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 Tokyo Mirage Sessions is, by all accounts, a game that probably should not even exist, let alone be as good as it is. It was revealed in January 2013 with a teaser trailer as "SMT x Fire Emblem" and nothing more than a panning shot over the assorted Fire Emblem and SMT protagonists. It fell into radio silence for the better part of two years, including at least one project reboot, changing from a Fire Emblem-esque SRPG to an Atlus-style JRPG. And when TMS as we know it was revealed to the world, it was with this. Suffice to say that this was not what *anyone* had in mind for a crossover between SMT and Fire Emblem. And yet somehow this game is good. Beyond good, even. I would unquestioningly call it my Game of the Year for 2016, and it's probably my favorite game on the Wii U period. The plot's a little trite, but the characters are great, the music is phenomenal, the combat is fun, and just overall it's so much fun and I sincerely hope that I can get that across to you as the reader. What Tokyo Mirage Sessions *is* is a mix of Atlus's assorted SMT sub-franchises, with some very light Fire Emblem flavoring. The overworld is taken wholesale from Persona 3 or 4, the dungeons are straight out of SMT IV with unique themes and "puzzles" like Persona 4, the sidequests are similar to Devil Survivor's FATE system, and the combat (while it's own beast later on) is probably closest to Strange Journey. The game takes place in Tokyo, and revolves around the entertainment industry as our party members attempt to make their way as idols, TV personalities, actors, and everything in between while a J-Pop soundtrack blares in the background (complete with full-on AMVs). In fact, if not for the fact that your characters' The LP This will be a screenshot LP first and foremost, with video links scattered liberally. While you don't have to watch any of the videos, the character models are incredibly expressive and I highly suggest you watch the them if you can, especially for the anime cutscenes and AMVs. Videos will be called out in the post  like this and be placed at the start of their relevant scenes, so they should be very easy to find. Updates will be whenever the hell I feel like it, Additionally, if you're not familiar with the SMT spell vocabulary, I suggest you brush up on that before we start. I'm not asking you to know whether Posumudi or Me Patra cures Panic off the top of your head, but you should probably know that Agi is fire and Dia is a cure spell. Spoilers  Okay but seriously, keep black bar discussion to a minimum. It's pretty easy to see where the plot is going, but I know a lot of people didn't play this because it was a Wii U exclusive sent to die at retail in a year filled with games like Uncharted 4, Final Fantasy XV, The Last Guardian, and more. A little discussion on the next dungeon or sidequest is fine, talking about the final dungeon in Chapter 1 is not. Additionally, there is a section about a quarter of the way into the game that was heavily changed during localization. When we get there, we'll discuss what it was and why it was changed, but if I see a single use of the word "censorship", even ironically, I am locking the thread and delaying the next update by a day. This is your first and only warning. except vagina bones, that poo poo was hilarious  Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 3.5 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6  Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16  Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29  Part 30 Part 31 Part 32 Part 33 Part 34 Part 35 Part 36 Part 37 Part 38 Part 39 Part 40 Artix fucked around with this message at 21:06 on Nov 27, 2017 |
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Jan 30, 2017 18:07
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Jan 30, 2017 18:08
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 So one quick note before we get started - as mentioned in the OP, this game is really into the whole "entertainment" thing. So much so that you don't even start a new game, you debut. It's a little touch that doesn't really mean anything, but it's interesting to see just how thoroughly the game has committed to its aesthetic.  We're playing on normal because while this is definitely on the easier side as far as SMT games are concerned, it can still kick your teeth in without warning if you're not paying attention. If it gets really boring we can always kick it up later. Opening Cutscene/Game Intro The first half of this cutscene has a film grain effect on it, so if any of the screenshots look weird, you know why! I highly recommend watching the videos when possible, but I'll hit all the important bits with screenshots if you're unable (or unwilling).   We open on an opera scene, with 13 year old Tsubasa Oribe in the audience.   Our leading man is Chikaomi Tsurugi, and at his side is Tsubasa's older sister, Ayaha Oribe.  Meanwhile, Chikaomi's son, Yashiro, is hanging out backstage.   Tsubasa is understandably excited to see her sister perform, but suddenly, in the blink of an eye...  ...she disappears.  The audience is initially confused, but that quickly becomes panic when parts of the audience begin to disappear as well.  Yashiro disappears in a strange purple mist...  ...and soon, Tsubasa is one of the only people left in the audience.   Chikaomi admirably carries on with the show, but soon he vanishes just like his son.  Tsubasa, now desperately fighting back tears, is surrounded by the same purple triangles that caused Chikaomi to disappear...   ...when a strange breeze comes in, and creates a shield that protects her from whatever is going on.   A little surprised, a little relieved, Tsubasa becomes the only person to walk away from this whole ordeal.   And so, five years later...   Tsubasa is now all grown up (or at least as grown up as we're gonna get, this is a JRPG after all), and leaving school for the day.  We also get our first shot of Itsuki Aoi, the main protagonist of the game.   Tsubasa pops in her earbuds and loads up Kiria's latest single, and as she walks off...  ...we get our title drop.  From here on out, it's mostly just the opening credits (and its excellent backing track, seriously go watch the video), so I'll pretty much skip right to the important bits.  For starters, Tiki is in this game! Or to be more precise, TIKi - she's more of a vocaloid than anything, so if you're imagining a Fire Emblem-themed Miku, you're 90% of the way there.   We also have these guys to thank for a phenomenal soundtrack. As you might expect for a game explicitly about idols and such, a ton of work went into music, and lord does it show. Nintendo must have cut Atlus a blank check, because the soundtrack features a large amount of completely original J-Pop, at least a half dozen professionally produced AMVs, a full cast of singing voice actors... It's almost obscene how much money must have gone into this game, only for it to bomb.  And let's not forget the animation. It would have been remarkably easy for Atlus to cheap out on the animation budget (and they absolutely have in the past), but even the anime cutscenes are almost entirely on model and animated well, if a little quiet in comparison to the rest of the game.  Strap in folks, it's gonna be a wild ride.
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Jan 30, 2017 18:09
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Kurieg posted:So precisely how much of this game is actually #FE? From my understanding it's not very much.
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Jan 30, 2017 18:56
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Rigged Death Trap posted:Because it was a collaborative effort between Atlus and Intsys Ah yes, the companies whose recent outputs alone include Persona 3, the entire Persona 4 subfranchise, Devil Survivor 2, and Fire Emblem Awakening and Fates (let alone their entire back catalogs) would never produce an anime game. There is absolutely nothing anime about any of those games in the slightest. Wiffle posted:Wow, an extremely anime video game turns out to be polarizing, no one could have seen that coming. It'll be curious to see how the game stacks up since I've read a mix of opinions on it. Buddy, if you think you're getting out of my thread without listening to some J-Pop, boy do you have another thing coming. Ozdhaka posted:Oh yeah, if you have any way to cleanly capture the Gamepad stuff, please show those off. Gamepad stuff will be captured, yes. Godna posted:I remember this...and I remembering seeing it and immediately dropping it because it was...really not what I had been waiting for years on end for. It sucks to hear that it was really good and bombed. Because I feel it dooms any chance of a version closer to what people were expecting from ever happening For what it's worth, the last hard numbers we got on it said that it sold about 50k in the US, which is about what NoA was expecting. It's still terrible, mind, but it's not like it underperformed expectations.
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Jan 31, 2017 17:30
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asymmetrical posted:Is there any source on this? An interview with Atlus or something? It comes from an Iwata Asks interview iirc.
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Feb 1, 2017 00:15
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There's going to be an extra update this week so that we can get to the first dungeon ASAP. Really, the game's intro barely counts as an update. Music: Daitama Observatory  Now that we've entered the realm of gameplay, we get dumped off in the Daitama Observatory.   There's an audition of some kind going on, which probably explains the crowds. And hey, there's Tsubasa hanging out at the back of the line.  Itsuki wanders in, but uh, he's not the brightest bulb in the box. You'll see.  Some kind of event, huh...? Wonder what's taking Touma so long. Oh? So this is our introduction to "Topic". It's basically a bunch of texts that come in on your gamepad, mostly to flesh out some side conversations which absolutely could not have happened on the main screen, no sir. quote:
Guess I'll just wander around a bit then... From there, we're actually thrown into gameplay. Our immediate goal is to go talk to Tsubasa, but for now let's chat up the locals.   : I want to be just like Mamorin! I really, really wanna be like her!  : The Uta-loid Tiki's made of dreams, not data! If she was just a fictional idol, she wouldn't be this popular!  : If you pass this audition, then you might even be able to work together with Kiria, right? : My friend's auditioning too! I'm looking forward to seeing her! Well, it seems like everyone else is pretty excited about this, let's see what Tsubasa has to say. Meeting Tsubasa  Oh. Well, something tells me we weren't supposed to see her here. I thought that was you, Tsubasa. I-I-I thought you were hanging out with Touma today! He hasn't shown up yet, so I figured I'd hang out for a while. Urgh... Thanks, Touma... Tsubasa...? I, uh, well... "Kiria"...? That was... that singer you really like, right? *Sigh* I've been telling you to listen to her songs forever. How do you still not remember? She's one of the biggest female artists in Japan right now. You should really listen to her sometime, Itsuki! I'll... get around to it. You promise? Yeah, yeah. Don't "yeah, yeah" me... You're just saying that to get me off your case. *Sigh* Come on, Itsuki, we've been friends since we were kids. Can't you take me seriously for once? Tsubasa has some very expressive motions in her dialogue. It's quite fitting for her character, and I suggest watching them in motion when you get a chance. I mean, I'll get you parfait if you want... I just don't see why you're trying to get ME excited about her. It makes perfect sense! I just want to be able to talk about Kiria stuff with you. I think that's probably enough about her... So what exactly are you doing here in Daitama, again? Uh, well, you know, just... things...All applicants for the One of Millennium idol audition, please gather in the reception area. Gaah! I-I, uh, just remembered there was something I had to do! So, uh... Gotta go! I'll see you later! Tsubasa?Nope, this is definitely on the level. Nothing funny going on here.  Anyway, now that we've talked to Tsubasa the line has cleared out, so let's go see what she's trying so hard to hide.  As Itsuki walks past the mirror, we see that he's being followed by a red ghost. I'm sure that nothing will ever come of this. The Audition Music: Showtime!  Well, I suppose we know where the crowd went.   Which talented contestant will get the glory of victory and a shot at stardom!? Are... you... READY? Yeeeeaaah! And so am I! Why don't we have our future idols come forward on stage? Whoooo!  The other idols each take a turn on stage, but you can see how much attention Itsuki is paying.   This, however, is enough to snap him back into reality.  Heh heh...! Aw, geez... I totally messed that up. What's Tsubasa doing onstage...? Tsubasa seems to have a ghost following her as well, but like Itsuki's, it vanishes almost as quickly as it appears.  I... I want to become an idol that can... make everyone happy! Whoa... Wooow. And just what motivated you to want to be that kind of idol? We're just dying to know, aren't we, folks? We are! Well... A while ago... I went through some hard times and got really depressed... Everyone was really worried about me, but that just ended up feeling more like a burden... But... I had a friend that still talked with me like everything was normal - just like he always did. That cheered me up... and it helped me feel like I could smile again. That's why... I want to be able to help everyone smile, just like my friend did for me. ... Huh...? Well, um... Is it, maybe... something to do with your sister? ...!? Your sister is the idol Ayaha Oribe, isn't she? Y-Yes... that's true... Well, why didn't you say so!? This is very important information. So, tell us... what kind of sister was she? She was always cheerful, a great singer... And most importantly... sh-she was a very kind person. Buuut, five years ago... during that so-called "Mass Disappearance" your sister disappeared, didn't she? ... Isn't the Mass Disappearance where all the performers and audience in a theater just disappeared?At this point, even the crowd is starting to sense that something is up.  But here, now, HERE... We come to the most important question of all. Tsubasa. For your incredible talent, I could let you see your beloved sister once again... How about it? ... The truth is... I have called Ms. Ayaha Oribe to be our special guest today! ...Huh? Sh-She's here!?Music: Danger!   Well, this went south quickly. Not only was this whole thing a trap, Gojuin can summon whatever these red ghosts are.  Wh-What's going on!? Nooo! Ugh... gah...It's a lot more obvious in motion, but these red ghosts are absorbing something from the crowd. A really cute touch is that once a crowd member has been drained, they lose their color and turn grey before they collapse.  Ah, now there's a Proper Noun™. Just keep that in mind, we'll get an explanation for that in a few updates.  Ah...! Tsubasa... Where's Tsubasa...!?Itsuki, despite being under attack himself, is at least trying to help.   His work seemingly done, Gojuin turns around and goes through the portal that has appeared behind him.   Tsubasa cries out for help...  ...But she quickly gets taken through the portal as well.  And with the audience entirely drained, the red ghosts call it a day too.   Itsuki is suddenly glowing again, and like before it seems to counteract the Performa drain.  Well I suppose our next objective is pretty obvious, isn't it? Next time we investigate this mysterious blue portal! Artix fucked around with this message at 06:53 on Feb 2, 2017 |
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Feb 1, 2017 18:59
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Item Getter posted:I am looking forward to this but is it possible at all to add music links to the SSLP parts? Since I imagine the music is an important part of the game. Honestly, I think the non-vocal themes in TMS are pretty mediocre and I wasn't really planning to (for multiple reasons, not the least of which is because the non-vocal part of the OST rip I have is unlabeled and mostly consists of "Common_0000081.flac"), but just for you: Daitama Observatory Showtime! - This is what plays during the audition Danger! - Get used to this one because it plays basically every single time something vaguely dangerous or threatening happens.
