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Jack-Off Lantern
Mar 2, 2012

I'm disappointed in the TYH Edition Bag. My cat must be way bigger than the cats they designed the bag around, he barely fits

Chiming in to say I like the FemMCs design way more. She's much more upbeat and happy as well

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Worldwalker_Pure
Feb 27, 2015


MythosDragon posted:

drat, Someone told me I could name the team. Now I have to decide between using a semicanon name or using my go to game name that is in no way whatsoever actually a name.

You actually can name the team, it's just solely used for the online Thieves Guild stuff.

Also I am really excited for this LP - I never did manage to finish the FES version so after a certain point everything's going to be completely new to me.

MythosDragon
Jan 3, 2016

Jack-Off Lantern posted:

I'm disappointed in the TYH Edition Bag. My cat must be way bigger than the cats they designed the bag around, he barely fits

Chiming in to say I like the FemMCs design way more. She's much more upbeat and happy as well

My buddy and I spent all of yesterday obsessing over the actual box instead of playing it.

Lotus Aura
Aug 16, 2009

KNEEL BEFORE THE WICKED KING!
A New Morning



So while who-knows-what is happening, after Makoto collapsed he found himself back in a strange corridor(?) leading to a blue door...

The Poem For Everyone's Soul



You became unconscious after awakening to your "power."
...It's nothing to worry about, though.
So, just relax.
By the way...



That power is called a Persona... It is a manifestation of your psyche.
I don't understand.
It may take some time to fully comprehend.





Considering that IS literally what the word means, and how it is used in psychology, that's a pretty good way to think about it.

That being said, your power is still weak...
Whaddya mean 'weak'?
When you use your Persona ability, you must channel your inner strength.



Only took 3 updates, but we finally got told about the real main gameplay mechanic. Social Links are going to come up a lot - A LOT - in the future after all...

The stronger your Social Links, the more powerful your Persona ability.
Please remember that.
Now, then...
Time marches on in your world.
I shouldn't keep you here any longer.
Next time we meet, you will come here of your own accord.
Until then...
Farewell.

Silence



> You wonder how long you've been asleep.

> You feel someone's presence beside you.

Tranquility



Um, how do you feel?
Where am I...?
Thank goodness. You finally came to...



It's been a little over a week, even! It was the 9th and now it's the 17th, jeez.

...I was so worried about you...



The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with you. He said you were just exhausted...
But, you kept sleeping and sleeping. You know how worried I was?
Um...
I'm sorry I couldn't do anything...
Even though I was supposed to protect you, I...
But, your power... It was amazing.
What were those things?



They're what we're fighting against.



We'll explain everything later. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before...
I, uh...
I wanted to tell you that...
I'm sorta like you.
Why're you telling me this?



I didn't think we were already at the "here's my tragic backstory!" level in our relationship...

And my mom and I aren't exactly on good terms...
You're all alone too, right?
To be honest, I already know about your past...
But, it didn't seem fair, so I wanted you to know about mine...



There was a big explosion in the area.
Supposedly, my dad died in the blast, but nobody really knows what happened...



So, I'm hoping that if I stick around long enough, I'll find out something.
That's why I'm going to Gekkoukan High, and why I was there when this happened to you.



I'm sorry... You wouldn't have to go through all this if I wasn't such a coward...
It's not your fault.
Thanks... but still...
And here I am telling you all this the minute you wake up.
While I was waiting, I thought to myself,



So, thanks for listening. I've been wanting to share that story with someone for a long time.
...Alright, I'm gonna get going.



Take it easy, okay? Be a good patient!
And don't hesitate to call the nurse.
I'm sure she'll take good care of you.
...Bye.

End



Well, that was a productive day. Let's see what new things we have in store now.

Want To Be Close / Time



drat, Makoto was asleep in a hopsital bed for 8 days and is already up and right back to school. That's pretty impressive for so many reasons.

Yeah, I'm alright.
That's good.
Hey, sorry to hit you with this first thing in the morning...
...but Ikutsuki-san wants to talk to you today.



It's really kind of a shame how it seems like we should be getting free reign any day now, but we're still actually in the introduction sequence technically.

...I told you it was pretty long!




And that wraps it up for the Stone Age. *sigh*... I'm tired of lessons about stones.
I'd rather talk about the Sengoku era! Japanese history's not that exciting until then.
Though I'm paid to do this, so I've gotta... It's tough being an adult.
Next is... the Jomon period? When do the samurai get their day in the sun!?
I'll just ask a question at random and call it a day. Hmm... hey, Junpei!



