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Wait, is Dark really the only element that doesn't have two weapons to boost it? That gimps dark pretty hard if that's the case, it's just way worse than the other elements. As for NPCs, I really liked Lianna, she's really the most involved NPC that isn't an outright villain, though Z'aanta is just a fun character. And yeah picking a favourite villain would be a lot more difficult because the villains are honestly where the game stands out more in terms of character.
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Sep 8, 2019 19:46
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| # ? May 3, 2024 07:13 |
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My favorite NPC is the bonds our ragtag group of adventurers formed along the way. Followed by Heathcoate
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Sep 8, 2019 20:10
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Eliza's mine. She's been all around-competent and supportive and has enough characterization re: Za'anta that she's not just a cutout of a military officer.
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Sep 8, 2019 22:11
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I liked Heathcote and Vanessa.
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Sep 9, 2019 01:31
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  Today we're revisiting Saintsbridge to experience what can only be described as an adorably stupid side story.  SILENCE   I wonder what happened...  They say he can't be cured with medicine. Oh no! What do we do!?   I wonder what she thinks of me. Ahh... Y-yeah... I wish we could find a cure... Do you know what it's called, Derryl? Music: River of Life  So this side story is all about helping Nate woo a girl. Yep.  She's always picking flowers by the river. But whenever we tell the grown-ups about what happened, they get mad at the girls instead... While we got Inquire text from Emil and Nate way back in the Saintsbridge write-up, this is the first time we can get Derryl's.  Should I give her a gift? Do you think she'd like me then?So this girl, Melanie, likes flowers, but there's a bully who's been picking them.  Speaking of which!    This is another instance of "I don't want to make a sprite for one line of dialogue". I've made over two hundred sprites (and nearly two hundred updates) by now, I think I'm entitled to be a little lazy.    Anyway, the bully fails to comprehend how capitalism works, and we've got Nate the perfect gift to woo the girl he's sweet on. SILENCE  Why don't you give it to her then? I'm sure she'd be happy to have it! -----   Yes? I...I got this for you. D-do you want it? I heard you like flowers, a-and... Great job, Nate! Yeah! M-Melanie...? I... I'm sorry!  Oh no! That was supposed to be a secret! ...Well, that was unexpected.   Oh... What should I say? ... So cheer up already! We're all friends here, aren't we? You're right, Derryl! We're friends, and I'm going to help Nate however I can! ...Thank you.  The power of friendship can fix many things, but it can't fix all things. This is just another of those life lessons that has to be learned the hard way.   Welcome to growing up. Music: River of Life   The reward is pretty nice, at least. We're going to need a ton of JP to get all the support skills we'll need!  The girl I like ends up liking someone else... But maybe Emil's a better match for her anyway. They call this a "love triangle." But now that I know, what should I do?We're not going to get any more resolution to this tragic love triangle, but some things are best left unknown anyway. I mean, it's not like it really matters, right? Next time, we'll close out the side stories within the mid-tier towns by revisiting our very first foe.
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Sep 10, 2019 23:31
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Poor kid.
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Sep 11, 2019 00:06
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Was there an option to steal the flower?
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Sep 11, 2019 00:09
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There sure is! I'd have gone that option, but I try to do Purchase whenever possible since NPCs always have dialogue for it and I want to capture any amusing lines if they pop up.