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Feb 2, 2017 06:48
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I'm pretty sure this is going to be the longest update in the entire LP so uh...bear with me. I promise there won't be any other monsters like this. Anyway! Right, so where were we?  Ah yes, mysterious red ghosts, demon-possessed MC, weird blue portal. Got it.  I have to save her...! Entering Daitama Music: Illusory Daitama   So welcome to the first dungeon! One of the things I love about this game is how little it wastes your time. While I dearly love Persona 3 and 4, both of those games took somewhere in the neighborhood of ~3 hours to get you into proper gameplay and it's good to see that Atlus has learned from them. (We are just over 20 minutes into the game, for reference)  You know Itsuki, I don't want to assume anything, but given that we just went through a blue portal after being attacked by ghosts and demons, I'm gonna wager the answer to that one might be "no".  And as if to confirm his suspicions, a mysterious girl appears right in front of him.  Huh? She's in danger... You have to hurry to the depths... After delivering her warning, the girl disappears deeper into the labyrinth. Who was that girl...? No... She can wait. I have to find Tsubasa. Time to start the actual dungeon. Illusory Daitama is very straightforward; it's basically a straight line that takes a handful of 90 degree turns. That said, it's not like this is a one and done tutorial - simple as it is, there are a few things we'll have to backtrack for much later in the game. Like, "40 hours from now" later in the game.  Anyway, before we can even take the first turn, Touma interrupts us with another Topic. quote:
Gonna go out on a limb here and say that Touma might not be telling us everything, but we've got bigger problems to deal with.  Like this. Tsubasa isn't the only person stuck here, and we might be able to save some of the others too.  Around the corner, we come across our first elevator. This is the only real gimmick Illusory Daitama has, but it doesn't mean much. Again, the path is more or less a straight line that just happens to go up or down every so often.  At the bottom of the elevator, we hear another scream. Maybe it's time to go see what's going on? Possession   Oh uh...yeah. Good luck with that.   Guess I shoulda expected as much from a vessel we picked out specially. One of the ghosts comes up behind her...  ...And she gets possessed, complete with the weird marking on her cheek. At least we know what happened to Goujin? Maybe? Won't be long now till Tsubasa's finished... Everything's goin' perfect. No...! Tsubasa... Give me... Your power... Wha-?  Itsuki tries to run, but he pretty quickly runs out of room.  Ahhhh! ~so majestic~  Not the smoothest of landings, but Itsuki has read the script and knows that enemies can't go down ledges, so he's safe for now.  Anyway, nowhere to go but forward now. Even if we could somehow get up that ledge, the ghost is waiting for us and uh, we've seen how that worked out for the idol girl.  Another great quality of life thing! Anytime you're about to enter a room that contains a boss/miniboss or some other notable plot fight, the game gives you a big warning screen so you can heal up or switch around your party. No... Stop... ...! Tsubasa! Whoa! With nowhere else to go, Itsuki rears back to break down the door... Chrom and Caeda  ...And lands right in the middle of a cutscene.   This one seems a little less concerned with the whole "possession" thing and is going straight for the "kill all humans" bit of the routine.   Itsuki is understandably quite upset about this turn of events, but he's got a more pressing problem.   To his credit, he does actually notice the ghost this time, but not quickly enough to do anything about it.   The ghost brings him in for a close-up, then blasts him away with a wave of purple energy.  Yeah, we definitely have bigger problems than Tsubasa right now.    Just as the ghost raises its blade, Itsuki does the whole glowing thing again, which causes it to turn away. It sure is convenient that this happened to Itsuki and not anyone else who got attacked.  The shiny bit has finally materialized as an orb of some kind. And what do you do with orbs?   Well you slam it in the ghost's face, obviously. What did you think we did with it?   The orb absorbs the purple chains that were around the ghost and burns away the red cloak, finally revealing our mystery man.  Gods... What was I doing...?  Huh...? But why are you... We don't have time to talk! Go and rescue that girl! Rrgh... But... what can I do to save her...?  And right on cue, Tsubasa starts to glow. Like Itsuki, this causes the ghost to recoil and saves her (at least for the moment).  That's it...!From here, the second verse is much the same as the first one.  Orb.  Face.  Release.   That doesn't do anything about our friends, though. So let's fix that.  Itsuki and Tsubasa give each other a nod, and then...   It's time for a costume change. (You should really watch the video to see these in motion, it's pretty great)   Suddenly, Itsuki looks like a real protagonist and Tsubasa is...er...some kind of magical girl/pegasus thing...? Jury's still out on that one.  Incredible...! Wait... I know that voice. Are you that blue ghost from before? Yes. Somehow, it looks like I...became a blade. This... can't be real... Eeek! Be careful! It's all right. I'm here with you... Now, come on! Music: Normal Battle  So welcome to combat, everybody! If you've ever played an SMT game in your life, you're probably about 80% of the way there for this game, but I'll hit the basics. At the top of the screen is the turn order, which you can see for both this turn and next. As far as I'm aware, turn order is determined almost entirely by a character's speed stat, so don't think you have to hold back lest you get pushed further back in the queue.  Once you pick a target, you can see which enemy you've selected in the turn queue, as well as that enemy's strengths and weaknesses. Like in the recent Persona games, you don't really know anything about an enemy until you try some attacks, but once you defeat them in battle it'll be automatically filled out for next time. The session lineup isn't super relevant now, but we'll talk a lot more about that in the next two updates. Also note that physical attacks have been broken up into four categories (technically five, but one's enemy only). If you're familiar with Fire Emblem, things like the weapon triangle are built right into the TMS system and knowing them gives you an immense advantage coming in.  One notable thing is that this game does not utilize the press-turn system or anything similar. Hitting weaknesses is good and encouraged, but only in the sense that they do more damage and let you kill enemies faster.  Aside from that, though, it's your standard SMT combat. Hit weaknesses, use buffs, and don't die. While this is definitely on the easy side as far as SMT games go, it can and will kick your poo poo in if you get complacent.  At any rate, there's not much to say about these first enemies. Both the blobs and the troll are weak to Zio, and the troll is weak to lances so Tsubasa can stab him a couple times for good measure. Don't be afraid to burn your MP, you've got plenty of it for this starting dungeon.  And in one last quick note, the game once again shows its commitment to its aesthetic. Combat actually takes place on a stage (complete with video boards and other monsters hanging out in the background), and when you win a battle it rains down confetti and the audience applauds.  Itsuki is our Lord, the everyman who's just a little too balanced to be amazing but not really deficient in anything either. He uses swords and electricity to fairly good effect, but his magic is pretty rough and he doesn't get the good physical electric attacks until fairly late in the game. Still, he's the only character to get both Charge and Concentrate and he still makes a fine physical attacker, even if he doesn't stack up to the other more focused units.  Tsubasa is a Pegasus Knight, giving her an unfortunate weakness to both bows and wind on top of the usual axe weakness. She is first and foremost your healer, but she has a very solid magic score that can fuel wind magic (and a fire spell or two if you know what you're doing). I find that her strength leaves a lot to be desired, so while she can use lance skills, you're probably going to have her casting most of the time. Oh, and one last thing. Just to make sure you remember that this is a Fire Emblem game, levels are totally random. The variance isn't high enough to reduce anyone to the point of unusability, but you can definitely have your MVP from one playthrough come up short on defense and turn out too squishy on another run. Introductions  Looks like we managed to take them out... Much of all this is still unclear, but my name is Chrom. I can remember that much... Chrom... thank you. I couldn't have saved Tsubasa without you. I'm Itsuki - Itsuki Aoi. Itsuki Aoi, huh... Huh? I should be the one thanking you. It was that light within you that freed me from the darkness. ...You have my gratitude. And it's a pleasure to meet you, Itsuki. ...Of course! Likewise, Chrom! quote:
 Huh? Oh, yes! I'm Tsubasa Oribe, 18 years old! I really am sorry, Tsubasa. I must have scared you quite a bit, didn't I? Well...actually, yes, that was really scary. But if it wasn't for you, who knows what would have happened to me back there, so... Thank you, Ms. Caeda. Please, just call me Caeda... You're a kindhearted girl, Tsubasa.quote:
 I'm sorry, but I can't even remember why I'm here in the first place. Caeda... is your memory gone too? Unfortunately, yes... I've been trying to recall, but... I see... Itsuki, what should we do? I say we get out as soon as we can. If we linger too long, we might find ourselves with unwanted company. Chrom's right. We can figure out the details after we get out of here alive. And with that, we've finally finished what little tutorial the game is going to give us. Next time, we'll be tackling the rest of the dungeon and start to really play around with the game's systems!
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Feb 3, 2017 19:46
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Short version: Zio = Thunder Agi = Fire Zan/Garu (depending on the game) = Wind Bufu = Ice Dia = Cure Ma- before a spell means it targets everyone: Mabufu is a low level ice spell that hits all enemies. -la after a spell denotes a mid-tier spell, like the Final Fantasy "-ra" suffix: Bufula is a medium ice spell that hits one enemy -dyne after a spell is your high level spells, like the "-ga" family: Maragidyne is a high level fire spell that also hits every enemy. Taru-, Raku- and Suku- are your buff spells for Attack, Defense, and Agility respectively (I think, I always get Taru and Raku mixed up). -kaja is a buff, -nda is a debuff. Example: Sukukaja boosts the party's avoid and accuracy, Sukunda reduces the enemy's Pretty much everything else is self-explanatory or follows very similar rules (the Dia line goes Dia/Diarama/Diaharan, but the fundamentals are the same).
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Feb 3, 2017 20:52
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hopeandjoy posted:I mean, he has a crush on Tsubasa so it's not like Ike would've worked. Calling Itsuki's feelings toward Tsubasa "a crush" is uh...generous. He clearly cares for her, but anything romantic is a one-way street (though certainly not for a lack of trying!) E: Also vagina bones is one of Tsubasa's other outfits. Don't worry, we're getting there real soon. 
Artix fucked around with this message at 00:23 on Feb 5, 2017 |
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Feb 5, 2017 00:18
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Double update today, the first one is just some small menu stuff that I wanted to get out of the way. So now that we have an actual party, it's time to poke around in the menu a little bit. Right now it's just Tsubasa and Itsuki, but this screen will get more and more crowded as we get more party members and supporting cast. If you let it go long enough, the characters will even go through some idle animations like Tsubasa looking down at Itsuki and smiling. Anyway, Skills and Items are exactly what you think they are, so let's dive into some of the more interesting stuff.  The Wardrobe screen is your equipment menu. One of the more interesting design decisions is how much this game simplifies dealing with equipment, opting for just a weapon, accessory, and costume.   Your weapon is far and away the most important bit here. Not only does it determine your attack power, it also determines what your weaknesses and resistances are, as well as dictating what skills you learn. This can lead to some very interesting situations where you stick with a weaker weapon because it makes you resist ice instead of being weak to it, or using something that screws with your resistances because it has a skill that you would otherwise never be able to learn. Accessories, on the other hand, are a combination of stat boosts/special effects and armor. Because of how you unlock new weapons, they're also the only thing you actually have to buy, so by endgame it's not at all uncommon to drop three million yen on upgrades for your entire party. Costumes are purely cosmetic and change how your character looks in battle. They're mainly useful as something to dump your millions and millions of excess yen into near the end of the game.  The status screen really just lets you quickly check up on your stats if you really care, because the important information (read: your resistances) is already on the equipment screen.  It does have a quick bio though, if you're absolutely dying to know what Tsubasa's blood type is.   One last thing of note - you can save at any time, anywhere, for any reason. It's great and super player-friendly, but there are a few times I wish they'd have put a regular save point in before bosses or something, because it is incredibly easy to forget that you can save whenever you want and end up losing a couple hours of progress.
