Topic: Lay down your arms or die clutching them! Let's Play Final Fantasy Tactics! (Read 18618 times)

R^2 · « **Reply #20 on:** May 01, 2012, 01:08:15 PM »

Red Panther

Panthers are large cats. I don't feel like doing an in-depth search for pictures of them, they ain't that pretty.

Panthers are move 4 and jump 4 -- but their jump stat only covers horizontal leaps, because they have innate Ignore Height. They can leap straight up any distance necessary to reach a higher ledge.

Panthers cannot enter water and have an innate counterattack ability.

Red Panthers have two innate attacks: Claw and Venom Fang. Both are based on the Red Panther's physical attack power, but only Claw does damage. Venom Fang instead causes poison status, gradually reducing the target's HP over several turns.

Panthers are weak to Earth-elemental attacks, for some reason. Not that there are very many of those.

R^2 · « **Reply #21 on:** May 01, 2012, 02:01:43 PM »

Orator skill acquired, time to backtrack to Squire for some basic skills. Here's how I look going into the next fight:

On to Dorter. I'll try to be better about setup shots like this.

Seems there's a bit of a disagreement!

The knight in green tries to escape, but the white-caped man intercepts.

Where is Gustav? I will have it from you, one way or another!

Oh, so this guy's looking for the marquis too! He must be on our side!

Run, trip...

...fall, face down aggressor...

...soil pants.

It begins to rain.

The white-caped knight leaves.

Delita: Have I not seen that man before?
R2: You know him, Delita?
Delita: I have seen his face, I'm sure of it. It was at Eagrose, just after the war's end...

And then, enemies! Hundreds of them!

So, this is Dorter Slums. The first really difficult battle in the game, assuming you haven't ground up to level 20+ trying to get an advanced job. Even then it can be a pain, since you're outmaneuvered at the battle's start, often corralled into narrow spaces, and the enemy has their first ranged and area-effect attacks.

Yep. One Knight, three Archers, and two Black Mages. Although one archer forgot to bring a bow, so he's kind of useless attacking with his bare hands.

Usually it's a hell of a slog under enemy fire to get up to this rooftop to the archer here, but between a Chocobo's ability to scale sheer walls and the Panther's ability to ignore high jumps entirely, we start the battle by putting a lot of pressure on him.

R2 handles this fight the usual way.

Well, I'm sure he's not important.

Delita: He commanded the Dead Men during the war -- a company of volunteers assembled from the peasantry.
Argath: What? But that would make him--
Delita: Aye. The commander of the Corpse Brigade.

Ah, so he's not on our side. In fact, he's the main enemy. Although there seems to be some disagreement vis-a-vis the marquis de Limberry.
Also naming the group the "Corpse Brigade" seems slightly less dumb, if it grew out of a unit called the "Dead Men". Although "Dead Men" is kind of a dumb name too.

Anyway, while that conversation is happening...

One archer down.

Since they didn't level with me, Delita and Argath are worth very little other than damage sponges. Pictured here: Argath takes a fireball to the face.

Just because their names are similar doesn't mean Archers and Argath get along. Here's one felling him in a poorly-composed shot.

Leaving the face-fireballs for me.

With one enemy archer left, we turn on Delita. Can't have him interrupting my plans!

Which is to harvest those delicious, delicious soul crystals.

Totally worth it. (Reequip is a Chemist ability that costs 0 points to buy myself.)

Free abilities learned, I unleash my monsters on the remaining archer to win the battle.

R^2 · « **Reply #22 on:** May 01, 2012, 02:22:46 PM »

In a nearby... warehouse? Shantytown shack? Wherever we are...

Argath: Out with it! What have you done with the marquis? Where are you holding him?

The knight does not answer.

Argath: You were with your commander, Wiegraf, when we came upon you. Where has he gone?

More silence.

Argath: Mayhap a beating would loosen your tongue!

Boot to the head.

Argath: Hmph.

Argath lets go of the man's hair.

Argath: Listen well. A great host, with the Order at its van, prepares a sweeping campaign that will bring to book your turncloak Brigade. You will die. You will be hunted down to the last and slaughtered like the swine you are, for such is brigandry's reward. But you, pig, are a lucky one. Tell us what we wish to know, and you may yet keep your bacon. So, where is Wiegraf?
Swordsman: How the bloody hell should I know?

Boot to the head.

He's clearly a fighter.

