Topic: Who Needs the Fight Command, Anyway? Let's Play Final Fantasy 6 Advance! (Read 43033 times)

R^2 · « **Reply #60 on:** September 30, 2013, 01:41:53 PM »

Ultros: You're up the creek without a paddle! And I'm not gonna let you through! ...Does that make me a bad octopus?

Ultros: Seafood Soup is NOT on the menu!

Ultros counters fire-elemental attacks -- which at this point means Terra's Fire spell -- with Ink. But everyone I can equip is wearing Silver Spectacles, negating that issue.

Ultros: I'd love to get my tentacles around her... *sluuuuuuurp*

Ultros always opens with a lecherous comment and slaps Terra with a tentacle.

On his next turn, he slaps Sabin. Then there's a party-wide tentacle whip, followed by an attack on Banon without further comment. If you haven't leveled Banon up or put him in the back row, one Tentacle is enough to oneshot Banon and end the game.

After you pound on Ultros enough, he ducks back underwater in search of an easier meal.

R^2 · « **Reply #61 on:** September 30, 2013, 01:47:01 PM »

Edgar: It's probably just hiding down there.

Terra: Something's stuck to my leg!
Edgar: Terra! Get away from there!

Sabin: I'm gonna smash it with a blitz!
Edgar: No! Sabin!!!
Sabin: Out of my way, Edgar!

bloop

Terra: Sabin...
Banon: Oh, he'll be fine!
Edgar: Are you sure, Banon? ...Sir?
Banon: You're his brother! You should know better than any of us. Any second now he'll flop back up onto the raft, right as rain!

Funny thing about fighting a giant octopus underwater. Sabin's at a sharp disadvantage.

Banon: ...
Edgar: I think he missed the "onto the raft" part. Ha-ha...
Terra: Sabin!!!
Edgar: Sabin! You're on your own now!

R^2 · « **Reply #62 on:** September 30, 2013, 01:57:53 PM »

But what of Sabin, who was swept away by the raging waters?
And how is Locke faring after having penetrated the Empire's defenses in South Figaro?
Is all going according to plan...?

The game's overall narrative will pick up once all three scenarios are done, but there's some questing to do before we get back to Banon's initial plan.

Uh, kupo.

TA · « **Reply #63 on:** September 30, 2013, 03:33:38 PM »

Quote from: R^2 on September 30, 2013, 01:37:00 PM

Or set your Config menu to "Memory", put Banon on Pray duty and Edgar on the Autocrossbow, and strap down the controller button overnight. Banon will keep everyone healed up in random battles while everyone else kills monsters, and without any further oversight you can come back to the game at level 30 or so. Or spend two days doing it for level 50 or so. Or whatever.

You're hurting yourself long-term if you do this! I mean, not that much, since it's a damn easy game, but maybe in the postgame dungeon. Since you'll gain all those levels with zero Magicite stat boosts.

R^2 · « **Reply #64 on:** October 01, 2013, 11:40:28 AM »

Terra, Banon, and Edgar: still stuck on this goddamned river raft.

Still fighting the same monsters.

The party ends up right beside Narshe, though. Banon's escape plan was sound, despite the complications Ultros and Sabin brought on.

Not much reason to go back to the South Figaro cave, and Figaro Castle is still underground, so into Narshe we go.

R^2 · « **Reply #65 on:** October 01, 2013, 11:42:39 AM »

Banon: Please, I can explain!
Guard: Get out of here now, or you'll regret it!

BANON PUNCH

EDGAR PUNCH

Edgar: And that, my friends, is why I can't stand men. It's like they don't even have ears!
Terra: I'm sorry, it's all my fault...

Well, it's not like they could make this scenario that easy.

It's still pretty easy though.

R^2 · « **Reply #66 on:** October 01, 2013, 11:46:31 AM »

Remember this hidden passage?

Because Edgar does. Somehow.

The caves lead up the mountainsides, where all the coal mining gets done.

Here come the new enemies, same as the old enemies.

Partway through there's a puzzle-ish sort of cavern. The blue light traces a path through the cave, and you have to follow it.

If you take the wrong path, you're surrounded by spinning lights. Face the orange one and hit the A button to continue.

Or screw up intentionally to make sure your Bestiary is filled out, because these guys don't show up anywhere else.

