|
|
| # ? Apr 28, 2024 21:27 |
|
|
The Middle of Middle and the End of End It’s kinda been a while, but we’re moving into the finale of the plot. The game itself, as a Harvest Moon derivative, will go on forever if I’m so inclined, and of course even after beating the game there’s still a wedding to get to.  Regular trips into Sharance Maze to get Breads + to get high level recipes. Fiersome actually cooperated and dropped a Weapon Bread+ for me. Last time I briefly touched on the fact that Sharance Maze can pull enemies from anywhere in the game. This includes set bosses, and the fourth Maze level pulls bosses from across this very game.  Case in point, the G. Golem (Greater Golem? Guardian Golem? Goulash-fueled Golem?), a boss from the final level of Rune Prana. This boss exists for one reason: to punish you if you spent the whole game hitting, slicing, chopping, and otherwise weaponing your way to victory. With the highest defense and highest crit resistance in the game (outside of monsters in later Maze levels with scaled up stats), trying to fight this thing to the death in melee is doable, but will take a very, very long time, while he beats on you pretty much identically to the Sechs Golem, spinning torso of doom, rocket punches. If you must beat it to death, certain rune abilities can pierce enemy defense, I’m aware at least that the fist skill Double Kick can. The easy way to handle it, obviously, is magic. It has no particular elemental resistances or weaknesses, just low enough magic defense to tear it apart. This fight is one of the primary reasons I like to make a Magic Scroll as quickly as possible. With it, my magic spells key off my physical attack power. For something like this fight, I like the homing properties of wind spells. Annoyingly, I missed picking up the third tier wind spell somewhere. Have to hunt it down. Sadly, I got cocky and got wrecked by the next boss. I’ll be back. My attempts at clearing out the request list are bearing fruit, by which I mean recipes. Leveling gold crops is tedious no matter how much formula you dump into them, but the end result of shipping a level 10 gold potato was the Gold Juice recipe. It’s made from one of each gold crop, including the golden Emery Flower, and has the highest base selling price of any crafted item in the game.  It’s also the preferred gift of a sad clone of an rear end in a top hat fire dragon.  This took an absurd number of tries, and then the game insultingly suggested naming it Fleck. Another request, requiring that I harvest one of every crop, landed me another recipe, for Union Stew. It doesn’t have the absurd requirements or rewards of Gold Juice.  It is however the taming item for Aquameleon.  A quadruple weakness to electricity? You are so set on disappointing us.  Is there a legal limit on how many dragons you can keep in one barn? (The answer is 4, the same as any other monster)  I will never claim to be good at or care for fishing in this game. It’s relaxing sometimes, but trying to get any one kind of fish is a pain. This one is both valuable and has a funny name.  Meanwhile, back in Rune Prana, where we’re still on the last level, I had to fight the giant apple tree Dead Tree again. More and larger apples, same old song and dance. This branch will make an excellent staff for Dolce later. Rune Prana level 7 is essentially a boss rush, consisting of six bosses, each separated by a few rooms of monsters. Most bosses on this level are repeats, but higher level very dangerous repeats. Just beating one boss is usually a good excuse to head back to town and see if the item it dropped (if any) can get you a new piece of gear. Later, after dicking around back in town a little, I progressed a few rooms further, to the next boss.  For some reason, the developers decided that two Greater Daemons would be worse than one really strong one. They were mistaken. The Chimera also made a return, but with so little impact that I didn’t even grab a screenshot of it.  Looking at the map so far, you can see the pattern developing. Technically, this map zigzags, you go left, then right, and back again until you reach the top. After each boss, you reach a room down the center column with a barrier blocking the southern exit and a lever to open that barrier, allowing easy returns without charging through every boss again.  The G. Golem in its natural environment. This one is technically weaker than the one I fought in Sharance Mazze, being 20 level lower. The strategy is unchanged.  If only this game had friendly fire…  The short return of the physical absorbing monsters from that one section of Maya Road.  The most interesting boss fight (before the final boss), the elemental fairy quartet. Marin, Olive, Emerald, and Rouge. They’re larger than average fairies, with dangerously strong elemental spells, and each absorbs her own element. The solution, naturally, is punching them all really hard, as they have the defense of a wet paper bag.  