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Sep 11, 2019 00:12
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  Today's side story goes way back to the very first chapter we did. It's none other than Russell, the scholar who stole a book and ended up being our first boss of the game! SILENCE    Y-yes! In fact, I have up to volume four. Good. Then I'll get to work on volume three. In the meantime, could you get started on the fourth tome over there? But of course, Dominic.Dominic was the fellow Cyrus investigated in his Chapter 3. You know, the guy who translated "From the Far Reaches of Hell" out of desperation to buy medicine to save his sick daughter. Somehow I completely forgot this guy existed. I don't think I even recognized him in my first playthrough in this side story.  My life has been very different since being arrested for stealing that tome... After I was released, I had no place to go and eventually drifted to this town. I can't find work as a scholar. But there's not really much I can do otherwise. Thankfully Dominic picked me up, despite the fact that I reeked of liquor and hopelessness. I've dedicated myself to being his apprentice. I won't make the foolish mistakes I did in the past. That's why we're currently researching the histories of the land. But we're still lacking information on certain places... Music: Among Stately Peaks  Russell's served his time for his crime, and seems to be trying to make a better life for himself. Perhaps we can help out a reformed criminal and get some of the information he needs.   I don't see the harm in helping Russell out here. After all, it's not like we have anything better to do!  That said, "Woodlands, Frostlands, and Cliftlands" are vague. Let's start with Bolderfall since that's one of the listed cities I looked up on the side story spreadsheet.   But now that we've found ways around it, I'm traveling around and learning as much about its history as I can. Three new NPCs now show up in three different towns to give us some brief history lessons. Unsurprisingly, the Cliftlands hold some valuable ores and minerals, and not just the valuable trinkets that's been dug up in Quarrycrest! It explains how cities like Bolderfall and Quarrycrest can have so much prosperity, though with it also comes the dangers of what happens after everything runs out, as we've seen in Orewell.  For the Frostlands, we'll be traveling to Stillsnow because why not?   I don't mean to toot my own horn, but if there's anything you want to know about the Frostlands, just ask! The Frostlands are called the Frostlands because it's frosty. Good to know! Also, the Frostlands being the site of Aelfric's descension likely explains how Flamesgrace came to be the spiritual capital of Orsterra.  Our last stop is Duskbarrow, because it is our last stop.    The Woodlands mostly consists of scattered settlements like Duskbarrow and S'warkii, with the big exception being Victors Hollow due to its reputation as a place for powerful warriors to prove their mettle, which also encourages commerce. Of course, S'warkii stands out due to the villagers' mastery with beasts, as we know well from H'aanit's story.  Of course, Cyrus is not one to keep such knowledge to himself. He is glad to share knowledge with others, even a former foe like Russell.  With this information, we'll have our book done in no time! I've realized just how much work goes into making a single book. Music: Enveloped in Kindness  When Dominic heard about what I'd done in the past, he told me something. Even though you're a free man now, it doesn't feel like you've atoned for your crime, does it? I know the feeling. If you don't have anywhere to go, why don't you work with me? At least let me do that much. He didn't say it, but... I know something happened to him in the past. I want to be able to forgive myself for it... And I want to help him forgive himself, too. Russell made a terrible mistake, and though he's served his punishment, he still feels guilty for what he's done. Of course, there are many who feel the same way, and Russell's lucky to have met a kindred spirit in Dominic that's able to give him a new chance on life, so hopefully the two can redeem themselves in their own eyes. It's a nice capper to Russell's story and a way to show that people can do horrible things and actually grow from them, even if it doesn't happen as often as it should.  The reward is meh, as we've already had a piece of this mediocre armor.  I believe that's the only way I can make up for what I did. But seeing Russell's desire to move on with his life gave me the courage to try. Now we're both trying to find ways to atone for our crimes. While they're both still haunted by the mistakes of their past...   ...at least they're both finding the fire to continue on with their lives and try to do some good in this world. Sorry, I had to, considering they both know the same fire spell and all. Next time, we'll be revisiting the last tier of towns as we tie up loose ends and then take on the last bunch of side stories before we finally get to the final boss. Just ten updates to go!