As soon as you take the wrong path, hold up and the A button. By the time the lights appear, the orange one will be right above your character, so you'll tag it every time as soon as the game starts looking for input. As many times as I've played this game I probably could have the path through this area indelibly inked onto my brain, but with this trick I've never needed to actually know it.

R^2 · « **Reply #67 on:** October 01, 2013, 11:51:09 AM »

The enemies revert to "Terra escaping Narshe for the first time" mobs, indicating I'm back in areas I've seen before.

Yep. Looks awfully familiar.

Only now that I'm not cornered, knocked unconscious, and driven out of the area as part of the rescue, I'm free to explore a little. There's a moogle colony, for instance.

...not that any of them have anything worthwhile to say.

Back in through Arvis's back door.

Banon: Arivs! How do things stand here in Narshe?
Arvis: Same as always. The town's neutral. I've tried to convince them to side with the Returners, but it's no use. Of course, maybe with you and the king of Figaro here...
Edgar: How are the townspeople?
Arvis: Everyone's a little on edge since the esper was discovered.
Banon: We believe Terra may be able to help us get answers to our questions about the esper.
Arvis: Well, the townspeople are still quite curious about it as well. If we approach them in the right way, there's a good chance they'll agree to let her see it.

R^2 · « **Reply #68 on:** October 01, 2013, 11:53:42 AM »

Locke's scenario is also a pretty short one.

Imperial Troops are everywhere, blocking not only the exits but the routes around town.

"Hey! Call me a treasure hunter, or I'll rip your lungs out!" on the SNES. Locke's really sensitive about being called a thief.

The merchant is easy to beat up, but has a Plumed Hat to steal.

Comes with the rest of his outfit.

Getting in there's going to be tricky.

R^2 · « **Reply #69 on:** October 01, 2013, 11:55:23 AM »

Maybe I can sneak in disguised as an Imperial soldier?

Soldier: One of them leads to another house, and the other leads outside of town.

That's... interesting to know.

You can guess where this is going.

R^2 · « **Reply #70 on:** October 01, 2013, 11:57:25 AM »

Cider-loving old drunk guy: Hmm? Secret passage? Well, yes, there is a tunnel from here to the mansion on the north end of town... Go downstairs and tell my grandson the password. It's, uh... ummm... I forget!

Oblique nod to Final Fantasy 2 here: a better translation of the first guess is "Wild Rose".

The password is "Courage", though.

Look familiar?

R^2 · « **Reply #71 on:** October 01, 2013, 12:00:25 PM »

Sure, why not? It's got all the accouterments an invading force would possibly need. There's even a dungeon in the second basement.

Yeah, no kidding?

WALLOW IN YOUR MISERY, TRAITOR

If you choose to not change Locke out of his disguise, it happens automatically later. There's a glitch that lets you leave town in disguise and stay that way for the rest of the game, but I'm not doing it in this playthrough.

For Thad's sake: push straight down into this wall.

Then there's a stairway to the right.

And there you are.

R^2 · « **Reply #72 on:** October 01, 2013, 12:06:26 PM »

Her who? Locke peers into the door for a moment before this line.

This line makes a lot more sense in the SNES version. In that version, the guard punched his prisoner several times before stepping back and saying his line. Since the release of the SNES version and the GBA version, Japan got their own ratings board. Since the Japanese ESRB frowns on the beating of women who are chained to the wall, and Squeenix wanted the game to have a Japanese E-for-Everyone rating, they nixed the face-punching.

Guard: Quiet!
Celes: Kefka's planning to poison every last man, woman, and child in the kingdom of Doma.
Guard: Shaddap!
Guard: Hmph! Run that mouth of yours while you still can...

But you just told her to--

Guard: Your execution's tomorrow.

And Celes slumps to the floor, from... well, not from direct physical abuse. Maybe they're not feeding her?

R^2 · « **Reply #73 on:** October 01, 2013, 12:11:36 PM »

That didn't take long.

Giggity. Staring won't get you anywhere, so might as well unfasten those manacles.

Locke: Name's Locke. I'm with the Returners.
Celes: You're a Returner!? I'm... or at least I was... General Celes. Now I'm nothing but a traitor...
Locke: Well, let's get going!
Celes: ...!? You'd take me with you? ...No. I can barely walk. I'd never make it out of here. I appreciate it, but... Even if you got me out, you wouldn't be able to protect me. I'm better off waiting here for the executioner. At least that way I'll keep my pride...
Locke: I'll protect you! Trust me! You'll be fine! Let's go!