Swordsman: You nobles are... all the same. You think every man... born outside a castle's walls... less than human. We fought for this kingdom at peril of our very lives. Yet the moment the war was ended... you turned us out into the streets. What do you think makes you so special? Birth? Blood? What difference does it make?
Argath: You kidnap men for ransom, then dare ask the difference between us?
Swordsman: No... the marquis's kidnapping was... no plan of Wiegraf's. He would never... hold a man for ransom.
R2: Then who? Someone kidnapped the marquis Elmdore de Limberry.
Swordsman: ...
Argath: Speak! If not you, then on whom would you pin the deed?
Swordsman: ...It was Gustav.
Argath: Who is Gustav?
Delita: Gustav Margriff -- lieutenant commander of the Dead Men.
Argath: So the Corpse Brigade -was- behind the kidnapping!
Swordsman: No! We're not like Gustav! We fight to end the aristocracy, not to become it! To be treated as equals -- as the men of honor we are!

Boot to the head.

Argath: What do maggots know of honor?
R2: That's enough, Argath!

Murder eyes.

Swordsman: In... in the Sand Rat's Sietch.
Argath: Sand rat?
Delita: You are not of Gallionne -- small wonder you've not heard of them. Sand rats are unique to the Zeklaus Desert, north of Dorter.
R2: Do any villages lie between here and the desert?
Delita: Villages? No. At least, not anymore. But the desertmen once had a settlement on the outskirts, and its ruins remain.
R2: Then that's where we'll find Gustav and the marquis.
Delita: Aye, like as not.

Good fucking question.

Not an answer.

Anyway. Back outside of Dorter:

With a human using the Beastmaster support ability, allied monsters in adjacent squares will get extra abilities. Yellow Chocobos learn Choco Esuna, removing status ailments from equally-nearby allies. Panthers learn Cat Kick, a move that does random damage and is therefore useless. Goblins learn Goblin Punch, which does damage equal to the amount of damage the Goblin has taken already (Max HP minus current HP equals damage).

Disposable Ninja · « **Reply #23 on:** May 01, 2012, 04:18:43 PM »

The Red Panther is Red and attacks using its horribly bio-hazardous mouth.

Name him Gingervitis.

R^2 · « **Reply #24 on:** May 02, 2012, 10:53:02 AM »

On to the Sand-Rat's Seitch!

Guy named "Knight" who isn't actually a monk: Aye, that much is plain. Gods be good, Gustav's ransom of the marquis will fatten our purses enough that we can quit this life for good and all.

Me, Delita, Argath, two chocobos and a red panther against an archer, two monks, and two knights.

Chocobos flank the doorway...

Where a knight soon falls into the makeshift trap.

The lone monk on the other side soon falls to the Red Panther and Delita's assault, and we start cleaning up inside.

Choco Cure is pretty nice at this stage of the game.

With one archer left, it's time to clean up a little.

Not that I get much out of it.

No sweat! Kind of tedious, but no sweat!

R^2 · « **Reply #25 on:** May 02, 2012, 11:02:07 AM »

Gustav: Dreams do not fill a man's stomach or make soft the packed earth on which he beds!
Wiegraf: You see naught beyond the end of your own nose. The Crown strays, Gustav. It must be led back onto the path.
Gustav: And you think yourself the man to do this? More the fool you, Wiegraf.
Wiegraf: You have spoken your fill? Then we are done.

Argath: The marquis!

Argath: How dare you threaten me!
Delita: Stay yourself, Argath.
Wiegraf: The marquis is unharmed. You are free to return him to Eagrose.
R2: Why release him?
Wiegraf: The marquis' abduction was ill done. Such craven methods serve not our ends. Let me walk free, and I will release the marquis to your care. A fair bargain.

Argath you better chiggity check yoself

Delita: The Corpse Brigade is finished in any case. There is naught to be gained by a quarrel here.

I dunno, I've got a crossbow, I could have just shot him.

Welp, I guess Gustav isn't a boss to be fought, despite being behind the abduction that kicked off the plot. This happens... pretty often in this game.

Oh yeah, and before I leave for Eagrose, I swing by Dorter for a second.

That's the stuff.

This not so much.

R^2 · « **Reply #26 on:** May 02, 2012, 11:07:50 AM »

We are waylaid in our travels and must defend ourselves!

Goblin here gets his first battle since joining my team.

It's a monster fight against a chocobo, two panthers, and a goblin. There's was a lot of checking to make absolutely sure I was targeting the enemy beasts instead of my own allies.

It's just a straight-up brawl. The monsters' innate counterattacks do as much good from my side as it does harm from theirs.

I needed Choco Cure here, but since the bird in question was standing next to me with Beastmaster equipped, Choco Esuna is available.