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Sep 12, 2019 21:11
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  This town update is much shorter than the other two. First, there's not as many familiar faces here as there are in the earlier towns, which probably explains also why there's fewer post-game side stories in these late-game towns. Second, there's not much to revisit because since these towns already pop up in late-game, I've already been able to shown off nearly everything in these towns, while in earlier towns I was hindered by level or money. Due to this, I'm only showing off three of the towns here, since there's nothing of note in Wispermill, Everhold, Riverford, Orewell, or Duskbarrow besides some side stories I'll show off later. For now, let's start in Frostreach.  Joshua, our first opponent in the tournament in Olberic's Chapter 2, is here. Thus we already have his Inquire info from back then.   He has a couple late-game pieces of equipment, nothing worth showing off but enough to warrant me trying to steal them.  He also has an appropriate attack skill that can also inflict confusion on a foe, which... I can kind of understand that.   If nothing else, Joshua has clearly met his soul mate. She embraces his sappiness and is just as absorbed by him as he is by her. They are both huge romantics that really embrace the over-the-top theatrics that being star-crossed lovers implies. Which, good for them!  Interestingly, you can only steal Joshua's Poem, which is just a simple restorative.  And of course, their inventories consist of items sent to them by the other.  Skipping to Grandport, I could've covered these two when I did the town update, but I figured it'd be nice to get all the story NPCs all in one update like this one, so here they are!   Aston is a case of someone who inherited wealth but actually used that to expand it to astronomical reaches, which probably explains why he's able to offer a billion leaves to whoever holds a gift to make his daughter happy. Likewise, his dying wife is also likely why he spares no expense to try to bring as much happiness as he can to his sickly daughter.  And of course, there's acknowledgment of Tressa's mercentile prowess.   Of course, the Wyndhams aren't entirely on the up-and-up.  So it's fortunate he's so cordial with Tressa.  Very much so. Now I wonder if there really is some secret butler training out there where you learn to be a complete butler badass...  Over to Marsalim, where we have several more characters as we finish off this update.   The first is the final of the combatants of the tournament back in Olberic's Chapter 2. It is kind of surprising that there were no shown woman combatants there. The game's a bit weird with representation, in that overall it tries to show men and women as equals, yet every single guard and the vast majority of merchants are male, even though you'd have women in the Knights Ardante and quite a few examples of competent women in power in a variety of roles. It's not really something notice unless you're really paying attention or, in my case, the one who ripped every NPC sprite and saw the patterns that arose from that. I just hope the next Octopath game has a lot more female guards and merchants so it really does feel more integrated.   Grieg does have the last of the Battle-tested items, and the only one of those that's actually armor, the Battle-tested Shield. The HP/SP regen is kinda nice, and it does have the highest PhysDef of any shield, but I don't like it due to the lack of ElemDef and the Evasion penalty. Give me either ElemDef or an Evasion boost and I would love this shield, but as is, eh.   Wise, courageous, and handsome? If you ask me, this guy seems like Primrose's ideal man.   We already know Lenaar is a badass willing to do what's right even if it costs him his life. It's nice to know he loves his wife on top of all that, too.  And even better, he has a second Robe of the Flame, and that more than anything makes me really appreciate the man. Next time, we celebrate two hundred freaking updates by fulfilling a side story from a man we've seen for all of two minutes.
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Sep 13, 2019 21:13
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200 updates! How are you not dead yet?!
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Sep 13, 2019 22:20
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 Music: Grandport, Center of Commerce  Update 200! We're only a few updates away from the end, so let's keep on track as we knock out another side story today!   I've been keeping my diaries without fail for seventy years. I've got enough volumes to fill a whole library by now! But I don't have much to write about these days, of course... Is there still anything for an old man to experience so thrilling that it demands to be recorded in a diary? So that's the goal of our two hundredth update: to help some old man write in his diary.   Nonetheless, it's a duty he takes seriously, so let's help him out because why not. Also I'm not going to put in this much work in showing off side stories and skip one!  Again, I don't know if there's any clues on this in-game, but there's three different NPCs we need to visit in three different towns. First, back to Bolderfall!   There's nothing that brings as much pleasure in life, young one, than obtaining a rare treasure that no one else has. Heh heh. Do you want to see my collection? It'll be the experience of a lifetime. You'll want to record it for posterity! You see, each of these NPCs has a particularly noteworthy item.  Three amazing items that are so awe-inspiring that any diarist can't resist writing about them.  Next stop: Wellspring.   I've just gotten in something really rare today. Something you almost never see. This'll be the day you'll want to remember the rest of your life. You'll want to write every detail down and record it for posterity! Of course, these NPCs have their ways with words, so they may be overvaluing their products a bit...  ...but I don't think our diarist friend will mind too much.  Our last stop will be Duskbarrow.   Don't tell anyone else, but...I've got something amazing. Something you wouldn't even believe. When I got it, I couldn't help but write it all down in my diary. I wouldn't want to ever forget an instant of that glorious moment! All three of these NPCs also seem to really love life, so good for them, I guess.   Anyway, these amazing things seem amazing, so maybe they'll be the thing that Ing needs to re-embrace his passion.  What is that you have there? Could I have a closer look? Music: Bonds of Friendship  I...I never even dreamed...such a thing could exist!!! I-I cannot believe this! I feel like I just discovered a whole new world of possibilities! The words practically write themselves! I can hardly stop myself! Ahhh, what joy! Phew... Now that's a proper diary entry! Thank you for this. Of course you featured in my writing as well. Life is long and full of many challenges. Your heart and mind will change along the way. If things get tough, try opening up your old diaries and taking a little trip down memory lane. When you are feeling lost, remembering who you were before will help you understand who you need to be now.  So we get some nice advice about looking to the past to guide your future, which seems appropriate for our two hundredth update and upon being so close to the end. Also yet another Alluring Ribbon because who doesn't love increased encounter rates?  Of course, we can't really comprehend just how wondrous these things are, but that's not any of our concern now. Next time, we check off one of the seven remaining side stories we have left, and prepare for the coming battles ahead...