Uhh... How am I supposed to know about something way back then?
(Quick, Makoto! What the heck is he talking about!?)
(Mud huts.)



...It's no use. I can't get interested.
Ugh... I wanna get to the age of katanas. Everything else is so dull...
(Hey...! I answered right, and I don't get any credit?)
(Tch... Oh well. Thanks, Makoto.)



Oh, I forgot to mention it before but each correct answer is worth 2 points of Charm. Likewise, staying awake when we get that opportunity is worth 2 points of Academics. It's pretty unfairly balanced against Academics, yeah.



> You decided to go home early.

When The Moon's Reaching Out Stars / Way of Life



Well, hey, it's a little later than before but at least Makoto gets to take a random detour through Paulownia Mall now.



Not sure why, since he's alone. Probably just getting used to where everything is or whatever.


Iwatodai Dorm



Unlike what you'd expect, we aren't thrown straight to the fourth floor.



There's no one here to talk to, so we can just watch the news instead.


The attraction will continue in operation until May 5th.



...Ahh, there seems to have just been an earthquake.

I repeat, there has just been an earthquake. We have no further information at this time, but we urge our viewers to be watchful for tsunamis.

I repeat: there has just been an earthquake. We have no further information at this time. Please continue checking the weather warnings for possible tsunami updates.



I think we can take a bit of a detour while en route to the fourth. Just gonna grab a drink while we can.



There's some... memorable soda also available but this'll do for now. Gotta get some of that caffeine!




The Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad

This Mysterious Feeling



I'm glad that you're okay.
The reason I asked you here is because I needed to talk to you.
Please, have a seat.
Oh, before that.





Okay, let me start off by asking you this...



No.
Do you remember the night you came here?
You had to have noticed the signs...



Didn't it feel like you were in a different time...?



I don't get it.
I know how you feel. Who would believe such a story?
But, the Dark Hour occurs each night, right at midnight.
It'll happen tonight, and every night to come.



But, that's not what makes the Dark Hour so interesting.
...You saw those creatures.
We call them "Shadows."



It's our job to defeat them. ...Sounds exciting, huh?



You just got hurt the other day!
Now, now. He does his work well.
Long story short,





How on Earth is an Execution Squad a school cl-- actually, y'know what? This doesn't really matter that much. Just gonna go with it.

Mitsuru is the leader. I'm the club advisor.



They're responsible for most of the incidents on the news, if not all of them.
How do you fight them?



Some may even awaken to a power that enables them to fight the Shadows.



The Shadows can only be defeated by Persona-users.
Which means, it's all up to you guys.
So...?



We've prepared an Evoker for you. We'd like you to lend us your strength.
Alright.
*sigh* I was afraid you'd say no...
Welcome aboard!
Thank you so much. I'm really glad.
Oh, I almost forgot... About your room assignment...



I don't know what the holdup is, but I guess it worked out in the end. *chuckle*
Holdup? But, wasn't that--
Oh, never mind...
It doesn't matter anymore...

The Power of the Heart



> A mysterious voice rings in your head...



Along with a non-specific mysterious voice, this card kind of appears..





The Fool is our first Social Link, is represented by the SEES group as a whole and is Makoto's primary Arcana. Orpheus' Arcana is The Fool after all.

> You feel your inner strength growing...

> You recall what Igor said about the power of Social Links.

Strange Child

The Voice Someone Calls





And you are...?
We've met before.
Soon, the end will come.
I remembered, so I thought I should tell you.
I don't care.
Really? ...If you say so.



Then why mention it at all...?

Oh, looks like you've awakened to your power...
...and an unusual power it is.
A power that takes many forms, yet is bound by none...
It may prove to be your salvation, depending on where you end up.
Do you remember when we first met



I'll be watching you, even if you forget about me...
Okay then, see you later.



Well, that was a scene alright. Not sure why it happened but hey. It's... nice to know, I guess.

A New Housemate



Iwatodai Dorm





Can you come down here?



There's someone I want to introduce.
...Hey, hurry up.



Hey, I know that voice!

Silence



Wait, don't tell me--



Afternoon Break

*chuckle* Wazzup?
He's staying HERE!? You've gotta be kidding me!
I bumped into him the other night.
He has the potential, but he just awakened to it recently...
I told him about us, and he agreed to help.
You have the potential!? For real!?