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Feb 6, 2017 18:38
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Last time, we got our Thank you for coming after me, Itsuki... I was so relieved...Yeah. Let's just move on.  Our ultimate destination is that purple-ish thing in the background. Again, you can't really get lost or go backwards, but at least we have some side passages with goodies now.   But before we can get too far, we have one last field mechanic to intro. Now that we're equipped for battle, enemies will begin spawning semi-randomly throughout the dungeon, and once an enemy notices you, it will charge right at you for battle. You can despawn them by interacting with the enviroment in some way (opening a treasure box, going down a ledge/up a ladder, etc), but for the most part you're gonna have to deal with them the old-fashioned way.   Smack 'em in the face with your sword and they'll collapse on the ground, at which point you can either engage them at will or walk right past them. If you leave them long enough (or walk far enough away from them), they'll disappear.  This is also the only way to get a preemptive strike on enemies. It's not guaranteed by any stretch of the imagination, but it does seem more common if you can hit them before they notice you.  First strikes also aren't a guarantee for getting to lay into the enemies with impunity - here, only Itsuki got a free turn. Again, I believe this is based on the character's speed (and possibly their relative speed to the enemies), but I'm not 100% sure on that.  At any rate, two blobs go down quite easily and we learn our first skills!  If you've ever played SMTIV, the system in TMS is basically identical to Demon Whispering. You have 6 slots a piece for Commands, Session, and Passive skills, and learning the same skill multiple will upgrade it, making it cost less MP to use or increasing the base power of the move. You can also see what the weapon's next skill is, but you can't see the whole listing without going into the equip screen.  Tsubasa has something very important here, though. Elec-Lunge is our first session skill, and sessions are the real meat of the battle system. We'll see how they work in just a sec.  Anyway, if we hang a right at this first junction, we'll find a couple medicines.  At the next plaza, there's a couple enemies floating around. Unlike some SMT games, getting in a fight with multiple enemies at once isn't a thing, so you don't have to worry about enemy reinforcements at the end of a fight or anything like that.  Back in battle, things have changed a little bit. As you can see, when we hit the blobs with Zio, Tsubasa's Elec-Lunge is now part of the chain. If we carry out this attack...   Itsuki casts Zio like normal, but Tsubasa joins in with an attack of her own. This is a session, and this is how you will shatter this game over your knee. However, there are some very important rules that you have to remember about sessions:
There are other mechanics relating to sessions that will come into play later, but for now, that's really everything you need to know. Unless you're running into enemies with drain or reflect, there's really no reason to not do a session whenever possible, and you can rack up ridiculous amounts of damage with it if you know what you're doing.  Shortly thereafter, Itsuki picks up Lance-Slash, but he can't do anything with it until Tsubasa gets an actual lance skill. Direct attacks can't trigger sessions, after all.  Heading south from that large plaza, we find a couple Revival Beads. They're handy to have around, but there's an item which does the exact same thing and can be bought for 1500 yen, so they're not really that useful.  On our way back, Tsubasa picks up Skewer, which means that Itsuki can now make use of Lance-Slash. Once she picks up Sword-Lunge, our small team will have complete combo potential with each other.  Past the plaza, we come across this wall. We can try attacking but it doesn't do anything, and examining it simply says there's nothing we can do here right now.  That said, there's a treasure ball back there so we will eventually be able to get past it. It's just going to take ~35 hours.  At the top of the next elevator, we get interrupted by Touma again. quote:
Yeah, yeah, we get it. You'd think Itsuki would mention the whole ghost-fusion thing but I guess that would require a bit too much explaining.   Oh no it's an ambush!  Oh.  Yeah, they don't last long. It's called Performa. Chances are, it was harvested from a human... Per...forma? It's a power that only you humans carry within... For beings like us, it provides sustenance and power. So that host at the audition... was kidnapping people to steal their Performa...? Wooow... Look at it sparkle! *Chuckle* I sense Performa shining within you, too, Tsubasa. A power carried by humans... We're just about there, you can actually see the exit from the red dome off to the left.  One last new enemy, the Caspar is weak to Elec/Wind/Ice and occasionally throws an Agi at you. Itsuki is weak to fire, but it should be trivial to kill them before they can do any serious damage.  Itsuki picks up Rakukaja, which has a weird combination of classic SMT and Persona functionality. It targets the entire party, but the effects don't stack if you try to cast it multiple times.  Chakra Drops are one of the more handy items, because you don't get a full heal when you level up. Outside of healing points (of which there is like...one. In the entire game), the only way to recover your MP is to leave the dungeon, so having a few Chakras on hand is good.  Our ultimate destination is now in sight. That green orb in the background is right next to where we need to go.  Itsuki picks up his final skill as we make the last turn. Strength Boost is one of those skills that we'll dump as soon as we have a better option, because two points is not a big boost and Itsuki is fairly strength-biased to begin with. Note that the weapon now says "Full Inheritance", which means there's nothing else we can wring out of it outside of its qualities as a weapon itself.  One last set of goodies for the road. First Aid Kits are a low level full party heal, similar to Media.  Our final skill for this update is Sword-Lunge on Tsubasa. Again, Tsubasa's strength isn't much to write home about, but this does mean that both Itsuki and Tsubasa can combo off of anything the other person throws out. That's not nothing, this early in the game.  And speaking of combos, note that even though Itsuki has a mere 5 MP, he can still contribute to the session. Part of why sessions are so hilariously broken is that unless a party member physically cannot contribute for some reason (dead, asleep, silenced, etc), their session arts have no cost. No matter how long the session goes, or which art they use, everything after the initial hit is completely free to cast.  A mysterious power envelopes Itsuki's body...  And just like that, we're topped off for the boss.  There is an elevator here at the end, but it goes down to another light wall. Again, we'll be back for these in a loooooong time.  Next time, we fight the boss and finish up the Prologue. See you then!
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Feb 6, 2017 18:45
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Tae posted:The worst that Atlus has said about the idol industry is basically the first half of Rise's social link in p4 and that's about it? So did you just not play the entirety of Dancing All Night because uh...
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Feb 7, 2017 00:25
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YggiDee posted:So are these chain skills exclusively damage skills, or are there any support/healing chains? Or is that a question better left for later? The actual links in the chain are always damage skills, but there are a few wrinkles that will be introduced later on that allow for a bit more flexibility. For now, they're purely for the sake of dealing damage.
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Feb 7, 2017 02:46
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Black Mage Knight posted:Oh, and Roy is one of the top 5 most popular FE characters judging from the FE Heroes poll, so that has to count for something, right? It means he was in Smash brothers, yes. You know who else is at the top of the popularity polls? Ike, Marth, Lucina, and Lyn. Ringing any bells? The only Roy the english speaking world has ever seen is a 7 year old kid at the end of Blazing Sword, and the few who have played his game consider it to be largely mediocre and Roy himself quite bland and forgettable.
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Feb 7, 2017 08:25
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 Boss time. Let's rock and roll. vs. Gojuin   Aah! It's him... the host from the audition! Caeda, y'drat traitor. Just had to switch sides, huh...? I'll show you what happens to turncoats! Eek... Careful... This one's different from the other enemies we've fought! Keep your guard up! Chrom!? Haha... Gwahahahahaha! I found it... Not only Caeda, but I even got a vessel for Chrom himself! Rrgh...!???: Itsuki! You okay!? Wait, that's-  Sorry for the holdup. The hero's here and ready to rock! Music: End of Chapter Boss  Well, that's certain a bo-  NO! No no no, you hit the spunky teenagers, not... Ugh, okay, whatever.   At least someone here knows how to make an entrance. (seriously go watch the boss video)   It certainly looks that way. Gwahahahahaha! The hell...? Perfect! Even more Mirages! All you little sheepies're comin' with me! You talk pretty big for a guy in a can. I got a better idea - I'm gonna knock that Mirage out of you! So we'll talk about Gojuin in just a second, but first he comes with a pair of Caspars. You'd think that maybe they've been improved a bit for being with the boss, but they still go down to a single Zio session.  Touma's a little more interesting. Again, we'll go into detail with him later, but the short version is Fire and Lances. We've already seen Skewer with Tsubasa, but Fire Strike is the physical equivalent of Agi.  Anyway, it's time to talk about some actual Fire Emblem mechanics. It may be hard to believe, but that huge chunk of metal Gojuin is using is actually considered a sword (and if that wasn't obvious from looks, the game classifies him as a Myrmidon-type enemy, see the little symbol right above his name). In Fire Emblem, there's a concept called the weapon triangle - Axes beat Lances, Lances beat Swords, and Swords beat Axes - and Atlus has very faithfully recreated that in this game. As far as I'm aware, any enemy type that uses an actual weapon is always weak to its corresponding weapon triangle disadvantage, so even though we don't technically know anything about Gojuin here, we know he uses a sword, so...  Bingo. And of course, once we hit a weakness we start going crazy with sessions, so that makes the fight go by even faster.  As far as Gojuin himself, he's mostly content to throw out Cleaves at the party. Both Touma and Tsubasa can take 3 or 4 hits before they bite it (since they use lances, which resist swords), but Itsuki needs to be a little more careful. If you're feeling saucy, you can always toss out a Rakukaja to be a little safer.  And I got something special planned for idiots that get it wrong! Gwahaha... we're goin' completely unscripted, folks! Somewhere around the 1/2 - 1/3 health mark, Gojuin busts out this little gem.   Gojuin disappears, and spawns three slimes in his place. Hit the wrong one, and you get hit with a fairly powerful counterattack. But you all are smart boys and girls, and I doubt I need to explain how to tell which one is the right one.   Just kill the blob that has the dark energy in it, and you'll drag Gojuin's fat rear end back on stage.  That said, note that the other slimes don't go away just because you kill the right one. They're not much of a threat (and they'll disappear when you kill Gojuin), but you should still be aware of them in case you're low on health.  And on that note, let's put this big boy to bed.  A neat little touch is that the game does a pause and instant replay on whatever attack causes the killing blow. You even get a couple different angles on it.   Nothing too special with Tsubasa or Itsuki here. Since level ups really aren't that important, I'll be skipping them except after bosses or other notable encounters.  Touma is a little more interesting. He is our Cavalier, a generally well-balanced but unexceptional physical unit. The bulk of his skills are in Fire and Lances, and he skews heavily toward physicals over magic. While he's serviceable on defense (honestly, he's probably our hardiest character right now), Touma's gimmick is all about offense and hitting the enemy as hard as possible with a fire stick. Not mentioned here is the fact that he's weak to skills that target cavalry (like Horseslayer), but those are pretty rare out in the wild, and it's probably the easiest special weakness to manage.   And to round things out, we pick up Tarukaja and Poison Skewer. Meeting Cain  You made good use of your momentum in that battle, Touma. But your movement was hardly what I'd call efficient... Yeah, I know, I know. But come on - in situations like this, it's all about the showmanship, know what I mean? That should be the case... but I have never seen a human possessed by a Mirage change so drastically... And, uh, Cain, you're lookin' at Itsuki and Tsubasa. Ah, Itsuki Aoi and Tsubasa Oribe then. Touma speaks very highly of you. He says you are interesting friends. Uh, interesting...?quote:
 Idolasphere? It's this place. The world we're in right now. Look, I was seriously worried about you. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you... but I couldn't just leave Tsubasa on her own. Yeah, I know. I kinda figured that's what you were thinking. That's why I told you to get out. Just running off, to do something stupid and dangerous, without pausing for a second... That was a close one. More importantly, Touma... why didn't you ever tell us you were involved in something this dangerous...? Come on, man. This is basic stuff! A hero never reveals their identity-especially to their closest friends. Touma... Sorry 'bout that, Itsuki. No, you don't have to apologize... I guess I understand where you're coming from. What's this Mirage Master thing you keep talking about? Cain and others like him are called Mirages, and Mirage Masters are the ones who fight alongside them. I see... ...Kind of expected you to freak out more, to be honest. You're over here acting like this is no big deal. Am I...? Heh... You're pretty strong, Itsuki. Well, if we're gonna hang around and chat, I for one would rather not do it in an Idolasphere. Let's roll. We're given control again, but let's chat with Touma one more time before we head out.  Sorry for the bad break, Tsubasa... I was so scared... But Itsuki came for me... And he saved you, huh? Oh well. I guess Itsuki's always going to be Tsubasa's hero! W-Wait! M-My hero!? What's that supposed to mean!? Come on, Touma. It's YOU who wants to become a superhero, right? Geez, you really don't get it, do you? ...? What did I say? Ah... No. Y-You don't have to worry about it. You were correct there, it seems. But for some reason, it gives me this sensation of curious nostalgia...Oh Itsuki, you dense motherfucker. Strap in folks, because they've got a bit with Itsuki and by god they're sticking to it. Anyway, next time it's the end of the prologue. See you then!
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Feb 10, 2017 17:57
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Kurieg posted:Did you record the actual boss fight? I actually like watching those for SMT games cause they're usually pretty flashy. I imagine in a game like this it would be even more so once people start throwing out medigagalons or what have you. At the time I didn't make a video of it and I was too lazy to go back and do it just for this update.  Future bosses and sidequests will all have proper fight videos.