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Sep 14, 2019 23:33
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Some Numbers posted:200 updates! How are you not dead yet?! I've been driven by pure insanity ever since I started LPing eight years ago, and really a long time before that... The crazy thing is I knew I'd be going over two hundred updates before even starting the LP, and I went through with it anyway. I spent two weeks learning to dig through the game's files and descrambling the graphics so I could learn to rip the sprites myself, solely so I could have clean sprites to serve as talking heads I've been beyond the pale for a long drat time. Mega64 fucked around with this message at 23:37 on Sep 14, 2019 |
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Sep 14, 2019 23:34
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why does the skill called Double Spear inflict sword-based damage this bugs me far more than it most likely should
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Sep 15, 2019 00:32
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This update reminds me of an old classic from The Onion. https://local.theonion.com/unspeakable-happens-in-area-town-1819567832 It's... hard to put into words.
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Sep 15, 2019 00:58
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 Music: River of Life  We've got another three or so of the usual "help out a familiar face or two" side stories to go before we change things up for the end, so let's get those knocked out of the way, starting with our good friend Reggie.   Yes, of course.  It's me, Reggie! We sent that wretch Werner back to 'ell where 'e belongs! Remember? Even the townsfolk're doin' what they can to undo the 'arm Werner did. And 'is lordship is workin' 'ard enough to put the rest of us to shame. Now it's just a matter of time afore this place is back to what it used to be. Looks like another merchant's made 'is way here. One second, mate. It looks like the village is bouncing back pretty well under the guidance of Harald and with the help of Reggie and the rest of the townsfolk. But Reggie's not completely happy with everything that's going on.  They said 'e even sold family heirlooms, including 'is late mother's necklace. He don't 'ave many mementos from 'is family to begin with. I wish 'e could at least keep those... Boy, it sure would be nice if I could get that necklace back for him, right?  There's only three of these, and they're great for healers and your tankish characters.  At any rate, our destination for today is Wellspring.   First we have to get back in here...   ...and barter with this NPC.  ...or rather, I would if I hadn't already bought this long ago! Oh well!  Still wanted to show where we got it before I skipped right to finishing this, at least. Let's get this taken care of!  Thank you so much, mate. Let's get it to 'is lordship right away!----- Music: Enveloped in Kindness  Lord Harald, we wanted to give you somethin'.  How did you get this, Reggie? I very clearly recall selling it-- Our friend 'ere brought it back for ya. I understand. But Werner's reign began when my father fell from power. As his son, I have a responsibility to the townspeople to atone for that. Whenever I think of those who lost friends or family, an heirloom appears a mere trinket-- Reggie? Everyone 'ere knows how hard you work to put this town back together. There ain't no doubt about it. If atonement's what you're aimin' for, you've already gone above and beyond it. I 'ope it 'elps you as much as you've 'elped the lot of us. Now, it's time you stop starin' at the past and focus on the future. ... This necklace will be both a precious reminder of my family, and of this day. Harald felt guilty since he felt his family failed the town for letting Werner take over, but he's gone above and beyond to save and rebuild the town. Straight to the point with this one, which, fine with me!   This is one of the strongest weapons in the game, and the second-strongest sword. The ElemAtk is so minor it's ignorable, but the fire boost is nice and it stacks with Heathcote's Dagger, which does have a good ElemAtk. It's great for hybrid characters like your Runelord, but it's also solid for a secondary physical fighter. Great reward.  I will do everything in my power to ensure their happiness. At any rate, it looks like this town's in good hands now that Harald's in charge.  Together, we'll get this town back to--no, better than--the way it was afore.Especially with Reggie and everyone else working together to bring Riverford to new prosperity. Next time, we reconnect two pen pals.
