Topic: Plots to Make Fun Of: Seven of 'Em! -- Let's Play Saga Frontier! (Read 38460 times)

R^2 · « **Reply #180 on:** March 18, 2013, 07:34:52 AM »

The trip through Tanzer's insides is mostly the same. Fei-On keeps his word and points out where to go so you don't end up at the slime pool to collect the Vitality Rune.

I'm skipping some useless posturing by the mooks.

Nomad: Although I'm not so sure about the bald guy.
Fei-On: They have a question for you.
Nomad: What a coincidence! I've got something to ask you, too.

Nomad: The rings. Hand them over.

Nomad threatens the people Fei-On is protecting from her, since he's away and can't protect them 24/7.

Riki: They're nothing to me. I'm not giving you the ring. You're a very bad old lady.
Nomad: Old lady!! That's it! Get them!

Fei-On dragon kicks Nomad offscreen and we're left to deal with a roomful of mooks.

The first real boss isn't much for his offensive power, but he's oddly sturdy for such an earlygame enemy.

R^2 · « **Reply #181 on:** March 18, 2013, 07:44:10 AM »

Tanzer's heart is the only target, but the three organs waving around the battlefield also join in to attack the party.

nbd tho

It takes Fei-On kind of a crazy long time to go search for people. You can't enter the ship, because Mei-Ling stops you, you can't go help Fei-On, because Mei-Ling stops you, and you can't talk to Mei-Ling, because Tanzer roars and convulses.

After several realtime minutes and an attempt to board the ship, Fei-On appears.

Tanzer horks up the ship once everyone is aboard.

End of chapter!

R^2 · « **Reply #182 on:** March 18, 2013, 07:54:17 AM »

Anyway, we go to Yorkland -- where we were headed before Tanzer sidetracked us.

The ogre here is Thunder, and he's Lute's adopted younger brother. He's so happy to see Lute that he joins our party.

Of course, as soon as he gets into battle, Thunder transforms from a massive ogre into a tiny wispy ghost. Go figure.

We rescue Cotton from the Bio Research Lab, too.

Also in Shrike, we head to Sei's tomb and rob it of its treasures. But instead of keeping them, we place them on the altars near the entrance...

...which opens a door.

Riki: The ring!
Lord Sei: I see. You thieves came to steal my ring. What are you going to do with them? Bring tyranny to Shrike? I won't allow it!
Riki: No, I need them to save Margmel. My home will disappear without them.
Sei: An entire region, disappear? Ridiculous!
Riki: It's not a lie. The elder told me to save Margmel.

He also joins the party to protect the ring he's loaning us.

End of chapter! Yes, some of these are mercifully short.

Emelia's all-human party was easy to build. T260G's all-mec party took a while, but was easy to round out. Asellus' all-mystic party is nearly forced on you anyway. Sadly, to keep up the trend, I have to build Riki an all-monster party. And I'm nearly done... but I don't know if I'm actually happy about that.

R^2 · « **Reply #183 on:** March 18, 2013, 05:06:38 PM »

Before we go much further, I'm going to start some side-questing.

Riki can't enter the Luminous Labyrinth for the gift of Light magic, or Omble for the gift of Shadow magic. Undertaking those quests is literally a matter of sitting in the lobby and waiting for your humans and mystics to come back from doing it themselves. So I do one of those.

Then I head to Devin and undertake the Arcane quest, since it involves fewer boss monsters -- having already been through Tanzer's guts, I'm not sure if I can start the Rune quest anyway.

Dear My Country (Ending ~ Lute)

So our story picks up in Yorkland, the region where everyone's a brewer.

Riki's spent most of his life on four legs, but declines to comment here.

Asking around for the Grail Card gets you a celebratory shot of the local sake for every distiller you ask. So by the time you've gotten here:

Your party is pretty well wasted.