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Feb 10, 2017 20:30
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 Last time, we beat the boss and met Cain and Touma. Now let's get the gently caress out of here.  As it turns out, the red dome dumps us out right above the exit. How convenient. Saved by Kiria    But it's never that easy, is it? Ah! There's a whole bunch of them! Crap, that's a lot... Things might get a little rough here... There's nowhere to run. We have to fight! But there's so many of them...! What!? And suddenly the area gets coated in ice. Thanks mysterious benefactor, but we totally could have taken those fights, there was only like six of them.    Huh-Kiria!? Wh-Why is she here live, in person!? Ohmygosh Kiria's looking at me... Wait-don't tell me Kiria's a Mirage Master too...? Wh-What do I do? Ooh, I can feel my brain pounding... Uh, Tsubasa... if it's your brain that's pounding, something might be wrong.  Hm... Kiria can clearly see where this is going, and gets out before she gets cornered by a fangirl.  Uh, I think we have more important things to worry about... Come on, let's get out of here while we can. Maiko Shimazaki  We finally made it back. Yep! Nicely done, you two. I can't believe all that happened... but I'm just glad we all made it back safe. You can say that again... Man, I'm beat.  Ah yes, the "sexy boss" character, just what we were missing. Yeah. Though, uh, Kiria had to bail us out at the end there. And these two would be...? Oh, they're my friends: Itsuki and Tsubasa. Oh, um, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Tsubasa Oribe. I'm Itsuki Aoi. Ms. Maiko... Somewhere in the middle of all that mess, these two got the powers of Mirage Masters. ...Both Masters... Maybe this is fate then... Sorry, but you are...? I direct others who investigate incidents like this one. I suppose you could call me their leader. ...Investigation? Yes. Although Mirage-related incidents aren't often made public, they're more common than you know. ...The Mass Disappearance. I'm sure you're familiar with the name, at least? That was the incident where a huge number of performers and audience members just... vanished, right? Mirages were responsible for that phenomenon, too. We still don't have all the information on what they truly are... But we've confirmed that they reside in areas known as Idolaspheres and cause harm to humans. Their existence lies beyond that of our physical realm... so conventional weaponry doesn't really faze them. The only thing that can stop a Mirage is the power of another Mirage. You catch on quick. Certain Mirages can harmonize with talented humans and grant them their powers... Using these gifted powers to combat this threat to humanity - that is what it means to be a Mirage Master. Since we investigate cases involving Mirages, we NEED the help of Masters to do it. Unfortunately, those who have the natural ability for it are very rare... ... Tsubasa? Huh!? I don't know if I'll be any good at it... but if I do have some rare ability... then I want to help out! I see... You're Ayaha Oribe's little sister, aren't you? H-Huh...? How do you know that...? Still, I never dreamed that you'd get yourself involved in all this. During the incident five years ago, you were in the audience, and Ayaha Oribe disappeared before your eyes. ...Yes. And you're thinking if you become a Mirage Master... you might find some clues about your sister... correct? I've been looking all this time... I only auditioned in the first place because I thought being in the industry'd help... If becoming a Mirage Master will help me find her, then... I'll do it! I... I want to become a Master! ... Th-Thank you so much! And what about you, Itsuki? I'll do it. If there's any way I can help, just say the word. Itsuki! I knew we could count on you, man. Thank you, Itsuki. I just love kids who are always willing to help. I'll do my best, Ms. Shimazaki. Uh, oookay... I'll do my best... Ms. Maiko. Itsuki... are you sure about this...? I can't just let you do something dangerous like this on your own, Tsubasa. Thanks... Just having you by my side makes me feel like I can do anything! N-No, I mean, I'll be counting on you too, Touma! *Giggle* You three are pretty close, aren't you? Hah hah hah! It's a shame you aren't about 10 years younger, Ms. Maiko, or you could've gotten in on this. Oh, Touma? I think you and I need to sit down for a nice long chat... about your future. S-Sorry, uh, my schedule's all full up! You... have a hidden base? It's only appropriate for a secret organization to have a secret headquarters, right? Uh, Ms. Maiko, I think base might be stretching it a little- Well, I'm a very busy woman. I have some errands to take care of, so I'll see you later. And with a quick wave, Maiko disappears just as quickly as she came.  
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Feb 13, 2017 18:29
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Blademaster_Aio posted:I want this game now. But it's on an entirely different platform. I can't buy it for just one game I mean, it probably didn't help, but Splatoon sold almost 5 million copies. I'm not saying their circumstances were the same by any stretch of the imagination, but coming off the success of both SMT IV and Fire Emblem Awakening, you'd think TMS would do better than 50k, even on the Wii U. E: And to be fair, Nintendo has said the 50k sales were within estimates so it's not like they got blindsided. It just bombed in general.
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Feb 14, 2017 00:00
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Do I get to reveal my awful opinions already?  Kiria's outfits are universally terrible and her only good one is her street clothes. Yes, even the Labyrinth outfit.
Artix fucked around with this message at 02:16 on Feb 14, 2017 |
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Feb 14, 2017 02:13
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FractalSandwich posted:Are those numbers global, domestic or just North America? 50k North America. It may or may not include digital sales, but we could generously double the sales at best in that regard.
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Feb 14, 2017 02:20
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I'm gonna talk a bit more about the outfit once she actually joins the party but at least if you dropped the eyepatch it would be a Miku outfit. Like, not a *good* Miku outfit, but nothing about it would be out of place if you loaded up Project Diva F. As is it's just a mess that tries to pull off like 4 different styles and doesn't hit any of them.
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Feb 14, 2017 05:23
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 Fortuna Entertainment Music: Fortuna Office  Huh, nice place they've got...  ...here... Well then.   Well, yeah. It is an office. Ever heard of Fortuna Entertainment? Oh, I know! That's the production company that Kiria belongs to! Should've figured you'd know it, Tsubasa. But yeah, this is the Fortuna Entertainment office. Wh-Whaaat!? Really!? Wh-Why was I brought to a place like this!? Just a regular production company on the surface... but secretly a team of Mirage specialists and investigators. That's Fortuna Entertainment. Oh, and I haven't told you guys yet, but this is the production company I've been working with. Why didn't you tell us about it!? Yeah. You don't have to worry about telling us where you work. That's what you're angry about!? Tsubasa, I kept my mouth shut because I knew this is how you'd react... Never mind all that, Touma! So... wh-wh-where's Kiria!? Oh, she's not here. Why not!? G-Geez, Tsubasa, chill out. Not only does she have a ton of work, she's gotta get ready for that live performance too. She's got her schedule worked out down to the minute - even I haven't seen her in a while. Tsubasa...? You okay? What are you doing? Right now... I'm breathing air that Kiria was breathing... Oh, I can die happy...! *Sigh* ...Oh, right. There was someone I wanted you two to meet. Who's that? C'mon, Tsubasa. Back to reality. W-Wait! I'm not done enjoying the atmosphere yet!Before we follow Touma into the Velvet Room, let's take a second to poke around the office.  Both the TVs and the posters on the wall have ads or updates for what some of the other major characters are up to. They'll update as we go through the game, so after Kiria's concert those posters will change to whatever the next big show is.  Vending machines are scattered all around the overworld, and for a couple hundred yen, will heal your entire party to full. The actual contents are randomized (I think there's like 8 or 9 drinks total?), and if you pick a drink that a party member likes, it'll actually raise their Luck stat for your next dungeon dive.  Next to Maiko's desk, we have the trophy wall. As you get certain achievements, you'll get trophies that pop up here. Mechanically useless, but it's there.  Anyway, that's enough poking around for now. Let's see what's behind Door #1. The Bloom Garden Music: Bloom Palace  This seems...impractical to keep in an office building.  How is a place like this... in an office building? Mind blown, right? This place is for Mirage Masters and those with strong Performa - those chosen by fate! This place... There's something about it that feels oddly nostalgic. Yes, for me as well. I wonder why that is. She's been with you since we left the Idolasphere. You just couldn't see her, that's all. This place is called the Bloom Palace, and as long as they're here, they can go back to these physical forms. Heeey! Tiki! Huh...? Why do I feel as though I've met her before? I can't believe it... I can't believe you're making this little girl call you big broth- Wait a minute... I think I've seen her somewhere before. Oh my gosh! It's Tiki! The Uta-loid! The virtual singer, Tiki!  There's the reaction I was waiting for! And don't accuse me of the creepy stuff. ...You noticed that first? Look, let me introduce you. The Uta-loid you two know is a cover. Tiki's true identity... is a Mirage.quote:
 ...Big brother? Wait, me too? Mhm! If I'm not supposed to call Touma that, can you be my big brother instead? I don't mind. Yay! Thank you, big brother. You might be overdoing it a little. Oh - thanks for telling me that Tsubasa was in danger back there. I didn't do anything worth thanks... That's all I could really do. I wish I could've gone to help... but all I can do is stay here and pray that everyone comes back safely... What do you mean by that? I'm a little different from the others... I'm bound to this place. ...They both said they have no idea why they're here. It sounded like they couldn't remember much... I knew it... Wait a minute... Tiki, are you missing your memories too? Mhm... I don't know why, but all Mirages have lost their memories of the past. That... must be scary for you... ...Yeah... ... ...Thanks for worrying about me, big brother, but I'm okay. We found Chrom and Caeda... And you and Tsubasa seem like nice people... so I'm really happy! Aww, Tiki... You're such a sweet girl! I'll be sure to come visit you every day! Thanks, Tsubasa. Unity? You know you have Performa, right? Well... Performa is like the power of the human soul to express itself. We fuse Performa with people and Mirages to awaken new power within them. That ritual is called Unity. Awaken new power? Hmm... Well, I guess you could just say it makes you stronger. I can't really fight like the other Mirages can... But I can perform Unity rituals for you here!  Wait, so where were we? Right, Unity.  The first service Tiki offers is Carnage Unity. This is how you unlock new weapons.  New weapons are stronger (usually), give you different resistances, and come with their own set of skills to unlock. There's no direct cost for making a new weapon, as long as you have the required materials for it.  And after a short fusion cutscene, we get our new toy.  We also unlock our first super move. I'm honestly not sure if that's tied to specific weapons or simply doing a certain number of unities, but either way we'll be unlocking more of them as the game goes on.  Unfortunately, neither Touma or Tsubasa have anything we can make right now. You can check to see where a specific drop comes from, and the fact that it says "Area: ???" means that we haven't unlocked that particular dungeon.  Anyway, before we head back to the real world, we can chat with the other mirages, so let's do that. Chrom A strange place indeed... If we can manifest here, this sanctuary must function similarly to the Idolasphere. Yeah. Taking form in your world consumes quite a bit of energy... We'll stay here in the meantime, barring emergencies. By the way, Itsuki... you'll be fighting alongside Touma from now on, right? Yeah. To be honest, though, I have almost no idea what I should be doing... In truth, I could say the same. My memories are still all a haze... I know I'm a Mirage, but... I can't even say for sure what a Mirage is, let alone who I am. Or what I'm supposed to do now... Chrom... But if I stand by you... something tells me I'll find the answer. So... I hope you can put up with me remaining at your side for just a bit longer. Of course it's all right. Besides, I wouldn't have a chance against the Mirages without you. Here's to a long and prosperous relationship, Chrom. Thank you, Itsuki. It'll be a privilege to fight at your side. You can usually find us here when things are quiet, but if you ever need us, we'll appear to help you.Caeda Oh, Itsuki. Hello. Hello. So you can materialize when you're in this room as well, then, huh? Yes, it would seem that way. Itsuki, I would appreciate it if you would look after Tsubasa. Sometimes, I believe she can be a bit... you know. Oblivious, perhaps. Haha... Well, you're not wrong. And besides, it looked as though Tsubasa trusts you quite a lot. I'm sure she will need your support. Well, she's been my friend since we were kids. I'll do what I can. *giggle* Thank you.Cain Sir Itsuki! Touma seems pleased indeed at the prospect of fighting as your comrade-in-arms. I will be counting on you to help Touma. He can be a bit senseless at times, but he has a good heart. Sure. By the way... Cain, are your memories gone as well? Yes. I have lost all memories of my time before meeting Touma... And as of now, their return seems unlikely. I see... But I confess, I have gotten quite used to my life alongside Touma and the others. However, that doesn't mean that I have lost my desire to find out who I really am. Cain... If you need anything, I'll always be happy to help. Thank you, Sir Itsuki.That's gonna do it for the Bloom Palace for now. There are at least two more very important functions here, but we'll cross that bridge once we get there. For now, let's head back to the office.  Looks like Ms. Maiko's back. She said there's something she wants to talk to us about, so we'd better head back to the office. You're... going already? Sorry. I promise I'll come visit again. Me too! I'll definitely be back soon. Okay! I'll be waiting! Bye-bye! And sure enough, there she is. Lessons  Ms. Maiko! You're so mean... Why didn't you tell me about the production company before? Oh, relax. I didn't want to overload you guys. Too much information at once can be a bad thing. Anyway, I just booked a lesson for you, Tsubasa. A lesson...? That's right. Dancing and voice training. I've decided we're going to debut you as an idol. I think we're gonna go with the pure and innocent image for you. Wha... Whaaat!? B-But this is all so sudden! I... I-I... Better get used to it, Tsubasa. This is exactly how Ms. Maiko likes to run this place. What about the Mirage attacks? Unfortunately, we have no idea when the next attack might be. So in the meantime, let's start your training! Trust me, you'll make a great idol, Tsubasa. My radar is never wrong about someone's star potential. Uh... You know... if you work as an idol for Fortuna, it'd probably be a lot easier for you to meet with Kiria. That was quick... Sure was...Have we mentioned that Tsubasa really likes Kiria yet? Maybe we'd better say it a few more times. Something something repetition, hammering a point...  Huh, me? Yes, you. Training as a performer will help your abilities as a Mirage Master as well, so it's worth your time. What... exactly does that mean? Your power as a Mirage Master is dependent on your abilities as a performer. What do you mean "as a performer"...? Some of the earliest records of the performing arts come from dance as a part of religious rituals. The idea was to call the power of the gods into the performer - an invocation of spirits, if you like. Call upon the power of spirits... Kind of like a Mirage Master's power? There's a dance in Noh theater called Kamioroshi, where the performer calls upon a god. It's a little like that. Musical ability, acting, artistry... Honing these skills also increases your power of spiritual invocation. Basically, if you're good performers, you'll be strong Masters. In any case, I've already booked you two for training. Life is about overcoming challenges, you know! Good luck on your first lesson! Ummm... Itsuki, Tsubasa... it's been nice knowing you. I'll make sure to say something real nice at your funerals. Huh? Wh-Why exactly are you talking like you're sending us to our deaths...? You'll see when you get to the studio in Shibuya tomorrow. I've ordered the full course, so have fu-un~
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Feb 16, 2017 18:54
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Level Seven posted:I love how when it comes to becoming a Mirage Master, Itsuki has no problems at all but being told to start basic music training is when he starts to think twice about things. To be fair, he doesn't really give a poo poo about the industry at large (hell, he can't even be bothered to remember who Tsubasa's favorite singer is), so being told "Oh yeah, by the way we're putting you on stage too, you're cool with that right?" would be a bit of a surprise. Carlioo posted:You can actually try to tell Tiki that you don't want to be called big bro, but obviously it's a "but thou must!"-situation. I mean, you could, that's technically true. But... ChaosArgate posted:Shame on you if you wouldn't want Tiki for a little sister. Also if it wasn't obvious I'm not actually showing the dialogue options because 99% of the time they don't matter. If you're really interested in seeing what sort of ~wacky~ responses Itsuki can make, you can watch the videos.
