care of those thugs for you. I knew you'd understand, being a woman. Thank you, my lady! If our firstborn is a girl, she shall have your name.I don't remember what Lan says here if you play one of the male characters.  Despite what she tells us about hurrying, you're not on a timer or anything like that and can spend just as much time as you want tooling around Tien's Landing. Which is good, because that is exactly what we're gonna be doing for the next while. Bei is not in any danger until we actually go meet him.  Behind the fence, we've got a pretty nice view as well as a couple of bamboo casks to loot.  gah  Well, that's new. Seems like a quest item, so let's take a look at what the menu blurb has to say.  First off, though, let's look at the silk strings we picked up last time. They're for a musical instrument, perhaps a zither of some sort.  Obviously, this will be used for building something later.  Behind the teahouse is a kitchen area, and we can have a chat with the workers.  The, uh, door was open?    Speaking of stepping back, I do believe we were meant to meet someone inside this fine teahouse. Maybe we should get on that...  As much as I'd love to beat this guy to death with his own arms, I think it would reflect poorly on us if we brutalized an employee of this teahouse.  I want to ask something about you.Such as "how can a person be so incredibly unpleasant?"    No. No, I am quite certain that the problem is with the customers. If you wish to keep your position, Mister Wong, you will smile and nod. You are very harsh with your assistant. Mister Wong is here to cut the vegetables and heft the rice bags. His job does not include criticizing the menu. I am the head chef. He is nothing.With encouragement like that, the kid will surely go places.  There is a small chance he could become slightly more than nothing, but I have seen no sign of it as of yet. Some people are heroes; some merely clap as heroes walk by.Right. And some get stabbed by disgruntled employees or customers. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about.  I'm not sure why we can ask this guy about the spirit world, he doesn't seem like the type to know anything about such matters. Let's just go away before he starts talking again.  I don't know if I want to eat what he's making.  Ah, he's one of those cooks.  There's some underwhelming loot back here. The Greater Warrior's Gem of Fate makes health pickups drop more often, but I don't like to waste one of my precious gem slots on that. This is a "greater" gem, so it should fetch a decent price when we sell it.  Now that we're done out here, let's finally go inside and talk to Hui.    Before we can continue our conversation, the sailors we beat up outside the teahouse come back for seconds. Would be a terrible shame to disappoint them.  Hui is great.  VIDEO: Oh no, we have more useless mooks incoming.    They've got a cool entrance and everything!   For whatever reason, this last guy decides to smash one of the tables on the landing.  "Yeah, check out how badass we are"  Smashed tables also means improvised weapons for us. We can pick up a couple of table legs and go to town on these morons.  Like so. Improvised weapons have limited durability and these chunks of wood are quite slow to swing around, but they're also very powerful. Not that it particularly matters here, because I didn't pick them up until there were only two guys left and they both were almost dead anyway.  We can get back to business. Sun Li gave me instructions to await you if... if anything should happen. I have prepared for this day for well over a decade. The full extent of what the Glorious Strategist knows is beyond my mind to comprehend; he is without peer. All I know is that I had instructions to wait for you. Sun Li asked me to seek a piece of a special amulet he wanted you, his prize pupil, to have. It was broken apart and scattered when the Spirit Monk temple fell. He intended to--and I assume he did--give the main piece to you. Rumor placed a smaller part with a fleeing apprentice monk, but it had been some years, and the trail was cold. So you searched for the rest of the amulet? I eventually learned the monk had fled to old Tien's Landing. He was there a year or so, but died of lingering injuries and was buried with his possessions unsorted.Ah, so that's what became of the monk. Kinda figured as much.  Now the Lotus Assassins have drained the lake and exposed the ruins of old Tien's Landing. It seems they are searching for this piece of the Spirit Monk amulet too. Yes, Sun Li intended you to find it; I was to tell you about it if anything happened to him. It was the last order he gave me, and I have waited years to fulfill my duty. I choose to believe that my service was valuable and vital. You would have come here eventually. The amulet would draw you, at least. How long have you been waiting for me? It is coming on fifteen years now. As I said, I learned the location of the amulet after the monk died in old Tien's. It has been difficult, serving and waiting in silence. Can you tell me more about the amulet? I only know that I had to find the piece I was tracking. I did so; it is in the ruins. You must find it before the Lotus Assassins do. You will need it to help your Master. How do I get to the ruins? The gates leading to the ruins are locked, but Minister SHeng can give you the key. You can find him in the town square, the highest point in Tien's Landing. I suspect the Minister is eager to have someone investigate the opening of the Great Dam. You can use this as an excuse to get the key and explore the ruins.Looks like we'll go talk to Minister Sheng, then. First off, though, let's see if Hui could help us find a replacement for our flyer.   