I don't remember much, but... man, that's embarrassing!
He said that's, ya know, completely normal... in the beginning.
Like, bein' confused and not remembering anything. Did ya guys know that?
Didn't happen to me.

I don't have that problem, goodbye!

Big deal.
It happens to everyone else.



I had no idea.
I'm glad I'm not the only one. It could get kinda lonely, ya know.



Huh?
Uh, y-yeah...
Well, enough with the introductions.
I think we're about ready...
Ooh, we're gonna go do somethin'?
Sweetness!





Tartarus...? What's that? ...Sounds like toothpaste.
We believe we can find the reason for the Dark Hour there.
I hope so...
The Chairman will give us the details tomorrow night, so be ready.

End



Alright, so, we at least have some idea of what we're going to get done today. That's nice, at least.

Want To Be Close / Time



Listening: Yeah, me too. The only thing you can do is to sleep through first period.
Listening: Wait... tomorrow is when we have morning assembly!
Gossiping: Ughhh... I'm too lazy for that. I'll just pretend I didn't hear...

> The first bell has rung.





The only thing worthwhile about this scene is how Mitsuru casually walks into our class. And immediately gets a ton of attention. In part because she's an older student and in part because she's Mitsuru.



Come to the lounge when you get back to the dorm. I have something to tell everyone.
Oh, are we having that talk?
I'll save the details for later. See you there.



She's probably busy with things like Student Council, unlike us.
Whoa, Yuka-tan! Do I sense some hostility?
Well, it's not that I don't like her... She's just...



> You decided to go home early with Junpei.

When The Moon's Reaching Out Stars / Way of Life



We've already seen this area, so this is probably a good sign.



If it's run out of new areas to deal with, then we must be nearly done with the opening segment at last.

> You walked home with Junpei, talking and laughing at each other's inappropriate jokes...

This time, we ARE thrown right onto the fourth floor of the dorm.

Tartarus

This Mysterious Feeling



I'd like your undivided attention.
For a long time, Mitsuru and Akihiko were the only Persona-users we had.
But, that number recently jumped to five.
Therefore...



Sorry... I asked this yesterday, but what's this Tartarus thing again?
You haven't seen it, Junpei?
Hm...?
It's no surprise...



The Dark Hour...?
Just like the Shadows... Interesting, huh?
And it's the perfect place for us to train.



Well then, I can absolutely get right behind this.

Whoa... Their nest, huh...?
But, Senpai... what about your injury?



...Yeah, I know.
Well, I'm sure he won't complain, as long as you don't go too far in.





I'm not so sure about this...
What about you, Mr. Chairman?
I'll stay here.



So, let's go see where Tartarus actually is shall we?



Why HERE?
Just wait a few minutes...
It's almost midnight.

Silence



And back to the anime-zone we go...



As the clock hits 12 exact again, we enter the Dark Hour as expected.



And as we do, Gekkoukan High School begins to shift and change...





It rapidly grows and makes a horrific mechanical creaking noise.












The Voice Someone Calls



Labyrinth...?
What are you talking about!?
What happened to our school!?



This is the "nest" you were talking about!?
But, why!? Why'd our school turn into a giant tower!?
......
You don't know, either?



I'm sure it's complicated.
Who cares anyway? It's not like it would change our minds about fighting.
Well, maybe now we'll find out.
Mitsuru and I have only gone in to take a peek; this will be our first time exploring it.
Exciting, isn't it?



Akihiko. I respect your enthusiasm, but you won't be accompanying us today.
I know... You don't have to remind me.





But, it sure is creepy...



First, we'll have you three get a feel for this place.
Why don't you go have a look around?



We're not asking you to go very far, and I'll be feeding you information from here.
So, you two didn't plan on coming in the first place?
That's right.



For real?
...One of us?





I like how you can tell exactly who Akihiko is talking to purely by where he's facing.

W-Wait! Why him!? He doesn't look like a leader!
But, he HAS fought them before...
Seriously?
That's true, but there's another reason.
You two...



I wouldn't necessarily say "without difficulty," considering how long he hesitated originally.

Y-Yeah, of course I can!
I think so.



I'm aware of that.





As Makoto heads towards the door leading to the Velvet Room, everyone watches him confused...