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Sep 15, 2019 17:38
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  We're running out of familiar faces to help, so let's check another off the list. SILENCE   She has never left my letters unanswered for so long before... I do hope that nothing is the matter. Music: Grandport, Center of Commerce  Noa hasn't been replying to Cordelia's letters, so time to look into that. As to how Cordelia and Noa know each other...?  We spoke of everything and nothing. It was all nonsense, really, but she listened to my every story with such delight. When the time came for me to return to my own lands, she begged me to write to her. And we have exchanged letters ever since. Yet recently, I've had no replies from her... Noa did talk about wanting to set out on an adventure, but did she follow through with it...? Perhaps there's something else going on here.  Considering Cordelia hasn't exactly had the best luck dealing with trusting people outside of Heathcote and Therion, it makes sense she's concerned for one of the few friends she has. Naturally, it falls to us to find out what's going on.   Therion, how could you?  In our mission to solve this, let's leave Grandport and talk to this random NPC that now shows up outside town.   Can't pass through these mountains without giving up your belongings. I'm afraid that's just the way things are. But I don't see any reason to hand a thing over to you. Not unless you think you can make me! So yeah, turns out some random bandit stole the letter. Why not.     Suffice to say, we get the letter back.  At least Cordelia will be relieved at the news.  Oh, what a weight off my heart... I'm so glad that nothing had happened to Noa herself! Noa! Cordelia, what in the world are you doing here? Music: Enveloped in Kindness  Well, though I'm sorry to have caused you such distress, I'm so glad you're here!  What do you have to be embarrased about? I think it's a wonderful story! It's so romantic... No, no, it's Noa's travel narratives that are truly amazing! Oh! No, those are just...just my imaginings of what it might be like to travel the world someday. I wouldn't want anyone else to read them but you, Cordelia. The thought is mortifying! Anyone should be delighted to read them! Thank you, Cordelia... You will keep writing me still, won't you? Their penpalship is more than two lonely women maintaining friendship from opposite sides of the country. It's a creative outlet for both of them to express their dreams and create the stories they want to live but can't for whatever reason. So it's nice they could see each other in person again and let each other know how much they love the other's stories.   Simple but effective. The only one we get, great for Ophilia or any other healer, both for healing and for staying alive.  Just reading them makes me feel as if I'm a part of the story and experiencing all the things she describes. I won't ask her just yet, but perhaps someday I'll put the idea to her... Hee hee!Perhaps Cordelia would make a great playwright. Only time will tell, I guess!   At least Noa's been doing well in the meantime.  What she writes now already captures beautifully the wonder she feels toward the world. I hope she'll also come to my own homeland someday in her journeys. Hopefully these two will have many more writings to come. Maybe some samples will even pop up in a sequel! Who knows? Next time, things get somber.