You can find Sheng near his still-smoldering office in the center of town. I'm sure he will welcome your assistance, even if your reasons are your own."Still-smoldering office"? Now that sounds promising, either Minister Sheng is so hated that someone burned down his office or he's so incompetent his office somehow burned down by accident. Just the kind of guy we need to help us. Speaking of help, though, let's ask Hui a couple of questions about herself.  There is little to tell. I served him years ago in the Imperial Army. I was a tracker and soldier. I was not at Dirge when it fell, but I heard the tale of Sun Li's death. But I refused to believe he was dead. In time, my faith was confirmed. He sought me out and told me what really happened. I swore my loyalty to him on the spot. I revere him as a teacher and... I revere him. Even when he ordered me to distant lands, my loyalty never wavered. But I am tired. I long for an end to my service. You sound regretful.I regret nothing but I do long for an end to this update, because jesus christ there is so much text to transcribe in this part of the game.  Of course there's no game script available to make this easier. Technically I could copy text directly from the dialog.tlk file, but it's not exactly organized so that would be more trouble than it's worth. Oh well, we're almost done with this conversation and then I'll call it. We who serve him are sometimes forgotten; left to toil in obscurity until the time to act is thrust upon us. So it was with me, waiting for you. Remember: Go to the ruins and claim the amulet before the Lotus Assassins do. You will need it to survive the trials that lie ahead. Despite what Hui says, we don't actually have to go look for the amulet yet if we'd rather look for the new flyer or the wind map first. Finding the amulet does feel like the most urgent one of our current tasks, so we'll start with it. Not next time, though, because we have a town full of sidequests open to us and there's plenty of things to be found in this very teahouse! ----- DMorbid fucked around with this message at 20:51 on Jan 18, 2017 |
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Jan 18, 2017 17:52
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I love those guys in the teahouse. Totally unremarkable mooks, but they just have a fantastic set of entrances.
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Jan 18, 2017 18:35
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I recall promising to post a video of the Flower of the Fields quest, so here it finally is.
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Jan 18, 2017 20:38
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Doc Morbid posted:the Spirit Monks were slaughtered so his btother could take their temple. I Also, why would you not take the "I was that child, right?" option? It's seriously one of the better dialogs in the game.
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Jan 18, 2017 20:40
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Xander77 posted:Also, why would you not take the "I was that child, right?" option? It's seriously one of the better dialogs in the game. I never pick the "I was that child, right?" option because that doesn't seem like the kind of thing my character would say in that situation (even though you're the protagonist and a special boy or girl, why would you automatically assume they're talking about you?) What do they say if you pick it?
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Jan 18, 2017 21:01
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Doc Morbid posted:I just noticed that typo myself and fixed it before reading your post, but thanks for pointing it out. Feel free to point out any fuckups I make in further updates, there's bound to be a few mistakes slipping through when you deal with this much text. Exactly what you said - "JFC protagonist, the world does not revolve around you". Only in a funnier way. And you might assume that because delivering a special kid to be raised by the Glorious Strategist is kinda your origin story.
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Jan 18, 2017 21:44
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I thought I had read in Tech Support Fort that Capture2Text is a bit hit-or-miss so I just kinda went with manual transcribing (I was hoping there would be transcripts available somewhere like there is for KotOR, but alas), but I gave it a shot just now and it seems to be working almost perfectly. For me it's not really any faster than transcribing manually, but at least I don't need to type as much. Thanks for the suggestion!
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Jan 18, 2017 21:59
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