With the enemy Choco-healer out of the picture, the rest of the battle is a sn--

Shit. That was my goblin. Gotta hurry this up before his three-turn counter expires.

Clooooose...!

Fuck.

We were literally one turn out -- the last panther had 13 HP when the goblin turned into a treasure chest.

Oh well. On to Eagrose, one goblin less.

Niku · « **Reply #27 on:** May 02, 2012, 11:09:25 AM »

with a party of birds there will still be plenty of goblin yet to come

R^2 · « **Reply #28 on:** May 02, 2012, 11:19:31 AM »

Back at Eagrose, we get our collective assholes thoroughly reamed out.

Dycedarg: Was that the way of it, R2? Delita led your better judgment astray?
R2: No, I went of my own choosing. The fault lies not with him.
Delita: 'Tis R2's noble disposition that guides his tongue, my lord. It is not as he--
R2: You needn't be false on my behalf, Delita. It was I who chose to disregard orders.

Dycedarg: What purpose do laws serve when even those who would enforce them choose not to pay them heed? Adherence to the rule of law is a knight's solemn duty. It falls upon us, as Beoulves, to bear the burden of example. Is it your intent to live up to your name -- or to drag it with you through the mire?
R2: ...Forgive me, Lord Brother.

The man who's been lurking outside the window this whole time speaks!

This Guy: It is the way of young men to be impetuous in their haste to do great things. We were not unlike them once.
Dycedarg: To coddle them is to do them disservice, Your Grace. They need to learn integrity.

Duke Larg: Indeed, you are the very ghost of Barbaneth. His fire burns in your eyes. I can see it. Such strength and vitality would be wasted atop castle walls.

Plus it's a bitch to get chocobos up there.

Dycedarg: Our campaign against the Corpse Brigade draws near its end. I will permit you to join in the final stage. Coordinated strikes are to be made on a number of their dens ere long. You will lead one of those assaults.
R2: Very well, Lord Brother.

The three cadets leave.

Larg: It was not of your doing, Dycedarg. In truth, it serves only to show the caliber of man we were dealing with in Gustav. A change in plans was inevitable, once the fool went and staged the kidnapping within our very borders. And let us not forget -- they did save the marquis's life. He will now be honor-bound to acquiesce. In the end, your brother's deeds have placed us in quite the favorable position.
Dycedarg: The king's life hangs by a thread. We must move quickly now.
Larg: Indeed, my dear friend. I trust you will not fail me.

So the whole abduction was planned by Duke Larg -- Gustav "kidnapped" the marquis on his behalf, in order to put political pressure on Limberry to support Larg once the king died. And we screwed it up, but not really; now Elmdore has no choice but to support Larg.

Finding you've played directly into the villains' hands is also a thing that happens a lot.

R^2 · « **Reply #29 on:** May 02, 2012, 11:22:25 AM »

But enough plot!

I have an army to restock!

To Siedge Weald!

A bomb, a skellington, and a black goblin.

I catch 'em all.

Current roster: two yellow chocobos, Gingervitis the red panther, a bomb, a skeleton, and a black goblin. Still accepting name votes!

R^2 · « **Reply #30 on:** May 02, 2012, 11:35:37 AM »

Bombs

A Final Fantasy mainstay hanging around since... the second game, I think. They Bite for their standard attack, and can Self-Destruct when at critical HP. Bite is based on their physical attack power, while Self-Destruct is an area-effect blast that does as much HP damage as the Bomb had lost when it uses Self-Destruct... and then the Bomb dies. What did you expect?

In the above screencap, the Bomb was right next to R2 when the battle ended, so its Beastmaster extra skill is also shown: Bomblet rains down a few tiny explosives onto an adjacent foe. It's based on the Bomb's magic attack power (21 compared to its PA of 8) and is probably fire-elemental.

Bombs can levitate over obstacles, making water a nonissue for them. They absorb flame, take half damage from ice, are immune to earth, and take double damage from water. I'll happily take a vulnerability to an uncommon element to absorb and half two of the most common ones! They also have an innate counterattack, of course.

Skeleton
You know, really skinny guys. Hard-headed. They have horns for some reason, and wear gloves, boots, and capes, but nothing else.

Skeletons attack with a wicked jab with their bony hands at short range, and have the first reliable long-ranged attack for monsters. In this case, Thunder Anima creates a little ball of electricity and tosses it at a foe. Chop is based on PA, all Anima skills on MA.