The Poem For Everyone's Soul



The time has come for you to wield your power.
The tower that you are about to venture into...
How did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist?



That is why you must be made aware of the nature of your power.
The nature of my power...?
Your power is unique.





...That's not unique at all! Everyone in both Persona 1 and 2 could do that as well.

But no one played them (they should!) so I guess they don't count.


And when you have defeated your enemies, you will see the faces of possibility before you.



Your power will grow accordingly... Be sure to keep that in mind.
My spare time will soon be scarce.
But, please come again of your own accord.



Until then... Farewell.

The Voice Someone Calls



Yeah, what's up? You look like a zombie.
Nothing.
Don't tell me you just dozed off!



Come on, man. You're s'posed to be our leader.
Cut him some slack. If nothing's wrong, then let's get going.

End



Now we have actual, proper control. We have party members and everything!

But first, we gotta see what everyone has to say. That just feels like the natural thing to do here.






You'll be just fine.



I use it to transport delicate equipment necessary for gathering information.



I'll prove that I should be in charge.



Alright, so! There's a lot of things that are awkward as hell to do in this game for whatever reason. Checking characters stats requires you to talk to them and pick that option. Changing their equipment can also only be done this way when inside Tartarus proper. It is a pain in the rear end, yes.



Aside from Makoto, everyone here has a specific strength that won't be immediately obvious on account of being level 1.



We'll see Junpei and Yukari's Personae later, so don't worry about that.



Y'know, it's really weird that bows have such terrible accuracy. I dunno, that they have a 12% chance to miss is just strange considering Yukari is in the archery club and all.



Anyway, let's head on in to Tartarus now.




tartarus_0d01
no thats not a weird metadata screwup or anything that is literally its name



I hope I don't get lost...



Whoa! Is that you, Senpai?
I'll be providing audio backup from here on out.
Wait... Ya mean, you can see inside here?



I'd like to join you, but the structure of Tartarus changes from day to day.

It's a semi-randomised dungeon layout, oh boy. That sounds like fuuuuun...

That's why outside support is imperative.
Well, THAT makes me feel a whole lot better...



They shouldn't be too tough, but proceed with caution.
Practice makes perfect.
Right!
Got it.
(Why is she always like that...?)



Yeah, let's. I'm just gonna interrupt Mitsuru at this point and get right to work. This is all tutorial stuff, so we'll just get it done as quickly as we can.



First, though, I'm grabbing this. Getting as much of this as we can as quickly as possible is going to be important for the early game, I reckon.



Because it's an SP restorative. Since Dia costs 3 SP and heals a bunch and all HP costs are proportional, SP is worth expontentially more than HP and it's harder to recover as a result.

So, just like every RPG ever.



After that, we've got a fight up ahead, oh boy.



But now we get to deal with timing nonsense as we try to not get ambushed. It's really easy though, so the only thing that potentially hampers it is my own incompetence with depth perception.


Mass Destruction / Wiping All Out



Every single fight here, all of them, starts with Mitsuru wanting to tutorialise you on combat. After we've already had a fight. I'll pass, thanks.



But now that Orpheus is level 2, we picked up Agi and can see how well this does.



On the one hand, it's actually a weakness. On the other hand, it's not quite a one-shot.



But it's fine though, because that knocked the Cowardly Maya down which is important.



Because it's the core combat mechanic this time around. Knock every enemy down, and everyone piles in making a comical dust cloud animation happen.



This deals Almighty damage to everything and is usually the most efficient way to deal with fights. Since doing an All-Out Attack is optional, you can choose to not do so if you don't want to.

There are times that's a better idea, even.


After The Battle



We don't get anywhere near as much EXP this time around, but that's fine. What's displayed here is only what Makoto gets as well so it's also potentially misleading.

tartarus_0d01



Our Tartarus excursion this time around is pretty limited, honestly. We can't explore beyond the first real floor and trying to do so has Mitsuru repeatedly tell us we're not allowed.



So we'll fight something else.


Mass Destruction / Wiping All Out



This time there are two Cowardly Maya!



Our tutorial this time is on the Press Turn analogue for this game. Knocking an enemy down by hitting its weakness (or getting a crit) gives that character another free turn. You can chain these by knocking down multiple enemies in a row BUT you do not get another for hitting an already Downed enemy.



Right now we don't have to worry about anything else other than "cast Agi, make dust cloud."