In retrospect, I wish I had done this bit in Art’s normal sprite instead of being Barrett. So, after such a long, long dungeon, what could possibly be at the end of it? Well, Venti, right? That was kind of the point of this whole mess. Enter Forest of Beginnings in form of Rune Prana, find Ventuswill, play God, happy end. So Venti has to be in here. Well, yeah. But there’s this other guy…  Ethelberd. You’ve been tanning I see. Or rather, as he’s now called, Ragnarok. I don’t care for this boss fight. It’s the first Ethelberd fight again with more projectiles, and he sometimes shapeshifts into dragon form to perform special attacks. And he doesn’t talk. Why would I want to fight Ethelberd again if not to hear him go on crazy diatribes about how the Earthmates are controlling him with radio signals sent to the receiver the native dragons installed in his brain when they abducted him back in ’77? That complaint made, it is a good interesting fight.  And his room filling kill you instantly ball makes a comeback.  But Ragnarok’s main gimmick is teleporting around the room while orbs of magic follow his path, usually hitting you while you chase him around.  And I lied before, I actually do think the shapeshifting is pretty cool. He can turn into any dragon to perform one of their attacks, such as Terrable’s meteors here.  Sometimes, if you want to upset the natural balance of life and death, you have to beat an old man to death, then find him in the afterlife and beat him to death again. Cue farming this rear end in a top hat constantly for the materials for endgame gear. His reappearance in Sharance Maze has a higher drop rate, according to rumor, but if you can reliably farm level 500 Ragnarok, you might not need better gear. Except for level 1000 Ragnarok, I guess. But enough whining! It’s time for our big payoff for slogging through this hellhole (Heavenhole? Heavenhellole?)      Venti, if this game has established anything, it’s that your friends don’t give a rat’s rear end about what you want compared to what would make them feel better.  ... ...Is that really how you feel? ... You'll no longer have to suffer. I have a Rune Sphere here. Many people were involved in making this, hoping to save you. So— NO! Why...?  It's something that the past Earthmates had spent decades mastering! ...Your body won't be able to handle it. ... ...I...Another issue I have with the ending. This would have been a great moment to repeat the events from the end of Act 2, having everybody in town work together to help save Ventuswill, using the power of the Rune Spheres to help Art take on the strain of handling Ventuswill’s runes. Sort of a good version of what Ethelberd was using them for. Ah well.  You know, Venti... And the desire has been growing exponentially with every passing day. I don't care what we talk about. I don't care if it's something serious or something silly... I just want to talk. There are so many things... So very many things... ...that I've never told you. And I'm not the only one. Everyone in town misses you. They want to see you, and talk to you. ...! And what about you, Venti? Don't you miss the town of Selphia? Don't you want to live there again, alongside all your friends? OF COURSE I DO!! ...If I can...  Said it before, say it again, Venti is best waifu. In that case... I'll save you, Venti. I have the power to save you now. ...and all the past Earthmates. The hopes of everyone in Selphia... ...and yours as well. They're all within me.That's why...   ...because it's all important to me, too. ...and me... That's our hope. A miracle that was born... ...from all the collected willpower of generations!       Huh. Well, that’s actually a touching and meaningful conclusion. Despite the collected magical power of generations of Earthmates and the desires of the whole town, the natural order of things can’t be overcome. We must grieve for our dead and move on, rather than pin our hopes on crazy necromantic rituals.  Art and the rest of the town will be sad, sure, but they already grieved for Venti once.  They lost a friend, and failing to bring her back will feel like losing her all over again, but I’m sure in time they’ll come together as a community and overcome their…  Oh, hi Venti. When did you get here?    Well, I mean, I did slaughter countless hundreds of dragons so I could steal their scales.       And that’s Act 3. As you can tell, I have issues with the ending. It just ties up too damned neatly, and leaves open the question of what these assholes are going to do the next time Venti dies. The people of Selphia have a serious problem accepting death. Is it just Ventuswill? Are they all going to freak out and turn to necromancy when Blossom dies peacefully in her sleep, or Porcoline has a heart attack, or Art suffocates in a freak autoerotic asphyxiation accident? Where does it end? At the same time though, it’s nice to see Venti come back and acknowledge the villagers and their desire to bring her back. I just think it could have been done so much better. And loving Ragnarok man. gently caress loving Ragnarok. NEXT TIME: It’s all over but the crying. Both because there’s a wedding sometime in the future (Dolce has been most uncooperative, almost as though she disapproves of my harem or something) and because I’m going to do some more Sharance Maze delving. ONE LAST POLL: Okay, I know we already had a poll way back about dating girls, and the final decision was for Dolce, and then I kinda cheated by… well, cheating on her with everybody. This one is for all the marbles. The big one. The big question. Who the hell am I marrying? YOU DECIDE!