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Feb 16, 2017 23:40
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Look, buddy, I'm gonna put this as nicely as I can without going thermonuclear so bear with me. Okay? Stop. Trying. To backseat LP. I promise you, I've got this. I don't need you to link me to guides with skill lists, and I definitely don't need you to link to song lyrics of any kind, especially songs that have yet to even play. There is a time and a place where these things will be appropriate, and when I am ready for them, I will post them myself. So please, by all means sit back and enjoy the LP, but leave it to me. I will not be so nice next time, do not test my patience.
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Feb 17, 2017 06:36
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 Now that we have some marching orders, we have access to the world map. Shibuya is the main hub of the game and where we need to go for the plot, but before we go there, we're gonna take a quick detour back to Daitama.  If we were so inclined, we could go back to the first dungeon, but that's not why we're here.  Instead, we have our first request. There are two types of sidequests in the game, and these are by far the more common of the two. They usually just require you to go talk to someone or collect five of some enemy drop, and accordingly the rewards are usually lackluster.  Hey! Are you interested in fortune-telling? I got something you can help me with. Is that all right?Accepted Request: Lucky Spot 1 See, I'm the president of the Fortune Telling Club, and I want to practice my gift, if you know what I mean! And that's where YOU can help out! All you gotta do is let me look into your future and then you report back after! Hm... Huh... Eh...? EUREKA! "Approach with modesty, and outcomes shall be favorable. Approach with haste, and nothing shall go as planned." ...Or if I guess if you want the "quick fix," as it were, then you should go forth! Onward, to Daitama's round elevator!Well, that's awfully specific and not at all what you said. But this is a simple one so let's go ahead and knock it out.  Sure enough, if we head down the first elevator in Illusory Daitama, there's a shiny on the ground.  *Got a Treasure Key*  Really!? Huzzah, it worked! You know, Itsuki, this means now you HAVE to acknowledge my gift! Call me Kanae the Soothteller! Whew! All right, see you in class!And for our troubles we get a minor recovery item. Hooray? Anyway, speaking of class, one of the nifty things about the game is that the characters carry on with their daily lives in between chapters. You can check their Topic page on the gamepad to see what they've been up to since yesterday, so let's have a quick look: quote:Touma quote:Tsubasa I bet Itsuki is that fucker who never studies for anything and aces all the tests anyway. You know the type. It was me, I was that fucker  Anyway, let's get a move on over to Shibuya. Music: Shibuya    Shibuya is pretty big! But for as big as it is, there's really only a handful of places we really care about.  ...But before we can do any exploring, let's see what Tsubasa wants. quote:
Well that's encouraging. I'm sure this lesson will go swimmingly.  As usual though, let's poke around a bit first. The cafe is functionally identical to a vending machine, but it costs a bit more and you tend to get better luck boosts out of it. Really, it's mostly there to be a hub for sidequests later.  Continuing around counter-clockwise, we have the Hee-Ho Mart. This is where we stock up on items.   Hi Anna! Not even a change of genre can stop you from being the merchant, I see. You earn Melmarks based on how much money you spend, which is basically a lottery entry. You can turn them in to a couple places for a chance at prizes, including consumables, concept art, and eventually even stat-ups.  Like so.  As you might expect, this is heavily influenced by your luck stat, so if you can jack up Itsuki's luck before coming in, you can clean house. Across the street, we have Carabia Jewelry. This is our one-stop shop for new accessories.  Music: Carabia Jewelry Like the Hee-Ho Mart, the clerk is another cameo. This time it's Aimee, the merchant from Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn.  So as I mentioned way back in the third or fourth update, accessories actually pull double duty as both armor and a stat boost. Right now, the Power Bangle and Mage Ring are both pretty useless as stat boosts (they're worth 1 Str and Mag respectively), but they're still worth it because they more than double our armor. Unfortunately, they're also very expensive, and right now we can only afford one piece of equipment. We'll be upgrading everyone else as soon as we have the funds, but for now we'll settle for buying a Power Bangle for Itsuki.  With our shopping out of the way, let's see what awaits us inside the lesson studio. Barry Goodman You should really, really watch this one.  U-Umm... Are you... our training instructor? SHUT UP! I'm still doing my signature pose! S-Signature pose...? Here it comes...! ... I'm... Tsubasa Oribe... sir. It'll be a pleasure to work with you. Okay, Tsubasa! Got it! You can call me Barry. Okay, Barr- Wait, Barry Goodman...? Someone you know? Maybe. I remember a Barry Goodman was one of the guitarists at Kiria's live concert a few years back. Apparently he was a guitarist for a famous American rock band, and his solo albums sold millions. But... that Barry Goodman was a lot more athletic-looking than him... so it's probably a different person... What!? How much weight exactly did you put on!? Tsubasa! O-Oh! I-I'm- I'm so sorry! Don't worry about it. The little lady's got a point! Barry Goodman's just a Merry Fatman now. Yeah, that's all in the past now...So this is actually a real thing. Barry is based off of Marty Friedman, a former guitarist from Megadeth who moved to Japan in 2003. Since then he's launched a record label under Avex Group, appeared on Japanese TV (including as a regular member of the TXN musical program Hebimeta-san, literally "Mr. Heavy-Metal"), and has done concert tours for the Bravely Default original soundtrack. Here he is doing a metal cover of the theme for a slice of life anime.  I'm Itsuki Aoi. Nice to meet you. Maiko told me to give lessons to some rookies. And anyone who enters this studio starts out a rookie! I'll try my best! Good answer. I'm pretty in the zone today! All right, we'll train three times faster and tougher than normal! Three times normal...? Do we really have to? And they've only got a couple limited editions that come with a special bonus! Gah, I gotta get there on time! O...kay? What, you got something to say!? I'm not allowed to be a fanboy? HUH!? I-I didn't say anything! If I can't buy the limited edition, my life is OVER! So I need you guys to cooperate and finish this quick! ... I-I got it! Triple speed's fine by me! Maiko asked me to give you the full boot-camp experience. Honestly though, I'd say triple speed still isn't enough. All right... You better prepare yourselves, rookies!Barry's lesson begins...    I can't feel an ounce of your soul in your singing! If you're gonna howl and wail, get in the alley with the dogs! Listen, Tsubasa. My training can help your voice. But, you think you're gonna move anyone singin' like that? No... 'Cause that's what I'm hearin'! Keep singin' like that, and there'll be no point puttin' you on a stage! You're an entertainer now, Tsubasa - a professional! People are gonna pay big money to see you perform! You need to understand what it means to be a professional. If you can't do that, quit now and get outta showbiz! I can't do that! I need to find my sister! I have to- All you're doin' right now is singing for yourself! I can't feel any message you're tryin' to put into it! For myself? Then how do I... put a message within my song...? I can't just GIVE you the answer! You gotta figure that out! You gotta feel it within you! And you! Itsuki! Don't just brush this off as Tsubasa's problem. I'm talkin' to you too. Y-Yes, sir! Awright! One more try! O-Okay!Tsubasa gives it one more shot and...  If you want me to teach you anythin' else, you better go study up on your "Dia Witch Iroha"!...And then Barry storms off. Good lesson, everyone.  Don't worry about it. I'm sure I made a lot of mistakes too. You just ended up taking most of his criticism. *sigh* I guess it's tough being an idol, huh? All this has got me thinking... About Ayaha? Yeah... I didn't expect you to guess that so easily. Just had a feeling. It's just hitting me hard, realizing what a tough world my sister was living in... All the training and work as an idol may have been really difficult, but she never even showed a hint of that. She was always so kind whenever she was back home, and she was so cool and brilliant whenever she was on TV... *sigh* I'm probably just not cut out to be an idol like her. We haven't even watched that anime Barry told us to study. Pfft... ...Did I say something funny? I just... imagined watching one of those magical girl shows with you. Kind of a weird mental image... But thanks for trying to cheer me up. I guess you really never change, huh? I'll give it some more thought on my own. I'll see you later! Oh...And then Tsubasa ditches us too. Naturally, this is when Kiria walks in.  H-Hello. Uh, um... Yes? Well, uh... thank you for rescuing us at Daitama. Don't worry about it... But I just walked past your friend. She okay? She looked pretty depressed about something. We just had a lesson with Barry... and we just ended up making him mad. Hmm. Well, getting mad is basically Barry's job. So. You got to stand there and listen to her sing, right? What did you think? I was just trying to keep up... I couldn't listen much. But I don't see why he had to criticize her so hard... Huh. So I see... I don't know if I'd go that far, myself... but I guess so. Really. A singer has to use their song as their words. Huh? As a singer, she's still a newborn baby. Hasn't learned how to use her words, you know? But... a baby still has emotions. That's why they cry, right? Still have to express their feelings somehow. I... guess so. So she should have sung as though she was crying. Barry would never miss that message. So... you're saying I should get Tsubasa to cry... before training starts...? ...Kiria silently hands you something...  Here, take these. Are you asking me out? She is so disappointed in Itsuki, and she's only known him for a day. This relationship is gonna go places. Tickets. To my live concert. Concert? You should come watch it with her. It's up to her what she takes away from it... but I'm sure that she'll- Hm? ...Well, never mind. Yashiro Tsurugi's my costar. He’s a top-class artist. I’m sure his performing skills can inspire you to be a better Master. Well, I have to get to practice. See you.Well this'll make someone happy, at least. Let's give her a buzz real quick. quote:
There's our Tsubasa. Next time, it's the first performance of the game. See you then!
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Feb 20, 2017 19:29
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Very little, honestly. You're far more likely to run out of Prestige than actual weapon materials because every weapon of the same "rank" pulls from the same level of prestige materials, whereas the actual drops are scattered throughout the party. As long as you're reasonably thorough about killing everything you meet, you'll be fine.