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Sep 16, 2019 23:55
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  With this side story, we're pretty much done with these "help a familiar face" side stories. I mean, technically we have two more of those, but they'll be slightly different from what we've seen. For now, let's see what Ogen's been up to. SILENCE   If that fever comes back, though, take this twice a day till it subsides. Thank you so much. We're so lucky such a skilled apothecary passed through our village. No need for thanks. It's my job is all. Um, sir, if I might ask... Not that I remember, but I move about a lot. I felt like I met you before. Long, long ago. Could be. Like I said, I move about a lot. But when I lost my wife, I left this place. I was on the road for a long time after that. After all these years, though...I guess the fancy just struck me and I thought I'd stop by, see the old place. -----  Melyssa... Soon it'll be the anniversary of the day I lost you. This was where Ogen lived with his wife before her tragic death. Between his aimless travels and everything that transpired in recent times, he's probably been thinking a lot more about her recently, which may have directly or indirectly led him back here. Music: Town Veiled in White   So of course, he has a problem that we'll be helping him with.  But it seems like they don't grow around here anymore.  Basically, we have to find Ogen a specific type of flower. But where?  Victors Hollow, of course! Why? Why not!   Look at this fine Mind-me-always! I found just this one bloom, high up in the mountains!  This Flower Girl really likes her flowers, even though few others seem to appreciate them as much as her.    Anyway, we got what we need, you know the rest.  My wife loved these best of all. Thank you... Music: Enveloped in Kindness  I thrust a handful of these at you when I proposed to you, standing in that field outside the village... ......... I've been wandering all this time, looking for a reason to keep on living. I'm gonna keep on helping people as an apothecary for a little while yet. So I won't be coming to join you as soon as I thought I might. I hope you'll watch over me...and wait for me to come to you... He's the one who reminded me what it really means to be an apothecary. And so Ogen got some needed closure and peace of mind.  If you're ever in need of any care, you come see me.Here's hoping he's able to help many more people in the future! Next time, we fight our most fearsome foe yet as we take on the most challenging side boss in the game, at least outside the final boss! This is going to be a tricky one...
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Sep 17, 2019 23:01
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Right now I've got five updates left, and plan to keep going at a daily update pace, which means I should be finished on Sunday. I'll probably record the final battle Friday night (debating doing a stream for it but undecided), but figured I'd add a fun little final vote. Which two NPCs would you like to accompany us to the final battle? Since Primrose and Ophilia can both recruit someone, I figured it'd be fun to bring two random people along for whatever we end up facing. Not every NPC can be Guided/Allured, but most can be, and I'll let you know if a suggestion can't come along. Here's a list of recruitable NPCs, though it may be missing a few here and there. And their battle prowess is irrelevant since I probably won't use them anyway. I certainly didn't the last time I did the final boss!
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Sep 17, 2019 23:08
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What happened to all your money? 
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Sep 17, 2019 23:10
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I spent it all because I actually bought stuff to see NPC reactions to Purchase, many of which were underwhelming so I never showed them. It's fine since I don't have to buy anything for quests anymore and I'm sitting on a ton of vendor fodder, so I'll have more than enough to buy Purifying Seeds/Dust and...really that's it, I don't need much else.
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Sep 17, 2019 23:14
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Mega64 posted:Right now I've got five updates left, and plan to keep going at a daily update pace, which means I should be finished on Sunday. I'll probably record the final battle Friday night (debating doing a stream for it but undecided), but figured I'd add a fun little final vote. Lianna and the strongest most random old person you can find.
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Sep 17, 2019 23:29
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I dunno, King Khalim and Fearful Mother Edit: vvv Okay, changing my vote to Heathcote and King Khalim. Schwartzcough fucked around with this message at 00:50 on Sep 18, 2019 |
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Sep 17, 2019 23:40
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Schwartzcough posted:drat, Heathcoate and Noa aren't options. Just double-checked, and Noa isn't, but Heathcote can be recruited. If anyone wants me to double check a NPC that isn't on the list, let me know, the list seems to be missing a few people. In other news, I beat the next boss on my first try. Somehow. It was definitely a dicey fight, though, but I knew what to expect this time so I was prepared. Mega64 fucked around with this message at 00:17 on Sep 18, 2019 |
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Sep 18, 2019 00:15
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Voting for Lianna and Heathcote.
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Sep 18, 2019 00:32
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Heathcote and Lianna sounds perfect to me.
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Sep 18, 2019 03:25
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Voting for Zeph and Lianna
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Sep 18, 2019 03:49
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Schwartzcough posted:
I'm voting for this too because dragging a king along sounds mildly amusing.
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Sep 18, 2019 09:59
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I facepalmed and went "goddamnit Cordelia" when her story turned out to be a wish-fulfillment romantic fantasy involving NotTherion. It's a bit obvious in hindsight but it's still amusing. Voting for Z'aanta and Tressa's Mom so we can have a mom and a dad helping out the travelers.
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Sep 18, 2019 12:30
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Take Erhardt for lore reasons and Eliza cause she's strong and cool.
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Sep 18, 2019 15:07
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Heathcote because he's awesome and Vanessa because she hasn't suffered enough.