Oh, fun fact. The press turn symbols for Nocturne are in the game files here. That's either a holdover from building off the engine or the original intention was to use a straight Press Turn system instead.



This excursion through Tartarus is basically just "fight four Shadows!" which boils down to "have Makoto cast Agi on every Maya and then the other 2 contribute by boosting All-Out Attack damage."



It's a pattern that I can absolutely get behind, even if it is fairly SP intensive. We have more than enough, though.



Fight 3 introduces another new mechanic, and this one is semi-important but only in specific situations.


After The Battle



Since we don't fight normal demons and we can't negotiate with Shadows, we need some way to recruit new Personae with minimal hassle. Enter, Shuffle Time(!!) which lets you do just that among a few other things.



It's basically a shell-game of sorts, with rewards that scale based on your location in Tartarus, etc. etc.



You can get 5 things out of this, though a free Persona is usually the best option.


tartarus_0d01



It's mildly annoying but you don't even get told when people other than Makoto level up. They get a thing back here and then you have to talk to them to check their stats to see what changed. It's kind of a pain in the rear end.



Before we get to our next fight, Mitsuru tells you how to heal if you don't already know. Use an item, have a Persona that knows a Dia-line spell or just ask Yukari since she has it as a dialogue option.



After that, we get a fight against 4 Cowardly Maya and Mitsuru finally decides to tell us about All-Out Attacks.

Her tutorial for the 3rd fight was how to get 1 Mores. She's really bad at tutorials.



This one also proc'd a Shuffle Time so I took the opportunity to grab a free weapon. I was hoping for a bow, honestly. Well, not like it REALLY matters right now anyway.



The Imitation Katana is Junpei's default weapon and is considered a two-handed sword. Junpei can only use these things and Yukari can only use bows. In vanilla and FES, Makoto can use almost everything. In Portable, he can only use one-handed swords like the Rapier and Kotone can only use naginata.



Now that we've beaten every Shadow on the floor, Mitsuru tutorialises us about a mechanic I will never use again.



Press square and you can split the party and have everyone run around randomly to collect treasure, find stairs, whatever. But they will more often than not run face first into enemy Shadows. And require you to bail them out. Or they will get promptly trashed and drop.



But this is a tutorial where it's required, so whatever. Junpei can find a thing, then we'll reconvene by using that menu again and use that green thing to leave.



If we didn't group back up before leaving, we wouldn't actually get the item that Junpei found. It's a really dumb mechanic, yes.



...Y'know, I coulda swore this was just a Medicine but I guess not.


The Voice Someone Calls





So, how was it?
No problem.
I see. Well if you gained confidence, that's the best thing you could have achieved.
Wow... I never knew I had that kind of power!
We kicked some rear end!
But drat, I'm beat...



You look pretty tired yourself, Yuka-tan.
I'm still trying to catch my breath, actually...



Don't worry, though, you'll adapt.

This IS an actual mechanic, but it doesn't get a chance to come up here so we'll worry about this later.

But, I'm surprised... You all did much better than I expected.
At this rate, they'll catch up to you in no time,
Heh, we'll see about that.



> A mysterious voice rings in your head...



Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to make a Persona of the Fool Arcana...



> Your power to create Personas of the Fool Arcana has grown!

Well, that was nice and easy at least. We'll worry about what that means a little bit down the line though.



We have to bug everyone again to see what they have to say now!


Tch! If only I hadn't gotten injured...



I'll explain the details some other time.
Tres bien! You did well today. Now, let's head back to the dorm.



I'm starving...



Let's go back...



There's nothing else we can do in Tartarus right now, so I'm fine with leaving. We'll save Velvet Room stuff for later, and all. This also causes the day to end; there's no time limit when you're in here. Well, not an actual one.



But before we turn in, we should consider an important question...

:siren: What is the best sport: Kendo, Swimming or Track? :siren:
Answers on a postcard to win!

Lotus Aura fucked around with this message at 00:27 on Apr 8, 2018

Blueberry Pancakes
Aug 18, 2012

Jack in!! MegaMan, Execute!
I'm glad you asked that question about the Execution Squad, because that's been bothering me for the longest time.

And I think you mixed up some screenshots around the end of the Velvet Room entry.

Kendo.

Blueberry Pancakes fucked around with this message at 19:46 on Apr 5, 2017

Kaboom Dragoon
May 7, 2010

The greatest of feasts

We're a natural at running around with with a sword, so obviously we're a big fan of kendo.