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Feb 22, 2017 07:41
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quote:
All right, all right, we're coming. Gotta go pick up our date first.  Then let's go! It's a live concert featuring both Kiria and Yashiro Tsurugi! Of course they're excited! Right, Kiria mentioned him. Is he really that amazing? He's always at the top of the charts! And as an actor, he's known as the Prince of Ratings! He's just so amazing! A live concert this big... Yatsufusa Hatanaka's probably the only guy who could set up something like this. Yatsufusa Hatanaka? Woooooo! Guys, it's about to start! Reincarnation ~ Kiria Kurono (Full Song) Lyrics posted:I'm breaking down--- So real talk for a second, this is the point at which the game really grabbed me. Like, I had been enjoying it up to this point, but the Reincarnation AMV was the point at which it was obvious that the game was going all in on the whole idol thing. For me at least, it was that moment where you're like "Okay, if the rest of the game even comes close to keeping this up, I'm going to love this" and I'm quite glad to say that it did. The song itself is kinda...eh? It's the main theme of the game, so if you know anything about TMS or saw any of the trailers, this is probably the one song you've heard. It's not *bad* or anything, but I think all of Kiria's other songs are better. After the Show  Whoa... I can see why you were recommending her all the time... See!? Just by singing... just by standing onstage, Kiria can give people energy! Kiria! Kiria! Kiria! ... Tsubasa? I... I want my singing to give people that energy, too... I want to be able to shine onstage, just like Kiria! Tsubasa... I've made up my mind... I'm gonna do it, Itsuki! So never mind all that stuff I said before! Before? When I said I wasn't cut out to be an idol like my sister. Just watch... I'm going to be an idol, no matter what it takes! I may not be as good as Kiria, but I promise... I'll sing so I can give people energy and make my fans happy! I know you can. I'll be right behind you. I don't know what else I can do... but I promise I'll do anything I can to help. If you're cheering for me, I feel like I can do anything!  Tsubasa Oribe's soul as an entertainer has achieved a new awakening... Tsubasa's inspiration has taken form as a new Performa: Wings of Song! Wh-What is this...? It... came from within me... Looks like you managed to find the answer all on your own, Tsubasa. Ms. Maiko? And that Performa is proof that you found the inspiration for your own answer, Tsubasa. You just opened up a door within you to a new gift. A gift... Now then, next up would be Yashiro's... *gasp*   So, I know Kiria just had the whole rain thing as part of her show, but something tells me demon portals aren't part of Yashiro's performance.  Wh-What is that...? Wooooooooo! Is everyone else not seeing this? Nngh... Everything's just a huge pain... Why does everything seem so... pointless...? Is this some kind of Mirage attack...? But I've never seen anything like this... Well, I think we've found our mastermind. I can't believe she crashed the stage like that, absolutely no respect for concert etiquette. You won't escape... ... I said you won't escape! Out of my way.  Well this sure was a short dungeon, thanks for coming everyone, let's do a boss fight.  Of course, as soon as we get on stage, our mysterious assailant throws a wave of energy at us. Itsuki! Touma!  So yeah. Meet Ayaha Oribe, Tsubasa's long-missing sister.  I dunno about you, but I think she seems happy to see her little sister. Tsubasa!  Kiria takes a bullet for Tsubasa. Man, we're just batting a thousand here today. What... do you think you're doing...? We're in the middle... of a battlefield...! No... Kiria... Because of me, s-she...  I must... continue my mission... and return to the Idolasphere. Wait... Ayaha, wait! And so Aya disappears into the next dungeon. Can't ever do things the easy way, can we?  Dammit, she's hurt pretty bad... This doesn't look good. We need to fall back and regroup. You... have to go after her. Something... is about to happen here. If we stop now, who knows what could happen to Shibuya... or the world... B-But how are we supposed to fight against that many enemies...? I... I can't fight my sister... Stop making excuses! ...! For five years... you were looking for her, right? But you didn't have any clues... and no power to save her... But now you do. So you have to go after her... no matter what. ... You're all Mirage Masters now. Like it or not, you're already involved in this. So, there's no point just running from your fate - when it's given you a chance like this. Kiria... Kiria! Don't worry, I'll take care of her. The rest is up to you... Be careful, everyone. Don't worry, Ms. Maiko, we got this! This looks like the perfect time for a heroic comeback! We're the only ones that can do this. ... It's all right, Tsubasa. We've got your back. O-Okay!
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Feb 23, 2017 18:59
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One little mini-update, someone wanted to see everyone's signatures since they're on the profile page. There might be some minor spoilers on there (this is from my Chapter 2 save) but certainly nothing that will ruin the LP for you.     
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Feb 25, 2017 01:43
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 The ol' pause screen is starting to fill up a bit, and we haven't even done the first proper dungeon! So let's do that. Illusory 106    Ah yes, the demonic department store. A classic.  Aya... where are you...? Itsuki, make sure you keep an eye on Tsubasa. Got it. Chrom, I need your strength again. And you will have it. All right, Cain! Let's get this show on the road! Well said! Let us storm the field with speed beyond speed! So welcome to the first actual dungeon. TMS isn't afraid to throw you in the deep end right away, so let's just hit a couple quick things. As the info bar helpfully tell us, Tiki will occasionally send us topics while we're out dungeoneering to let us know we can forge new weapons or unlock new skills the next time we come back. It's not as handy as it sounds, especially for skills since it's usually very obvious when you can make new ones. You'll see how much I ignore her by the "Tiki: 8" in the top left corner at all times while we're dungeon crawling. Additionally, the circle thing off to our left is a warp point. The game is very good about giving you regular checkpoints in dungeons, and always puts one right before a boss or miniboss. It's just a real nice quality of life thing.  Immediately to our right is another one of those light walls. Again, nothing we can do here so let's get started.  Our first new enemy is this disembodied clown head. Nickelwise is weak to a whole host of stuff, including swords, axes, ice, light, and dark magic, almost none of which we can do anything with. Their sole resistance is fire, which means Itsuki is the only one who can deal with them in a timely manner. Thankfully, he's mostly content to chomp on someone for a low amount of physical damage.  And after the battle, we get introduced to another core part of the system. Each party member has a Stage Rank that increases as they take part in combat and sessions. Each stage rank unlocks a new skill (the vast majority of which are incredibly broken), and you need to have them at certain levels to unlock the party members' personal sidequests. Just as an example? The skill that Itsuki just unlocked allows him to change targets if an enemy dies during a session. That his Rank 1 skill.  Tsubasa's is much less interesting, but no less handy. This unlocks the Traport skill, letting you leave the dungeon at any time for just 10 MP. Oh, and I guess Touma picked up Sword-Blaze, but that's not really as important.  Now, you might be thinking "Okay, that sounds good but not like, holy poo poo broken good" and you'd be right! But there's another wrinkle to this system, and we'll use our myrmidon friend here to demonstrate. Like all sword users, he's weak to lances (and thunder but that's not really important here), and between Itsuki and Tsubasa, we can build quite a combo off of lances.  And sure enough, after a turn or two the myrmidon bites it. However, we still have part of a session to go. When an enemy is killed as part of a session (*including* as the opening attack!), you achieve an "Overkill", which causes every remaining attack in the session to ignore enemy resistances, including Nulls, Repels, and Drains. So if you know that an enemy absorbs fire but Touma is up next in your combo, as long as you can kill something before his turn comes up, it doesn't matter. His attack will hit them just like they were neutral. This is the power of Itsuki's skill, and why it's so broken. And while we can only change targets once per session right now, you had better believe that he's got upgrades later on that let him change multiple times.  The main gimmick of Illusory 106 is these big dresses. You go in one side...  ...And you come out the other.  On the far side we find a set of switches, and it should be pretty obvious what they do. Considering that we're on the doll's right side, the only one that's of any use to us is the right switch.  This gives us access to the third floor. This room is basically shaped like a sideways "8", with a dress on either side to let us go up and down as necessary.   On the third floor, we get introduced to what is probably my least favorite mechanic in the entire game. The purple enemies are called Savage Enemies, and they are motherfuckers of the highest caliber. For starters, you can't stun them with your sword, so unless you can get to some kind of environmental trigger (or another enemy), you're almost certainly going to get stuck fighting them. And that's really bad, as we will see later.  For now, we'll flip this to the middle switch and head down to 2F.  Along the way, Touma unlock his first skill. Estoma prevents enemies that are lower-levelled than Itsuki from spawning for a while, and I'm pretty sure I have literally never used it across multiple playthroughs.  On 2F, I spend a comical amount of time trying to get around this rear end in a top hat, but unfortunately we have to fight this one. Let's...just get this over with.   So yeah, not only do Savage Enemies usually get a surprise attack on you, they hit like a freight train. They are always somewhere between 2 and 5 levels above your party, with skills and attacks that you usually won't see until the next dungeon (or at least much later in the current one). Running away is a crapshoot that wastes your turn more often than not, but standing your ground usually requires burning your good healing items and in some cases your SP to use super attacks to even the playing field. That's not to say that you can't (or even shouldn't) fight them - you will get a ton of experience and rare drops if you prove victorious. But if you're actively fighting them, you're probably going in to specifically hunt down savage enemies. For the most part, encounters with them end after a character or two fails to run away, everyone's hurting, and at least one person is dead.  Good thing we bought those curries!  Anyway, before we were interrupted by our purple friend, we meet our first one-way wall. If you approach from the other side, it's just a big slab of iron, but hitting the back of it will destroy the barrier.  On the other side of 2F there's another wall, but the red dress is already in place for us to go behind it and break it. Really, I don't even know why this one is here.  Huh? Who's that...? Ah! Over there!  Anybody...! Please...! Stop these monsters! We have to help him! Oh, it's just three myrmidons. The way he was screaming, you'd think we might have an actual challenge. Touma picks up Strength Boost after the fight, so at least it wasn't a total waste of our time. Yatsufusa Hatanaka  Th-Thank you so much, you three! You know this guy, Touma? This is Yatsufusa Hatanaka... Everyone in the industry knows him. He's one of the best producers around. He's the one that set up the live concert today, too... I-It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Hatanaka! Ahaha, well, rumors always blow my reputation out of proportion... I don't know if I'm THAT great. But... just what is going on? There was some commotion in the 106, and suddenly I was running for my life... Um... how should we explain...?You tell him where the exit is... You'll be able to get out of this place if you follow those directions. A-All right... I understand.You would think that finding someone who's such a big shot here would call for a bit more caution, like escorting him out, but you do you game. Anyway, shortly thereafter we get an update from Maiko and Kiria. quote:
Well that's good to hear. With Hatanaka out of trouble, if we raid the room he was hiding out in, we can grab a Chakra Drop and a Traport stone. Neither of which are great but it's hardly worth complaining over.  And one last treasure for the road. We're pretty close to the next teleporter, but Itsuki is out of MP so we might as well put that Traport stone to use and regroup.  Back in the Bloom Garden, we can turn in those Stage Rank performas to unlock our new skills. Note that they require prestige stars as well, so sometimes we'll have to choose between new skills and new weapons.  We'll also take the opportunity to grab a new lance for Tsubasa. Still nothing new for Touma yet, but that'll change soon. For now, we're gonna call it here and next time we'll be taking on the miniboss of Illusory 106. Artix fucked around with this message at 21:02 on Feb 27, 2017 |
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Feb 27, 2017 19:06
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SweaterGear posted:This video apparently failed in validation, according to Youtube. Fixed it, thanks.