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Sep 18, 2019 15:46
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Heathcote and Erhardt.
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Sep 18, 2019 18:23
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Vanessa and...free vote I guess.
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Sep 18, 2019 18:48
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Both of Meryl's parents.
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Sep 18, 2019 19:14
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Meryl so she can fulfill her destiny
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Sep 18, 2019 19:58
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   So after all that, I'm broke. But that's why I've been stealing so much vendor loot! Back over 500k.  I then proceed to spend most of it on Concoct ingredients, as that's the only thing I really need to buy now. We've got a big battle coming up today... Music: The Flatlands  Today's side story starts off right outside Wispermill.   Might be there's some monster lurking nearby. I hope someone'll find it and take care of it before it gets any of my sheep, if there is one.  So a simple enough task. Find and fight the beast, something we've done half a dozen times by now.  That said, we won't actually unlock the encounter until we talk to this fellow.   I travel a great deal as a merchant, and I've met with a fair deal of danger in my time... But never anything like that beast before! I don't even want to remember it... Now we can encounter this fearsome beast.   Also one for the road.  I don't know whether you're supposed to intuit it from where it's taking place or whether you'll get the location from checking the intel in the menu, but we're going back to the Forest of Purgation for this one.  So what can go wrong?   Video: Miniboss - Mánagarmr Music: Battle III   This is Mánagarmr, a massive direwolf.  And it hits like a truck.  So naturally, my first priority is to stack Sidesteps on everyone, since this foe only uses physical attacks.   At various points, the direwolf will summon wolves to help it out. These block some of the direwolf's weaknesses until the smaller wolves are defeated.  This is not a fight where I can play around and show things off, especially at my level and with my lack of skills. Priority is to get the BP train going and get myself protected as soon as possible.  My hunt for weaknesses exposes a polearm and dark magic weakness, which of course are the two that are currently protected.  I felt I needed Alfyn and a backup Cleric healer, but for some inane reason I decide to make Alfyn both. Sometimes I don't know why I do the things I do. It's probably because everyone else is focused on dealing damage, which is kind of important.  One of the direwolf's big gimmicks is inflicting Horror, which is a pain since that character can't boost and deal their damage.  But at least the Sidestep train begins in earnest.  Savage Claw does nasty damage to the party and debuffs PhysAtk.  Since the smaller wolves don't have elemental vulnerabilities, I opt for Dark since it's the only weakness I've uncovered for the Direwolf.  I actually managed to get Surpassing Power on Tressa and Olberic, but I was a bit too short for Primrose.  The small wolves do have one rather nasty party-wide attack, Triple Slash. This is mostly bad because it will really rip through your Sidestep stacks. It's almost like the developers expected you to abuse Sidestep in this fight and came up with ways to counter it...    What's funny is that Eye for an Eye procced on all three attacks from that Triple Slash, and combined with the Dark Rune, I knocked the wolf out with counters.  And now I can start breaking the Direwolf at my own leisure.  And better sooner than later, since it can buff its own PhysAtk.  I'm honestly surprised I did not wipe here. Tressa just barely survived.  First priority is to revive Alfyn. Funnily enough, I gave Alfyn the skill that boosts healing by 30%, with the Large Olive of Life normally healing for 9999. This gets boosted to the max of 10,000, which...is meaningless but still slightly amusing to me.  Thankfully, just 1BP is enough to do a full-HP Revive for my other characters. Yeah, I could've used Concoct for that, but eh.  Primrose's small HP pool is a bit of an issue for this fight.  Here we go again!  I was dumb and didn't defend so that I would have more actions post-break. Then again, I did dodge one attack here, and if it was another Savage Claw I'd have been in the same bad situation I just escaped.  At any rate, I have my first chance to really do some damage.  Though Sidestep spam is still my top priority, as surviving is the most important thing to winning this fight.  Naturally, the Direwolf boosts its shield post-break.  But I don't waste any time ripping through those.  At this point, Alfyn's focus is on maintaining Dohter's Charity when he isn't healing or feeding BP.  And again, you can use it for more than just Concoct! Revitalizing Jam maxes out everyone's HP, SP, and BP!   Which gives me the perfect opportunity to rip this thing apart.  Up to twelve shields now...   Now we have to deal with two of these wolves.   