Hobgoblin2099 posted:

I'm glad you asked that question about the Execution Squad, because that's been bothering me for the longest time.

I just chalked it up to 'anime high-school weirdness' since according to anime, you can set up literally any kind of club if you can convince enough people to join and gain the favour of the all-powerful student council. And since Mitsiru's is the senate student council...

serefin99
Apr 15, 2016

Mikoooon~
Your lovely shrine maiden fox wife, Tamamo no Mae, is here to help!

Obviously kendo. Or fencing. Basically any sport where you hit people with swords.

Araxxor
Oct 20, 2012

My disdain for you all knows no bounds.
Kendo.

Gwen
Aug 17, 2011

Kendo all the way.

StandardVC10
Feb 6, 2007

This avatar now 50% more dark mode compliant
The other thing about those early "walking home from school" cutscenes is that eventually we'll meet a bunch of the NPCs in the background, they're not just the generic ones you'll usually get in those places.

Aeromancia
Jul 23, 2013
Kendo

Alpha3KV
Mar 30, 2011

Quex Chest
Kendo

Note that the first expedition to Tartarus happens on 4/20, which causes a rather amusing coincidence when combined with old emulator issues:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC6SBjRXE_Q

Kaboom Dragoon
May 7, 2010

The greatest of feasts

Persona 3, but every time someone stops talking, they take a huge bong rip.

GoneRampant
Aug 19, 2016

by FactsAreUseless
Kendo.

To perhaps prove that I have too much times on my hands and care too much about this game, I actually have Words I can type up regarding the Arcana and party members as we meet them (Stuff like their Persona and some facts about it, their combat effectiveness and some Voice Actor trivia), provided Dragon doesn't mind. I'll try and keep them spoiler-free (This would mean that I'd do a write up on the Fool now).

EDIT: Perhaps I should have started with a proof of concept for what I'm referring to.

The Fool Arcana

The Fool in Tarot represents innocence, freedom, creativity and the idea of infinite possibilities. Igor describes the Fool well when he notes that it's like the number zero- both empty and full of infinite possibility at the same time, which is a big factor in its representation here. In normal decks of playing cards, the Fool corresponds with the Joker, being outside the primary suit cards and exists on its own level (Hence the Fool usually being the number 0 card). In Tarot, the Fool is associated with "The Fool's Journey"- wherein one goes through the entire Tarot deck in numerical order. This creates a story that represents the metaphorical journey of a character starting out as innocent before finding their general purpose in life while meeting all of life's challenges head-on.

Persona 3 marks the first time that the Fool Arcana would symbolize the Protagonists. The limitless potential of the Fool manifests in the Protagonist's ability to use Personas of all Arcana. As a Social Link, the Fool represents the Protagonist and their relation with SEES. The Fool is a special link in that it's a plot link- it will level up automatically as the story progresses, regardless of protag's choices. This is one of the few Links that will always max out by game's end. To that end, a lot of Max Social Links Run players tend to avoid using Fool personas- since having a Persona of an Arcana increases the points gained by that stat, you never need to carry a Fool Persona, which is a waste of a slot that could be used for another Arcana.

In terms of gameplay, the Fool is a Jack-Of-All-Trades Arcana. Most Personas of the Fool tend to have a wide array of skills at their disposal, and can inherit nearly any skill during Fusion (Something that'll be explained later). The Fool is also unique mechanically in that it has *two* Ultimate Personas, not one. We get the first one the same way as other Ultimates- max the Link out and you'll be allowed to do it. The other one, meanwhile, is your reward for maxing out every Social Link in the game.

GoneRampant fucked around with this message at 09:45 on Apr 6, 2017

Petiso
Apr 30, 2012



Dragonatrix posted:

Y'know, it's really weird that bows have such terrible accuracy. I dunno, that they have a 12% chance to miss is just strange considering Yukari is in the archery club and all.

Hitting a moving target is hard, even for professionals, moreso when you're in a battlefield surrounded by enemies. It's kinda balanced by the fact that missing with the bow doesn't make you fall down.

So I watched this movie called Dark City about the titular city whose inhabitants are put to sleep and their memories and the city itself are rearranged by certain creatures every midnight. The inspirations for Persona 3 are quite clear but what cemented it for me was the city reshaping animation, that FMV of the formation of Tartarus is very similar to that particular sequence in the movie.

hopeandjoy
Nov 28, 2014



Like any good anime protagonist who wields a sword and is in high school, we're in kendo.