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Feb 27, 2017 21:05
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Last time we left off back in the Bloom Garden, so we have a little backtracking to do. Fortunately we weren't particularly far in, so it's a pretty short trip. Really, the only notable thing that happened on the way was Tsubasa picking up her Rank 2 skill. This gives her Gentle Embrace, which increases the amount of HP she heals. She also picks up Zan, so she can start pulling her weight on offense.  You can also find a Speed Incense on 3F if you play around with the blue doll's state a little bit. We're going to hold on to this for now, but it'll probably get dumped on either Itsuki or Tsubasa before the end of the dungeon.  Back where we found Mr. Hatanaka, we have the controls for the red dress. The left option lets you grab a treasure or two down on 1F, but we need to head upstairs, so right it is. Memories   Ah, there she is. This rescue mission stuff isn't so hard.  ...Aaaaaaand then she walks off. Good effort, team. Really went hard on the pursuit. Aya! Wait! Tsubasa! You can't just go after her alone! But, Itsuki, she's- Oh... Sorry. When I see her like that, I just remember what happened to Kiria... and it gets hard for me to think straight. I see... Hey, Itsuki. You remember back in elementary school? How I used to be kind of clumsy? ...Used to be? Yeah. Is...something wrong? Uh, no. Nothing. What about it? Well, whenever I made a mistake and got all sad... my sister would always ask me to sing with her. And when I did... I'd forget all about being sad, and I'd just laugh and sing with her. So...if some Mirage is controlling Aya and making her do all this awful stuff... I won't let it hurt her anymore! If that's the case, then I guess I don't have anything to worry about. Worry? Well, if I can avoid it... I really don't want to end up fighting her... But both Kiria and Ms. Maiko trust me to do what I have to. So I want to save her with my own hands. This time, I'll be the one that helps her smile again! I'm sure you can do it, Tsubasa. I'll do everything I can to help you. Okay! Plus, we've got one more teammate we can rely on. We've got this - right, Touma? drat right. C'mon, Tsubasa, we've got a rescue mission to take care of! Itsuki, Touma... thank you!And with that little inspirational speech, let's head upstairs.  On the way, Itsuki picks up his Rank 2 skill, HP Fitness. It's good for an extra 10% HP, once we get back to base.  And right around the corner, we have our first checkpoint. We could turn back, but we just started this run, so we'll press on for now.  As we step outside, we find ourselves on the stair access. And at the top...  It's showtime. The Mirage  Jackpot. Right over there. Hey, look at that. Didn't even run away from us this time. Aya...! I finally caught up! Oh? If I'd known we'd be entertaining such adorable little guests, I'd have dressed for the occasion...  Something about seeing Tsubasa sets off Aya again. Turns out this whole mind control thing might not be as absolute as it seemed. Aya... It's really you, isn't it!? It's me, Tsubasa - your little sister! Who are you...? I don't know anyone like you... ...No, that isn't right. Those eyes - I know those eyes... That unwavering gaze...almost like... Tsubasa! Yes! It's me, Aya. I've come to take you back... so let's go home together! No... it can't be her... Tsubasa was so small... an adorable little girl... Heh heh heh... Overslept, have we? Perhaps I can shed some light. I'd say, you've spent, oh... five years in slumber? Five... years... Oh, but Ayaha, that must mean... that girl there truly is your dear sister. Aah... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh! Aya...? I'm trying too... I'm trying so hard... But I just can't do it anymore! I can't go on like this...! Aya! What's wrong!? It must be because of the Mirage that's controlling her... So quick to shift the blame... You know, darling, no girl likes a man who's so quick to point fingers. Me, controlling Ayaha...? Why, I'm insulted! After all, we're partners. You mean... these are Ayaha's true feelings...? No- No, that can't be right! My sister would never say things like that. I saw her practicing so hard, every day. She practiced so late into the night... She was always working so hard! Poor, naïve little girl... You think hard work is the same as success? All it's good for is false comfort. Just a way to relieve some of the pressure - nothing more. Just ask her yourself. Better-looking girls dropping out... Better singers cut one after another... It didn't take long for me to realize, I was a joke. There was no way I could become an idol. But I couldn't let everyone down... It was just too much! I couldn't take it all! Please, just stop telling me I'm someone I'm not... I never had any talent to begin with! That's not true! When you were an idol, you shone like a beautiful star! I heard you sing... I could feel the emotion in it! I felt your passion for your music! You can talk all you like, girl, but I'm afraid Ayaha's not interested in listening to your little tantrum. That's not true! I don't believe that!  The effect is much more obvious in the video, but she believes in her sister so hard it makes a pink aura in the room. It's impressive, in a "okay kid, turn it down a notch" kind of way. Ngh... Ah... It's not about talent. You're a star - you're my idol. You were pretty, and cool, and I loved everything you did... and I'll always be your biggest fan! I can...hear something... Is that... Tsubasa...? Well. That's problematic... She hears something...? What does she mean by that...? I won't let you little wretches hold me back... There's too much I still need to do! Well, whatever Tsubasa did, it's working enough that our mysterious villain decided to throw an enemy at us. I guess that's progress?  Aya and the mirage slip out, leaving us with a really angry girl and a flying pony. I'm sure this will end swimmingly. Get out of my way! I don't care what you throw at me... I'm going to save my sister!  Before we deal with our flying friend, we should turn our attention to her companions. Killing these Men o' War should be your first priority for several reasons, not the least of which is because they have an annoying set of resistances that only Itsuki can really exploit (Weak - Sword, Wind; Resist - Lance, Thunder).  Far more important, however, is that these guys are your introduction to the idea that enemies can combo you. These guys are packing Wind-Thunder, Lance-Thunder, and Elec-Thunder, which means that if Tsubasa or Itsuki is on the receiving end of an attack, there's a good chance they're about to go to town on you. The faster these guys go down, the quicker this damage race becomes manageable.  And as if that wasn't enough reason to hunt them down immediately, they also have Poisma up their sleeve, and you do not gently caress with poison in this game. Every turn that you're poisoned, you take damage equal to 25% of your max HP, and it persists after battle, inflicting damage with every step you take until it's cured.  With her backup taken care of, the peg knight herself really isn't that much of a threat. Without the Men o' War, all she can really do is hit you with either Skewer or Zan, and she's weak to both wind and fire so it's pretty easy to work her over with sessions. If we had bows, that would work too, but we're not gonna see them for another few chapters.  At any rate, it doesn't take long to mop her up. Everyone gets a couple levels, Tsubasa gets Fire-Lunge, and we all get to go home happy. A Plan of Attack  Hold on, Tsubasa. We're going after her, but it might be better for you to take a moment and calm down first. ...And not just that. Something's bothering me with how Ayaha was behaving. What do you mean...? It was almost like... she couldn't hear you, Tsubasa. Huh? Maybe it'd be more accurate to say it was like your voice just wasn't reaching her. Think about it. She was following that Mirage's orders, but she wasn't really responding to Tsubasa, right? Now that you mention it... you might be right... But then, how can I get Aya to understand how I feel? Caeda? Tsubasa, I can sense your love for your sister... and I can feel your wish to save her from peril. I believe your best chance to truly express these feelings to her could be through the power of your singing. Through a song... After Kiria's performance, I'm starting to see how song can give words a certain kind of power. A power that's different indeed from the forces we wield in battle. Like Kiria's concert... Okay. I'll do it! I'm going to save Aya with my song. I know I can! Itsuki... If I'm remembering right, Tiki said she could use Unity to awaken new abilities. Maybe with this Performa and Tiki's help, she could sing a song that could break that Mirage's control... Yeah! Let's go try it!That sounds like a plan to me. Back to the Bloom Palace!  Before we do that though, some general upgrades. First, a new sword for Itsuki; Touma's been maxed out for a few levels now, but he still doesn't have any new weapons available.   We'll also pick up new radiant skills for both Itsuki and Tsubasa before we grab Feel My Voice. It's nice that it *does* have a mechanical benefit (faster ailment recovery in battle), even if the skill itself is purely a plot token.  Do you think I can reach her now...? You must believe in yourself, Tsubasa. I know you can save her. ...You're right! No matter what, I'm taking my sister back!
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Mar 2, 2017 19:09
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Jade Rider posted:Also, could you show off a battle or two in video format? I'm curious to see what Sessions and stuff look like in motion. All the bosses (and sidequests, where relevant) will be shown off in video. I wasn't really planning on showing them at all but the tutorial boss barely counts as a fight so the first one will be showing up in...I believe update 13 or 14. It's soon, at any rate.
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Mar 3, 2017 03:16
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 Onward to the second half of the dungeon!  First up, we have the cavalier enemies. They're sturdy, but they're weak to basically everything (axes, wind, ice, and thunder) so they're not very difficult to deal with. That said, the Man o' War is already a recurring common enemy and they still have all their combo-related skills, so they'll usually be our first priority.  Oh, I'm sorry, did I forget to mention that they can poison your entire party if the cavalier hits a weakness? Yeah, they can do that, no big deal.  Get a Freebie is exactly what it sounds like - there's a chance that using an item means it won't get used up.  Anyway, Floors 5-7F are more less identical to the lower floors, just with slightly more complex layouts. You have to fiddle with the dress positions a bit more, and there's a bit more back and forth between the two dresses, but the fundamentals are the same.  We also have these little fuckers. Barbarians are extremely weak and fold to pretty much anything, but they hit with axe damage and we're running 2 lance users. They also have a couple -Split skills, including Axe-Split and Sword-Split, and they'll be mixed in with a lot of different enemy groups.  Before we go through the dress, we can hang a right and find our first locked chest. I'm sure I was just missing something incredibly obvious, but I found that there are way less keys than locked boxes on my first playthrough. I guess we'll see! This one, incidentally, has a Bracelet of Eternity. It gives marginally better defense than a Power/Magic Bangle and reduces your Strength and Magic by 2 in exchange for 30 EP. By the time that stat tradeoff is worth it, we'll have far better accessories available, so it's going straight in the vendor trash pile.  We also have a quest!   What is it about my Performa? Is it THAT amazing? I've been attractin' nothing but losers, it seems...She blows us off, but if we talk to her again we'll get the actual quest. ...And here's another one! *groan* Kid, you're gettin' on my nerves, could ya just do me a favor and buzz off? Oh! Wait! I just thought of something! Yep, I think I'll let you live... And in return, I want you to go and "take care of" some pesky losers! Those nitwits think they can just come up and start talking to me...? Ha! The nerve! Right, I need you to track down that noisy Myrmidon and his friend, the hairy, snout-nosed Cavalier. Oh! And I forget his name, but the last one in the trio is the worst. The worst! Get that shrimpy, potty-mouthed guy! Now, as proof... I'd like you to bring back their Force. Sound good? Now off you go!This is a pretty straightforward quest: go kill the dudes, get their drop, come back. Hell, we already have the myrmidon and barbarian forces, we just need to go hunt down a cavalier.  And we find one immediately on the other side of the dress. Well, it was nice knowing you, champ.  The troll is a little more obnoxious. He's very resistant to physical damage of all stripes, but is weak to every element. Itsuki and Tsubasa can tear him up, but Touma is pretty useless because even his fire attack is physical. That said, all he does is spam a basic physical attack that isn't even very accurate, so it's really just that he's kind of annoying to kill.  I guess that about does it for this place, don't ya think? I'm outta here!Obtained Treasure Key!   The left side of the dress is blocked off by a one-way gate, so our only option is to use the purple controls.  Next stop, 6F.  On our way over to the orange dress, we have the next checkpoint, a pair of first aid kits, and a revival bead. I'm not sure I understand why this particular checkpoint is here since it's so close to the start of the area (and there'll be another one at the end for the boss), but you do you game! That said, no reason to look a gift horse in the mouth, and since Touma finally has some new weapons available, let's put it to use. Back to the Bloom Garden! Checking In  Hello, Itsuki. Hey. What were you two talking about? I was asking Caeda if she's getting along okay with Tsubasa. How are you and Chrom getting along? We get along fine. True. There's really nothing to complain about. Good. I'm really glad to hear you're all friends. Thanks for being concerned for us, Tiki. What is it? How does this world look to you? In our eyes, huh... I suppose when it comes to the literal sense, it's not different than yours. We actually experience this world through our masters' senses. Our senses? Yes, and everything I've seen and heard of this world through you intrigues me quite a lot. This singing and dancing you and the others are so involved in... All this "performing arts" business... It's strangely fascinating. Yes, I agree. When Tsubasa sings with so much joy, I feel like it even reaches my heart. I see. Well, it makes me feel a little better to hear you two so optimistic about the situation. Thank you for your concern. You don't have to worry though - there is at least one thing we can do to reclaim our memories. These incidents caused by mirages... If we can solve the mysteries behind them, it could lead us to some clue about who we are. So we'll keep lending you our strength. Thanks, you two. I'll be counting on you too, Tiki!Really, I just wanted an excuse to have Tiki on screen. She's the best.   Anyway, for as short of a dungeon dive as that was, we have a ton of new stuff to grab. First we're gonna grab Touma's radiant skill - it's cheap and while I don't know the exact chance of saving an item, it happens often enough that it's worth getting ASAP.    We also have multiple new weapons for everyone. The Rapier and Steel Feather are the real standouts, making Itsuki more likely to dodge physical attacks and Tsubasa immune to poison, respectively. Also, note that some of these are starting to swap around a few of our resistances - the Rapier will switch Itsuki to resist Wind instead of Thunder.  And while we're stocking up on some other goodies, I win the grand prize in the melmark drawing. This one goes to Itsuki, and I toss the Speed Incense we got earlier to Tsubasa. Back in the dungeon, this demon helpfully informs us that Aya did come this way. That would be a thing, wouldn't it? Just leave and it turns out that Aya's been hanging out on the first floor this whole time, watching us climb this whole thing like idiots.   We'll take the orange dress back down to 5F, only to be met with another barrier. If we hang a right though, we'll find the backside of that first barrier, plus the controls for the orange dress.  Now, things get a little trickier. First thing we need to do is open up 5F completely, so we'll start by flipping to the left switch.  That gives us access to a Bead Chain(!!) and let us break the other barrier, so now we can reach both hands of both dresses on 5F.  Tsubasa also picks up her Rank 3 skill. EP Fitness is exactly the same as HP Fitness, but for our mana instead.  Next, we're going to flip orange to the middle.  That lets us break a wall on 6F near where the demon saw Aya.  It also gives us access to another set of orange switches. The right one will take us to our final destination, but we're going to pick the middle one to grab some goodies first.  Unfortunately, there's nothing up here but another light wall. However, we got quite lucky and a very special enemy spawned.  The Sixth Element is the first of the "rare enemies", a set of gimmick enemies who drop a ton of cash and rare materials if you can actually manage to kill them. For starters, their gimmick almost always involves being immune to the vast majority of your damage sources - this one can only be hurt by elemental skills and spells.  They're also slippery motherfuckers. Both Itsuki and Tsubasa have Surefire (which increases your chance of hitting an enemy), and neither of them can land a hit.  Fortunately, if you do manage to hit them, it usually only takes one good hit to get the job done. This will change later, and it makes them a royal pain in the rear end in the later dungeons.  For actually managing to kill one, we get two grand in cold hard cash and a rare force for weapon creation. We'll talk more about them once we can actually make one, but generally speaking these things are used to make...weird weapons, for lack of a better term. The kind of weapons that do things like teach Tsubasa fire spells instead of wind.  Anyway, with our business on 7F done for now, we'll flip this over to the right and make our way to the end of the dungeon.  Along the way, we pick up our first slayer skill. Horseslayer is a standard lance attack, but it will trigger a weakness if you use it on...well, horses. Specifically, cavaliers and their ilk only - you'd think pegasi would count as a horse, but that's a holdover from Fire Emblem itself.  To get to this little alcove, you need the purple dress to have both hands on 6F, and we get 4500 yen and 10x Detritus for our trouble. Curiously, the latter is a key item, but hell if we have any idea what it'll be used for right now.  Up on 7F, we run into this lovely situation. When this happens, you want to run right into that red enemy - stopping to whack him and get a preemptive strike just means that you'll get hit by the savage enemy during the animation.  At the end of the hallway, we get a few more Chakra Drops for our efforts. I guess it was worth it?  And at the end of a much longer hallway, we find our final teleporter. We're in pretty reasonable shape right now, but there's no reason to go into a boss fight at less than full strength, so let's go cash in our last couple goodies and top off before we fight Aya for real.  Tsubasa gets an extra 10% EP, as if it wasn't obvious enough that her future lies in casting instead of stabbing.  We're also going to grab a couple Darts before heading in. This is our only way of inflicting bow damage right now, and while we don't have any combo skills for bows yet (because the game doesn't expect you to be using it, for obvious reasons), it's still better than nothing for someone like Itsuki, who will be comparatively neutered against the boss.  That's gonna do it for now though. Next time, we're headed to the roof!