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2017 08:34
|
|
|
"Don't tell me you forgot my face after all this time" was repeated.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2017 03:48
|
|
|
This fell into the archives? Oh well, at least it is back now. I vote for Forte, on the off chance that Dolce doesn't win this redo of the vote.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2017 04:32
|
|
|
Great for this LP to return. But don't you loving go back on marrying Dolce and her spirit baggage, I guess.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2017 17:28
|
|
|
Glad to see this is finishing up And yeah this entire act is just weird. Let the dragon die finally please
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2017 19:47
|
|
|
I don't care if the game doesn't let you, you're going to marry that dragon, mister 
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2017 23:53
|
|
|
Time to marry Dolly
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2017 14:41
|
|
|
Glad to see this wasn't abandoned. You are missing many of the later updates from the original thread in the table of contents though. Here, since I'm looking at them anyway: Part 59: I Am Dragon Slayer, Catcher of Large Fish, and Pineapple Farmer! Part 60: The Very Last Sechs Jokes, I Promise Part 61: A Promise Between Friends Part 62: Once There Was a God in This Town Interlude: Let's Talk About Ethelberd Part 63: I Wish I Had a Cardboard Box Part 64: Art's Romantic Pursuits: The Dragon Knight of Selphia Act 3 Part 65: Everybody Ignores Art Week Part 66: OMNI-GATE REJECT! Part 67: Porcoline's Cantina Part 68 (untitled) Part 69: The Will of My Ancestors And yeah, Dolce I guess.
|
|
#
?
Oct 18, 2017 02:40
|
|
|
It's alive!  Voting Forte because why not.
|
|
#
?
Oct 18, 2017 04:55
|
|
|
The Table of Contents is now fixed, many thanks to ThornBrain for hunting down the ones I was missing.
|
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2017 04:37
|
|
|
This World Has a New Order Now, It Has a New God! I beat the game! I saved Ventuswill, beat the hell out of whatever was left of Ethelberd, and triumphed over death itself! I AM A GOD!  I am a god with minor HP regeneration! … What the hell do I do now?  Well, everybody’s happy that I kicked the natural cycle of birth, death, and rebirth in the dick and told it to gently caress off. gently caress if I’m going through all that again when Blossom or somebody kicks it though… maybe for Volkanon. Gods need good butlers. We also need to get rid of annoying things. What started those two arguing this time? Doug said that he thought working at the restaurant would be easy and relaxing. But then Dylas heard that. Then the two began to argue about who has the busier store. Seriously? Yes. Just being in the presence of one another is enough to start a fight. I wonder if there's any way we could help them get along better. That...would be very difficult, I think. Hmm... How about this? Actually doing each other's job will help them better understand how difficult they are. I dub it the "Dude, He's Awesome!" Plan! Ah. That does sound like a good idea. Let's do it! But... But what? Do you really think they'd do it for us if we asked? Good question. Hmm...I know! Let's have Blossom and Porcoline ask them. That should do the trick! Oh, that is a good idea!Well, there’s one amusing distraction. Vishnal is as sick of Doug and Dylas arguing all the time as I am and has a cunning plan to make them respect each other. Let’s see where you’re going with this Baldrick. But a god such as I needs many distractions. And sometimes I need to prove my superiority over these mere mortals that surround me.  So I enter amusing little contests. There’s no real challenge of course, you know how that old song and dance goes…       Let’s see, what else do I need as the new god of this world? … Bigger harem. And by sheer coincidence… I just happened to get a different response when asking the same question I’ve asked day… after day… after day. Xiao Pai? ...Yeah. Um, are you listening?...Yeah.Can I borrow twenty bucks? So, uh...how about it? Huh? About you and me...going out together. Oh. ... WHAT?! WAH! You and m-m-ME? Dating?! Yeah. WHY?! Because I like you. Who does? I do. Wha? W-wait...wait just a minute. Th-this isn't a dream? Is this really... Serious? Wait... You don't want to...? No wait, it's just-- C-can I tell you tomorrow? Huh? I want to give you a proper answer. After...after I calm down and think a bit.   