A Skeleton's Beastmaster extra skill is Water Anima, which does the exact same thing as Thunder Anima except it works better on Bombs.

Skeletons can move into water, but can't swim. They are undead, which means healing magic kills them and death magic heals them. Furthermore, when they drop to 0 HP, they have three turns like anyone else... but when those three turns are up, they might just stand back up and keep attacking instead of crystallizing or dropping a treasure chest.

Black Goblin
Just as sucky as a regular goblin, but they traded Eye Gouge in for the less-sucky Turn Punch. Turn Punch attacks all four adjacent panels with damage based on PA. Their Beastmaster skill is also Goblin Punch.

Stush · « **Reply #31 on:** May 02, 2012, 11:39:40 AM »

I've got plenty of names!
Ruzzgo, Motrax, Zaffnazar, Swasskybo, Flasskuzulax, Razz Batook, Mooskar.

Although I don't know the letter limit on these.

Also, Zabusarakar.

[Also, totally gonna read this, it looks awesome so far.]

Ted Belmont · « **Reply #32 on:** May 02, 2012, 11:41:29 AM »

Black Goblin - Sanford
Bomb - Robert
Chocobos - Tweet and Retweet
Skeleton - Ziggy

Disposable Ninja · « **Reply #33 on:** May 02, 2012, 06:30:35 PM »

I second Robert the Bomb.

I also propose naming the skeleton Manny.

Esperath · « **Reply #34 on:** May 02, 2012, 06:59:16 PM »

If you get ahold of three skeletons, name them Pine, Carrot, and Soda.

R^2 · « **Reply #35 on:** May 02, 2012, 08:08:45 PM »

Monsters level slowly (due to not having self-buff abilities they can use during turns where attacking isn't possible/optimal), so they will often be replaced rather than improved. I'll probably get around to all the names eventually, but favorites will be reused on multiple individuals.

R^2 · « **Reply #36 on:** May 03, 2012, 08:20:59 AM »

Stush's whimsical names are noted, but since he didn't mention who should get what I'm saving them to fill in gaps later.

Welp, on to El Hideout del Bandito.

I'm taking Ziggy.

Man, what a sucky hideout. It doesn't even have a roof, and it's raining.

One incredibly minor running gag in this game is that white mages are often the most rude/violent/bloodthirsty unnamed NPCs.

Yep, here we are.

Argath: I pray I am able to repay it -- even a little -- by aiding you in this!

Battle start!

Three male thieves, two female white mages, and...

Our target. She's a tough old bird, and the mission objective I completely failed to screencap is "Defeat Milleuda" rather than "Defeat all enemies!"

In many games, these male thieves are a problem. They have Steal Heart, which causes Charm status on targets of the opposite sex as the user. It's not very effective on monsters, though. (Not impossible, just not very effective.)

The white mages start by dropping Protect on nearly everyone, but it misses everyone but Milleuda.

Did I mention it's raining? And that R2 is a Black Mage for this battle?

Thunderstorms increase the damage from lightning-elemental abilities, like this Bolt spell and Ziggy's Thunder Anima. If I'd thought about it I'd have equipped a Thunder Rod for even more damage from R2's Bolts, but this hit is well in excess of the poor guy's maximum HP anyway.

Thunder Anima almost oneshots a White Mage, not that you can tell because she's squirreled away in the little corridor. It looks like Ziggy is (justifiably) nailing Algus with it.

zap

justifiable zap

See, this battle is where we really learn Argath's true nature: he is a massive dick. But then, so is every member of nobility in this game, almost down to the man. It didn't happen in this playthrough (perhaps the patch bugged/removed it?), but given enough turns go by, either Milleuda or Argath trigger this conversation:

Milleuda: How can you nobles live as you do and yet hold your heads so high? We are not chattel! We are humans, no less than you! What flaw do you hold there to be in us? That we were born between a different set of walls? Do you know what it means to hunger? To sup for months on naught but broth of bean? Why must we be made to starve that you might grow fat? You call us thieves, but it is you who steal from us the right to live!
Argath: You, no less human than we? Ha! Now there's a beastly thought. You've been less than we from the moment your baseborn father fell upon your mother in whatever gutter saw you sired! You've been chattel since you came into the world drenched in common blood!

Dude.

Milleuda: By whose decree!? Who decides such foul and absurd things?
Argath: 'Tis heaven's will!
Milleuda: Heaven's will? You would pin your bigotry on the gods? No god would fain forgive such sin, much less embrace it! All men are equal in the eyes of the gods!
Argath: Men, yes. But the gods have no eyes for chattel.
Milleuda: You speak of devils, not gods!
Delita: Ramza, is this woman truly our enemy?