Consider it this way: if you're cut down in your escape, you're not any less dead than you are getting executed for treason.

Haha, "stealing is wrong". How do you think I even got this far?

R^2 · « **Reply #74 on:** October 01, 2013, 12:12:56 PM »

BOOGUM!

Winding the clock reveals a hidden door.

R^2 · « **Reply #75 on:** October 01, 2013, 12:18:55 PM »

This rich South Figaro guy sure has really gigantic basement space.

As alluded to by the soldier in the pub, this part's filled with random encounters.

Celes has two special commands. She has Magic, like Terra does -- but with a focus on Blizzard spells rather than Fire. And she has Runic, which doesn't appear to do anything but waste a turn.

The se-- third basement area has a few secret passages of its own.

This section has a Dry Ether and an X-Potion...

And a well-hidden Ribbon. There's one available in the World of Balance that doesn't have to be stolen! Ribbons in this game are relics rather than headgear, and provide immunity to all status ailments without the boost to raw stats like they gave in previous games.

The main path has an Earring to match. Earrings boost magic attacks by 25%, and stack with themselves if you have more than one to equip at a time. Considering the number of special skills that are based on magic, like Sabin's Blitz moves, they're a precious commodity.

Locke: You remind me of someone... What's it matter, anyway? I'm helping you because I want to!

The passage leads outside, where the guard blocking the way out of town for Locke at the beginning of the scenario doesn't seem to care that Celes is making a break for it.

R^2 · « **Reply #76 on:** October 01, 2013, 12:21:12 PM »

Just one more obstacle between Locke and Narshe...

The South Figaro Cave has occasional rumbling noises as you pass through.

New monsters, too.

And assuming you didn't open the chests on your way through previously, better items.

Awfully hard to talk about in a screenshot LP, that's what it is.

Better heal up, just in case.

R^2 · « **Reply #77 on:** October 01, 2013, 12:25:33 PM »

rumble rumble rumble earthquake

Celes: If that thing hits us with its magic... ...they'll be scrubbing two big scorch marks off the wall!
Locke: So what are we supposed to do!?
Celes: Don't worry! I'll draw its magic with my runic blade!
Locke: And you'll be okay!?
Celes: Just you watch!

This is a tutorial battle re: Celes's Runic ability. If she's equipped with a sword, Runic becomes available. Once activated, until Celes's next turn, the first spell anyone casts gets absorbed into the blade. The spell hits Celes instead of its intended target, and instead of the normal spell effect, Celes gains as much MP and the spell cost the caster in the first place.

Runic affects both enemy and ally magic, though -- so if Terra and Celes are ever in a party together, I have to be careful about whose spells Runic absorbs.

But frankly?

I ain't give a damn about your tutorial battle.

I mean, I just explained everything myself.

R^2 · « **Reply #78 on:** October 01, 2013, 12:26:39 PM »

The guard that Terra and company ran into outside the cave doesn't appear to be an issue for Locke and Celes. Or maybe the guard just chases them out into the world map like he did to Terra's party.

R^2 · « **Reply #79 on:** October 03, 2013, 12:48:47 PM »

Sabin is just dumped onto the world map, with no particular place to go but that little house over there.

Music: Shadow's theme.
Having a vaguely Spaghetti-Western sounding theme for a Ninja is pretty weird, it still doesn't deserve what the GBA soundchip did to it.

Despite looking like an Imperial soldier, this guy's a merchant. Conveniently, he sells Shuriken. Only 30 gil each!

Sabin: You don't happen to know how I could get to Narshe, do you? I got separated from my friends.
Shadow: The Empire has set up camp just beyond the forest to the east.
Sabin: The Empire!? What are they doing here?
Shadow: They seem to have their eyes set on Doma Castle.
Sabin: So Doma's next, huh...? But I need to get to Narshe right away!
Shadow: Your only road passes through Doma. I can take you there if you'd like. Just know that I may leave you at any time...

He's not joking about leaving at any time. The end of every battle has a tiny chance of him going "WELP I GUESS I'M DONE HERE" and wandering off by himself.

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Author Topic: Who Needs the Fight Command, Anyway? Let's Play Final Fantasy 6 Advance! (Read 43033 times)