Okay, that might be the best response to a dating request. So, Art’s officially dating every eligible girl in town simultaneously. Appropriate for a god of his stature.  The downside, naturally, is that stringing along this many girls is going to make it really loving hard to get one of them to accept a marriage proposal. Dolce and Forte currently lead the running in the polls. Plus the one guy who I guess will have to be satisfied if I grind Venti up to 100 hearts to get her special scene. And that’s a shitload of work even once I have love potions coming out of my ears. Huh, actually I think this is the first time I’ve ever gotten all six girls dating me without making any love potions. I feel accomplished.  Meanwhile, Blossom is all for Vishnal’s evil plan.  As long as Dylas is willing to work in Doug's place, I'm okay with it. It will do those two boys good. Thank you! Now, let's see how this will all turn out. Porky is also on board.  That sounds like an interesting idea. All right, I'll help you! Leave Dylas to moi. I'll tell him what he is to do. Thank you. Both boys are still young. The experience will do them some good.  Sadly, it ended in explosions. Everything ends in explosions when you’re a god, it’s in the rules. Or, y’know, I have the last level of Rune Prana on farm now. Believe whichever makes you happier.  Managed to snag a shot of Ragnarok in his Aquaticus from this time.  He drops… a portrait of himself. It’s not very useful for upgrading, and I think there might be one item, maybe, that requires it. His other drop is much, much more rare.  Holy poo poo, Dolly’s gone homicidal! Ectocidal? Exorcistal? If Pico start’s projectile vomiting I’m loving out of here. Gods don’t need to put up with that poo poo.  Oddly enough, that’s just a random scene that goes nowhere. Which kinda makes it even creepier. So, how is the “Dude, He’s Awesome” plan working out?   No poo poo, he’s working retail at a general store in a town with maybe twenty people in it. This is not a difficult job.  Of course he’s still learning where stuff goes, it’s his first day on the job. Be careful, now. That one is very fragile. R-right. ... Oh, and could you shift those from the bottom shelf to the top, please? They're kind of heavy. You got it? These, right? Yeah, it's fine. Hup! Phew... ... ...There's more to do here than I thought. And Doug always does this? ... Maybe I said stuff I shouldn't have.Oh wow, he does a job that involves occasional heavy lifting, his life is so hard! Dylas, could you get this, next? Sure.Meanwhile, at the restaurant, Art continues honing his keen eavesdropping skills.   Oh wow, he’s a waiter/busboy/kitchen bitch for a small two table restaurant, that’s such a hard job! Doug, would you wash these plates please? Sure thing. Oh, and get those too, would you? R-right. Once those are done, please peel this basket of potatoes.Okay, potato peeling is bullshit, but you’re still not impressing on me how hard this job is. That one over there? No, the very full one over here. ...Okay. ... ...Phew. This is harder than I thought. And Dylas does this every day? ... Maybe I was a little harsh on him.Yeah, you both bitch too much about your lovely jobs.  Doug! Did you wipe down this table, like I asked you to?There are only two tables, and on average they get used once a day each. You’re just making busy work for him at this point Meg, let him finish the drat potatoes Porcoline needed peeled. Oops! Sorry, I'll get it right now. Looks like he's taking it seriously.The moral of the story, of course, is that while Doug and Dylas are gaining respect for each other, I’m losing respect for both of them.  