Mzbundifund
Nov 5, 2011

I'm afraid so.
Does the physical world stop during the Dark Hour? If you happen to have your bathtub filling up at 11:59 will you un-coffin at 12:01 to see your entire bathroom flooded? Do drivers driving at midnight all crash as their vehicles careen out of control for an hour each night? Does the Dark Hour respect Daylight Savings time? These are the hard-hitting questions I hope our investigation team will answer while they're expressing their inner jotuns or whatever.

Kaboom Dragoon
May 7, 2010

The greatest of feasts

Daylight Savings isn't taken into account, but for your other main question, it's shown that, during the Midnight Hour, everything hits a standstill except the chosen few who can move during it. So transport (except for stuff like Mitsuru's bike, which is clearly modified up the yin-yang) freezes in whatever state it was in originally. I don't remember your bathtub question being a thing, but it's probably safe to assume the water would enter stasis during it as well. It's more like the moment between 12:00:00 and 12:00:01 becoming its own pocket dimension, rather than a whole minute where people turn into boxes.

ajkalan
Aug 17, 2011

Swimming, because it's healthy to have hobbies unrelated to your job.

Kemix
Dec 1, 2013

Because change
Just RNG it. Nobody -really- cares about sports clubs all three of them are annoying anyways

Jen X
Sep 29, 2014

To bring light to the darkness, whether that darkness be ignorance, injustice, apathy, or stagnation.

hopeandjoy posted:

Like any good anime protagonist who wields a sword and is in high school, we're in kendo.

Roobanguy
May 31, 2011

swimming to you can get hella ripped.

jimmydalad
Sep 26, 2013

My face when others are unable to appreciate the :kazooieass:

AGDQ 2018 Awful Block Survivor
What better way of practicing fighting shadows than joining the Kendo Club?

Tendronai
May 7, 2008

My worst nightmare. It's a dream I have. I'm in a square cell, glass walls, just me and a little castle.
Contrarian vote for Track so instead of being good at fighting you can be good at running away :v:

Blueberry Pancakes
Aug 18, 2012

Jack in!! MegaMan, Execute!

Mzbundifund posted:

Does the Dark Hour respect Daylight Savings time?

That would actually be something really interesting to see how they handled.

tithin
Nov 14, 2003


[Grandmaster Tactician]



Kemix posted:

Just RNG it. Nobody -really- cares about sports clubs all three of them are annoying anyways

Not an empty quote

BlazeEmblem
Jun 8, 2013

Uh oh. Do I use Ariadne thread or Goho-M?

Track, because it is the only one that fits with the character.

mauman
Jul 30, 2014

Whoever's got the biggest whiskers does the talking.

hopeandjoy posted:

Like any good anime protagonist who wields a sword and is in high school, we're in kendo.

Who the hell says we should stick with a sword?

Hammer 4 life.

StandardVC10
Feb 6, 2007

This avatar now 50% more dark mode compliant

Kaboom Dragoon posted:

Daylight Savings isn't taken into account, but for your other main question, it's shown that, during the Midnight Hour, everything hits a standstill except the chosen few who can move during it. So transport (except for stuff like Mitsuru's bike, which is clearly modified up the yin-yang) freezes in whatever state it was in originally. I don't remember your bathtub question being a thing, but it's probably safe to assume the water would enter stasis during it as well. It's more like the moment between 12:00:00 and 12:00:01 becoming its own pocket dimension, rather than a whole minute where people turn into boxes.

Also, the water turns to blood.

Kerning Chameleon
Apr 8, 2015

by Cyrano4747

BlazeEmblem posted:

Track, because it is the only one that fits with the character.

My vote and reasoning.

Also, P3 is full of hand-wavy stuff concerning details of the plot and setting. P4 and I assume P5 are better (at least they seem to me) at being internally consistent with their world-building and explaining certain things more satisfactorily, but a lot things that happen in this game you're expected to just accept and move on because the plot demands it. Like despite SEES clearly existing for like a year or something, they apparently only spent that time picking off stray Shadows in the streets before you show up. Or Junpei's introduction to your group being just "oh yeah, this guy Awakened offscreen and he's a party member now have fun", which be would A Big Deal in literally any other Persona game.