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Mar 6, 2017 20:50
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That's because Tiki's JP name is "Chiki," so the voice actors use that pronunciation.
Artix fucked around with this message at 21:53 on Mar 6, 2017 |
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Mar 6, 2017 21:47
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 Do you think...? Yes. It's that mirage. All right... Let's go! Aversa    I have to say, I'm impressed you came all this way just for her... A shame it was all for nothing, in the end. What have you done to her!? All I did was close her ears. Sweet nothings are much better than painful truths, right...? *chuckle* And now she doesn't have to hear them. Isn't that right, Ayaha? ... No... She can't hear anyone...? Tsubasa!  Now, Tsubasa! Sing! Yeah... I want Aya to remember how singing was fun - how it felt... I want her to smile again... like we did when we sang together! I'll make sure she hears me...! I'll make her understand!  There's a short little cutscene here where Tsubasa does her song. If, for whatever reason, you never got her plot skill, you would get kicked out here and have to get it now.  Please... you have to wake up! Ts-Tsubasa...? Aya! Tsubasa, I- How did that break my curse...? Ugh, what an irritating little tune! But this is far from over... She is mine. And I will not allow you to take what's mine...! Aah! quote:
 No more anguish, regret, anxiety... You'll have nothing at all to worry about anymore. I'll...have nothing... Yes...nothing. Just leave everything to me, and I'll take care of you... Stop! You can't listen to someone like her... Please, Aya! Ah... aah... Oh, but you don't need to pay attention to a sniveling little girl like her. N-No... Tsubasa is my little sister... M-My... Aya... K...K-Kill... Now. Kill her. K-K-Kill... Kill... Ts-Tsubasa...! Aaaaaaaaaaaahhh! Tsubasa... I... Well? Be a good little girl, and kill. I...would never hurt Tsubasa! If you dare hurt my little sister, at all... I will never forgive you...  Aya's rejection of Aversa causes their bond to break, and reveal the all-important orb. And we know what to do with that.  Right! Gyaaaaaaggghh!  With her bond severed, Aversa jumps off the 106 to try and escape. Turns out that having wings opens a lot of doors for you, in terms of movement.  ...It's okay. I won't let her escape! I'll never forgive her for what she did to Aya! ...Aaaaaand then Tsubasa follows her right off. But it's okay, I'm sure she has a plan. ... ...She does have a plan, right?  Aversa makes her way down to the stage...  And there's Tsubasa, hurling toward the ground at terminal velocity.  Ah, but of course, she gets caught by a pegasus that just happened to be in the neighborhood and-   Yeah, sure, rocket powered pegasus. Why the gently caress not? I'm down with this.  Here comes the cavalry, and...  Let's rock and roll. Boss Fight: Aversa  Aversa herself isn't really that dangerous, but she comes with backup and she hits like a truck if you aren't careful about debuffs. The peg knights have all the relevant combo skills, so as usual, reducing numbers is our first priority.  Why do YOU get to have everything I want!? You'll DIE here! On offense, Aversa is pretty predictable. She'll start by casting Dark Envy on someone, which is a combo Sukunda/Rakunda. On her next turn, she'll use whatever skill is appropriate to ruin that person's day. She has all the elemental spells plus a lance attack (so she'll always hit a weakness), and does about 130-160 damage on her own. Rough, but survivable - especially if it's just her. If the peg knights are still hanging around, though? That person is probably dead.  Defensively, she's basically identical to the peg knights, trading a fire weakness for an electric one. Itsuki and Tsubasa will be your heavy hitters here, while Touma will spend most of his time taking out the peg knights.  If you're diligent about killing the peg knights, the first set of reinforcements should show up right around the time she does her second Dark Envy. This is an obvious problem, because while Touma is tough, he's not going to survive a Bufu and two follow-ups.  Time to bust out our SP skills. These are your panic button skills - they're almost universally very strong, they usually give one (or more) party members buffs, and they always trigger a session, regardless of whether or not they hit a weakness. Aerial Dance specifically hits all enemies with heavy lance damage and gives the whole party HP regen for 3 turns for 2 SP, which should set up Touma to survive even if we don't wipe out both of the pegs before Aversa's turn.  The damage isn't that impressive on its face, but the resulting session knocks out one of the pegs and Touma kills the other on his turn. Crisis averted!  But frankly, I've had enough of this fight and I want to end it before another wave of reinforcements complicates things. Sure, she resists fire, but SP Skills don't give a poo poo about petty things like resistances, and it means every attack in the session will be a guaranteed crit.  Why yes, that is Cain riding in on his motorcycle with a flaming bull. Touma does many things, but half-assing his attacks is not one of them.  And that is a boss fight.  More and more of my kind...will come to invade your world... The battle has only just begun...and when the dust finally settles...victory will be OURS! A nice round of levels for everyone. Weapon experience can be a bit of a slog to get, so it's nice that bosses are more or less a guaranteed 1-2 skills for everyone.  We also unlock Touma's first sidequest, but as the text suggests, we haven't actually advanced far enough in the story to do it yet. We'll have to check up on that later. Next time, it's the conclusion to Chapter 1. See you then!
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Mar 9, 2017 18:57
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We're gonna be taking a short break before starting Chapter 2, so no Thursday update this week. I've got something like 3 hours of video to sift through for updates, plus a lot of Nier Automata to get through. A Family Reunion  And just like that, everything's back to normal. That wasn't so hard. Invade our world...? Tsubasa... Aya! I... I heard your song. I think that's why I didn't give in... I heard my sister - my sweet sister - singing for me. Thank you. A-Aya... *Sob* I'll live. I'm fine now, thanks to your help. More importantly, Itsuki... Thanks. For saving Ayaha. I think Tsubasa probably deserves to hear that more than me. *chuckle* Yeah, guess so.This scene is a little weird because it jumps from Aya/Tsubasa to Itsuki/Kiria and then back to Aya and Tsubasa. Neither group is actually talking to each other here, but it's still clearly one scene and it's kind of awkward. Oh well. Tsubasa, when did you get so tall...? And your singing was so beautiful...  Welcome, Kiria  Itsuki, Touma, Tsubasa... I knew you could do it. I shouldn't expect any less from my favorite rookies! Ahhh, drinks tonight will taste even better than usual! Oooh, maybe I'll even crack open that vintage... Oh, but first... there's something we've learned about Mirages from this whole incident. They're working together - that's what you mean, right? Yes. It appears as though the enemy is some kind of organization from another world, intent on invading ours. I've had my suspicions before... All the attacks so far have been small in scale, but I believe these Mirages are organizing... and may have a leader. I've been thinking about fighting with Itsuki and the others from now on. Yes, I think that'd be a good idea, too. Make sure you look after them, Kiria, all right? Specifically, I was thinking Itsuki should continue to command us for combat. Hmm... I see. Um... Are you sure you want me being the leader? Seems like the practical thing to do. I'm sure you're aware of just how much you already accomplished back there. You're so indirect, Kiria... Why don't you just tell him how impressed you are with his abilities? Anyway, that's all. D-Does that mean... from now on... we'll be working together with Kiria more often!? That's how it is. Looking forward to working with you, Tsubasa. L-L-Likewise...! I-I may still be new, b-but I hope we get along, what with the nice weather we're having...! Tsubasa... I think this is where you just say, "I'm looking forward to working with you too." I-I'm wooking forward to lorking with you too! *chuckle* You're pretty funny. Man, Kiria joining forces with Touma and Itsuki, the dynamic duo... We'll be unstoppable! I think we're pretty good already. You're pretty confident, huh? I guess we'll see if you're all talk.*Kiria joined the team.* We'll have a look at Kiria in the next update, but suffice to say that she's pretty good and will probably be replacing Tsubasa for a while. I'd like you all to welcome a new friend to our little office! H-Huh? Aya? I hadn't told you, Tsubasa... but I've decided to work at this office, as part of the staff. Wh-Whaaaaaaat!? I want her back in the entertainment business eventually, so this is essentially some light rehab first. Better not slack off, Tsubasa, 'cause now I can get her to kick your butt if you do. Auugh... Huh? Me? I was wondering if you'd be interested in a... private lesson? It'd be fabulous. Scandalous. Delicious. Wh-Wh-What are you- Ahaha, your face! Just a joke...! Then again, if you're interested... I certainly wouldn't say no... This is the face of a man considering his next words very carefully.   I-Itsuki!? You- You scumbag, you slimeball, y-you sleaze...! Ugh! Why do all guys only want the same thing...? Huh? What's wrong? Ms. Maiko's a veteran in the entertainment industry. Her advice would be really helpful. After all, I still don't even have any idea if I should focus on singing, acting, or something else entirely... Oh. Well, that's... not exactly how I meant it. Seems like my jokes went right over your head. Huh? *sigh* Geez...now I feel like I'm the one with a dirty mind... Ah, one last thing... Well done, you three. You did a fine job. Thank you...for saving Ayaha.All in a day's work, boss. All in a day's work. The next scene happens regardless of your response to Maiko's question, but it feels like it belongs a bit better if you act like an idiot in front of Tsubasa. I indulged the game on that particular choice, but we won't be doing that a whole lot for reasons that will make sense in like...30 hours.  Just wanted to confirm something. Is there any field in particular that appeals to you? Singing, acting, anything...? Well... I never really planned on getting in the entertainment business in the first place, so I'm not sure... Just relax. You can say whatever's on your mind. You don't have to think too hard about it. Let's see... This time around, I had you join Tsubasa for her voice training. How was it? Did it make you feel like you'd enjoy being a professional singer? To be honest... I'd prefer to support others than actually become a singer. Support? I want to help Tsubasa out. I'd like to see her become an idol and sing in front of an audience, rather than end up one myself. I'm sorry I'm so directionless right now. Huh? It would've been best if you had a preference...but if you don't, there are always other ways to handle it. Uh, Ms. Maiko? It kind of sounds as though you've already decided what I'll be doing... I guess you could say it just came to me. We don't have the luxury of letting our talent just sit around, so... I'll just train you in everything! E-Everything...!? Th-That's crazy! You're asking the impossible! To do the impossible, sometimes you have to get a little crazy! Oooh...now how am I going to market you...? ... Wait, me!? With this many teenagers around the place, I'm sure everyone's got their own problems to deal with. So I'd like you to be there for everyone if they need it. You could call it...emotional maintenance.That's right, Itsuki, you're the in-house therapist. Strap in, motherfucker. Uh-huh... I think you'd be pretty good at this kind of thing, Itsuki. Just look at all you've done for others already! Plus, helping those in the industry through their problems is bound to be a good learning experience for you! So I want you to do your best, Itsuki! Let's climb these steps to stardom together!
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Mar 13, 2017 20:38
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You can relearn it a few different ways. Sometimes it'll show up again on different weapons, but if not there's a way to refresh a given weapon's skills.
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Mar 14, 2017 21:06
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| # ¿ May 22, 2024 14:44 |
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I've had some personal stuff crop up and I don't want to start updating again until things are in the clear.
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Mar 27, 2017 20:31
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