Insert your favorite spaghetti western soundtrack here. I’m partial to A Fistful of Dollars. ... ... Uh-oh! Doug and Dylas are glaring at each other! I hope they won't fight...! ...Look. What. See, uh... ... I... I, uh... I'm sorry. ...! ...! ... It's okay, I guess. I mean, I, uh...I was a little-- You "guess"? I just apologized to you, horse- face! So what's with that attitude?! Attitude...? Me? You were the one who couldn't be polite enough to wait for me to finish my sentence, pebble-brain! Who wants to hear you talk, nag! *SIGH* I guess no matter what we did, they still wouldn't suddenly be friends overnight. Still... Anyway, I've got lunch waiting for me. So outta my way! Whatever. Get lost, shrimp.... ...Later. ...?! ... ...Y-yeah. Later. ... ...? They're getting along better?NOW KITH!  Also, another trip into the maze rewarded me with the recipe for Levelizer. As the name suggests, anybody who drinks a Levelizer levels up. It beats the hell out of experience grinding when you’re this high level. Meanwhile, Arthur lost his glasses. Not the ones he wears so he can see, one of his decorative pairs.  And everybody around has offered to help search. How hard could something like this be for a god?  Oh me drat it.  I am not afraid to commit deicide!          Eventually, Art decided to look upstairs. And stopped making puns.  That might be nice, but I also might kill him.  I don’t think so Kiel.        Yay.   I'm so glad you found them. I, um, noticed you have a whole lot of glasses. What do you do with them? Aah, that. There's a market for them in the wider world, you see. Really? Yes. Though I must admit, about half of them are my personal collection. That many? Have you ever wanted to collect something you are fond of? Many people do. Some collect money. Some collect gems. In my case, I collect glasses. Oh. Do you think it strange? Huh? Well, um... I didn't intend to collect them at first. I just looked up one day and realized I'd begun. But now I find them so adorable it's hard for me to resist. Aaaah. One glasses, two glasses, red glasses, blue glasses... You DO think it strange. Uhh... You are a very kind person, Art. I like people like you. Huh...? Now then, please accept this as a small token of my thanks for your help. I would love it if you could stop by more often. Not to help, but just to visit. I will even make some tea. Well then, I must be going. See you later.I’m not actually sure what the reward for that amusing distraction was. Whatever it was, it was meaningless compared to the adventure of… cleaning Arthur’s room for him. Let us end this update with my godly skills.       I don’t think I was aware, or else I forgot, that weapons can go over 100. Crafting skills are limited to 99, and I believe everything else is as well.
|
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2017 05:47
|
|
|
I'd hoped to have the next update posted before I went on vacation, that's apparently not happening. I wouldn't feel like such a lazy poo poo if I hadn't just realized that Thornbrain has already finished his LP of the game, and he had to actually edit video and get commentary, mine is just screenshots and written banter. But that's enough lamenting on my inadequacies, rest assured I'll have this finished up eventually, if not sooner!
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2017 05:09
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 28, 2024 21:27 |
|
|
Excellent, holidays are over, workload has lightened up a little, time to sit down and play... oh wow it has been a few months. Luckily, we're just about ready wrap up, so you won't have to deal with my schedule slip on this for much longer. Unless you pay attention to whatever my next project is, in which case it's really your own fault. In the upcoming update: mawwiage, mawwiage is what bwings us togethew today. Also, endgame fun, including questionable pharmaceuticals, breaking the economy over my knee, and punching dragons for fun and profit. Also, I said a thousand updates ago that Leon was the last unlockable character, and that was true... but I was also lying to you.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2018 04:20
|
|