So really I'm doing everyone a favor by blasting him in the back with electricity. Delita's already down, being braver than Argath and falling to the thieves' blades.

Leaving me...

aw yeah

Well, I tried. This was the only skill I learned from anyone; every other foe turned into a treasure chest.

And then Milleuda, cornered, is pecked and stoned into submission. Not that doing so was easy, she's got a hell of a defensive build going on and blocked a surprising number of attacks and counterattacks.

A bit later...

R2: Do you truly hold us to be so foul?
Argath: Do it, R2! She fights as a Corpse. Let her become one for true! She's a foe and a traitor -- an enemy of House Beoulve! The world has no place for such wretches. Her claim to life is forfeit! Spare her now, and you place your seal on the warrants for our own deaths! It's her or us, R2! Strike her down!
Delita: ~~Dude, chill.~~ Try as I might, R2, I cannot think this woman our enemy.
Argath: Have you lost your wits?
Delita: This woman is no more chattel than you or I.
Argath: You would turn against our cause, Delita? I ought have expected as much!

Milleuda: So long as you bear the name Beoulve, you will ever remain an enemy to me. You'd do well to remember that.

R^2 · « **Reply #37 on:** May 03, 2012, 08:37:34 AM »

Meanwhile, a few miles away...

That's Tietra there, slumped over the back of a fleeing Thief-driven chocobo.

oshitoshitoshitoshitoshit

OSHII--

Zalbaag: Yes, I know.

Dycedarg stumbles out of the manse.

Dycedarg: W-worry not, I am fine. Alma, are... are you all right?
Alma: They did not harm me. But you -- you're bleeding badly!
Dycedarg: In no fevered dream would I have thought the Brigade so bold to strike us here... They must have come for me.
Zalbaag: Five among our guard are slain, and Tietra taken.
Dycedarg: Find them... Search every den and dovecote if you must.

Within that six-mile radius I want you to search every den, dovecote, castle moat, trenchcoat, capote, Terra-Haute...

Alma: Please, Brother, you mustn't speak!

Brentai · « **Reply #38 on:** May 03, 2012, 08:50:11 AM »

I always liked how Algarth remains apparently oblivious to the fact that he's proselytizing to a mudblood and a full-on muggle until the end of the chapter.

R^2 · « **Reply #39 on:** May 03, 2012, 09:22:52 AM »

Better go report in.

Normally we'd just case Cure, but it was a cutscene injury, like Aeris getting stabbed.

Dycedarg: Leave the cleanup work in your brother's capable hands, and take a well-earned rest. You've done well. Fear not for me... My wounds are not as grave as they seem.
R2: Lord Brother, what... what of Tietra?
Dycedarg: Zalbaag will lead a full-scale assault on the Brigade as soon as their garrison is found.
R2: But--!
Dycedarg: The enemy is routed. Less than a score of their number remain. Their leader yet eludes us, but time grows short for Wiegraf Folles.
R2: ~~You're not answering the fucking question here.~~ And for Tietra as well. You would leave her to her fate?
Dycedarg: I have taken measures to ensure Tietra's well-being. The attack waits upon her safe return -- such time as that may require. Tietra is as a sister to me. I would never turn my back on her.

...outside...

R2: I... I'll be fine... *cough*

Argath: I said he would be a fool to hold back an army for fear of spilling a few drops of your common blood!
Delita: As I thought.

FALCON

PAWWWNCH

Nah, let him go ahead.

Dooo it! Dooo it! Dooo it! Fight! Fight! Fight!

Argath: You don't belong in our world. You ought be licking our boots with the rest of your ilk, churl!
Delita: ~~It was not by my hand that I am once again given flesh.~~ That does it--!
R2: Enough, Delita! And you as well, Argath!

Argath: And that blinds you from the truth! You're a man grown, R2. It's time you left the playthings of your boyhood behind. You are a son of House Beoulve, a birth high even among the highborn. Such company ill suits you. Your brothers see this, I am sure. Even if you choose not to.

Argath: Your words cut deep, R2. Are we not friends?
R2: Remove yourself! I'll not ask again!

Argath: You've no hope of breaching the fortress from the fore. Their defenses are too strong. A rear assault is your only chance. Best of luck, my soft-hearted friend. You'll need it.
R2: Begone!

News:

Poll

How shall I go about this?

Author Topic: Lay down your arms or die clutching them! Let's Play Final Fantasy Tactics! (Read 18618 times)