The Dancer Hired Help saves the day, hitting a knife weakness four times and also inflicting a variety of status effects. Blind and Poison are both really appreciated here.   Defeating one wolf opens up a weakness. Polearms and Dark will always be locked if one other wolf still stands.  Of course, that's not an issue for now. At this point, I'm sitting at nine turns of Dark Rune, everyone at eight or nine stacks of Sidestep, and Alfyn has five turns of Dohter's to super-heal everyone. So what can go wrong?   This. All that stuff I just mentioned? It all got wiped away. Sidestep helps in this fight, but it will not win you the fight. It's a nasty little punch in the gut here, taking away all the buffs you've been relying on all game and forcing you to adapt to this brutal boss that can rip your party to shreds on a whim. I love it.   Just to further rub it in, the Direwolf then summons three wolves to ruin my day, and in the process locks up all of its weaknesses. This is not good.  Just because my engine got derailed doesn't mean I can't get it going again!  Primrose is kinda stuck doing damage since the wolves don't have any elemental weaknesses. Every chunk helps!  I'm really lucky that the Direwolf is Blind here. The rest of my party would've survived that, but they'd certainly be vulnerable to the swarm of other attacks to follow.  Dancer Team to the rescue!  To make up for that last attack, this time Primrose is the only one to evade. I liked it better the other way. No offense, Primrose.  Nothing I can't fix, though.  Sidestep isn't going to be a priority for now. It takes too much set-up and can easily be nullified, and I'll take much less damage if I can break and defeat the adds. The direwolf is very fearsome, but still manageable on its own.  That takes care of two of them!  I clearly need to do something about Primrose's HP.  Now that we just had a Lunar Howl, maybe I can get some buffs going again.   I start with some Sidestep stacks. With just one wolf, I can afford the risk of them getting nullified, especially since I really want them due to my healer and backup healer just biting it.  But soon he's back up on his feet and ready to distribute items evenly to all like the true socialist he is.  Another annoying Triple Slash, but once again it also means another foe killing itself from counters.  Now our direwolf friend has three turns a round. That's a bad thing.  At this point, it's time to go all-out.  I get the perfect Break moment here, ready to rip everything apart.  I throw some attacks, but at this point I'm at a loss. Transfer Rune wore out, so I can't throw on Sidestep stacks. But the direwolf is near death, and I do have one of the best Divine Skills begging to be used...  And this is when I finally learned the direwolf's final weakness to Lightning. Wish I knew that earlier!   But no matter. I survived what's easily the most difficult boss in the game, outside of the final boss. Not that I didn't come close to dying a few times, but hey, a win's a win.  And that's it. No fanfare or anything like that. All that's left to do is go back to our quest giver and tell them the good news. Music: The Flatlands  I just hope the jerk appreciates everything we've been through.   If its fang alone is so large as this, how large must the beast itself have been...? I'm sure that was the very beast that had been making my flock feel so ill at ease. No one had seen any for a long time, but it seems they weren't all dead after all... And knowing that they are safe will let me sleep at night once again as well. The reward's alright. A third Elemental Augmentor is nice, especially since I'll need all the great accessories I can get. Trust me, I'm going to need to do some off-screen grinding to really get myself ready for the final boss...  Oh and I guess this guy's sheep are safe or whatever, and that's probably the important part in all this. Next time, a screenplay fit for a king.
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Sep 18, 2019 22:47
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There's always something to be said for a sidequest where once you finish the quest-giver says, basically, "OH JESUS I didn't think it was DEADLY PERIL". Fortunately at this point the travelers are basically avatars of the gods.
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Sep 18, 2019 23:15
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Heathcote and Erhardt.
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Sep 19, 2019 02:26
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Yeah, that boss is no joke. Took me quite a few tries to beat it on my playthrough, and that was at a higher level and with more skills.
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Sep 19, 2019 04:23
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| # ? May 3, 2024 07:13 |
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Agreed. I breezed through Octopath until the Direwolf fight. All those strats and optimizing that I put to the side were picked up real quick. drat it Carefree Shepard, you probably don't make much but that wolf battle should have rewarded me way more than 12K leaves 
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Sep 19, 2019 16:43
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