Item Getter
Dec 14, 2015

Mzbundifund posted:

Does the Dark Hour respect Daylight Savings time?

Daylight Saving Time actually is the Dark Hour.

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


Mzbundifund posted:

Does the physical world stop during the Dark Hour? If you happen to have your bathtub filling up at 11:59 will you un-coffin at 12:01 to see your entire bathroom flooded? Do drivers driving at midnight all crash as their vehicles careen out of control for an hour each night? Does the Dark Hour respect Daylight Savings time? These are the hard-hitting questions I hope our investigation team will answer while they're expressing their inner jotuns or whatever.

This actually gets addressed somewhat when we go through the dungeons.

Rogue 7
Oct 13, 2012

Hobgoblin2099 posted:

That would actually be something really interesting to see how they handled.

Japan doesn't actually use Daylight Savings Time, so I doubt the developers thought of it at all.

MythosDragon
Jan 3, 2016

I'm actually a big fan of the splitup mechanic, I abused it relentlessly when I played this. Also if it wasnt for the fact that you dont get all the characters at the start and my favorite characters are always the last ones to join or be focused on, The early game would always be my favorite, if I had it my way it'd be 2 or 3 times longer. I'd also ditch this wild card nonsense, and replace it with some kind of Mode-change mechanic, Physical/Magic/Support version of the protag's canon persona since he has to be unique. Freedom at the cost of a persona that can concivolve is not worth it.

Keeshhound
Jan 14, 2010

Mad Duck Swagger

MythosDragon posted:

I'd also ditch this wild card nonsense, and replace it with some kind of Mode-change mechanic, Physical/Magic/Support version of the protag's canon persona since he has to be unique. Freedom at the cost of a persona that can concivolve is not worth it.

But they're all your personae, that's the whole point. The protagonist isn't collecting entities and cramming them into his skull, they're all expressions of a facet of his personality.

Jack-Off Lantern
Mar 2, 2012

Also without changing weaknesses on at least one character, Persona 3 would be balls hard since you only have direct control over the MC.

Gwen
Aug 17, 2011

I'd rather they not cut down the Wild Card system to streamline the experience into modal play. That sounds like a bad idea. Building on Wild Card sounds like a better idea than junking it, considering I don't think anyone considers it broken or a serious problem. I haven't the foggiest memory whether or not they did this in P4 anything but the bosses, social links, and story are a complete blur to me

Gwen fucked around with this message at 17:30 on Apr 6, 2017

Commander Keene
Dec 21, 2016

Faster than the others



I always go with kendo, for the same reason Yukari's in the archery club. It's not like it matters, though.

Mzbundifund posted:

Does the physical world stop during the Dark Hour?
I'm pretty sure time is effectively stopped during the Dark Hour for anyone or anything that isn't specifically experiencing it.

Mzbundifund posted:

Do drivers driving at midnight all crash as their vehicles careen out of control for an hour each night?
No, Mitsuru having a motorcycle that moves during the Dark Hour is the exception, rather than the rule.

Mzbundifund posted:

Does the Dark Hour respect Daylight Savings time?
Japan doesn't do Daylight Savings Time, and we have no idea if the Dark Hour extends beyond the environs of Tatsumi Port Island.

Jen X
Sep 29, 2014

To bring light to the darkness, whether that darkness be ignorance, injustice, apathy, or stagnation.
The entire point of the smt franchise is to play pokemon with charmingly japan-ized mythological figures and creatures

what possible gain is there in losing that beyond maybe making the mc's initial persona visible in cutscenes

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MythosDragon
Jan 3, 2016

I have a hatred of any mechanic that can be termed as "Using Generics". It just rubs me the wrong way in everything, including pokemon even though I used to love it. Even my love of Mythology doesnt help alleviate it. I'm not even entirely sure why and when it started, though typing this caused me to think that trying to evenly level every single class in Disgaea 2 a decade ago seems like a likely cause. I really think the Modechange thing would be a good idea though, It still matches the wildcard concept pretty well of being all without a set form and gets by without compromising the ability to have it present in the story. P4 for example would be a stronger story if I didnt forget that Izanagi was a thing in it beyond the first few hours. But since you dislike the concept so much, how about just turning the canon persona into a fully functioning one like the party members so it can be relevant the entire game?

I'm most disappointed that no one is chuckling at the terrible "Concivolve".

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