When you enter the swamp as part of this quest, your character stumbles a bit as they walk, juking in random directions every few steps. The monsters are immobile, but they're packed in pretty tight, so you have to get in a few fights even if you have full control.

And every few turns in every fight, your drunkenness hits your whole party -- mecs excluded -- with random status ailments. You'd think Gen would be able to fight like this without penalty, but nope.

After you finally stumble into the shrine in the swamp...

You hallucinate the Grail Card right into your inventory. All that drinking was necessary, see?

R^2 · « **Reply #184 on:** March 18, 2013, 05:35:55 PM »

Saga Frontier - Baccarat

On our way to Baccarat for the Gold Card, Mei-Ling shanghais our sidequesting in favor of plotline questing. There's a millionaire from Scrap who's in Baccarat somewhere, and he has a ring he's willing to sell.

Yeah, you can point out that where I need to go is one of the four identical rooms on the literally hundreds of identical floors on the hotel level, rather than anywhere in the casino area that makes up Emelia's plotquest and the Gold card sidequest.

Thanks, Captain Late To The Party.

A whole lot of text balloons pop up without any hesitation here, as Mei-Ling and Riki rush to stop the guy from hanging himself.

They get him down safely, though.

Mei-Ling: That's why you sold the ring. Don't give up yet, try your luck with the money from the ring.

I think Mei-Ling means "are trying to sell" rather than "sold" here.

Bankrupt Guy: ...but the ring... it's gone.
Mei-Ling: What do you mean?

skweek

Presumably this is an actual mouse, rather than a mouse robot from Nakajima Robotics.

But you never know.

R^2 · « **Reply #185 on:** March 18, 2013, 05:42:59 PM »

WACKY HIJINKS ENSUE

-Yakety Sax- Music

HILARIOUS

HE JUMPED IN THE SLOT MACHINE AND HIT THE MOUSE JACKPOT, OH YOU CHEEKY RODENT

I was watching the mouse to make sure it was still onscreen when I got this screencap and ended up running into one of the casino floozies.

ROULETTE MOUSE HITS 00! YOU'RE OUR LUCKY WINNER!

The mouse runs onto a chandelier, and we follow...

...only for the light fixture to give way beneath the combined weight of four monsters of various shapes, a hulking robot, several people, and one mouse.

We end up in the parking lot some damn how.

You can chase the mouse all over the caves, eventually leading to a fight against Gargantu like Emelia had, or you can just get this bloody nonsense over with and snatch the little guy up near the entrance.

End of chapter!

R^2 · « **Reply #186 on:** March 18, 2013, 05:51:12 PM »

Of course, as soon as this scantily-clad blonde wonders aloud whether gnomes exist, one of them wanders by.

This is a more laid-back chase, since the gnome is taking his sweet time.

We know where the gnome caves are from Emelia's scenario, but you have to watch that one take the elevator down in order for the manhole to open.

I knew that dumb bunny girl looked familiar! Emelia tries to force her way into the party here, but

Why order is important: Bloodsucker is the ability keeping Riki in his current shit-tastic
Rabbat form. Swapping it out of the top of his skill list...

...transforms him into the equally-crappy Killer Bee form next battle, because of BladeNet. God damn I hate monsters.

Because unlike every other RPG, money in this game is not gold coins. You have to go get some ingots to trade for the Gold Card.

Yeah, foresight is nice sometimes. It takes at least four gold ingots to get the card (meaning it costs at least 2000 credits in Nelson).

R^2 · « **Reply #187 on:** March 18, 2013, 05:58:10 PM »

In scenarios where Gen doesn't join automatically, you have to go talk to the skeleton in Koorong who babbles about a guy who uses a steel pipe like a sword. Then you can recruit Gen in the Scrap pub so he can get you into Wakatu.

Wakatu

As you enter the ruined castle gates, two ninjas peek out from hiding.

Look at all those arrows. Have you seen a single bow-user in this game?

Yeah, HunterKnight had a crossbow. Ciato did all this? (No, that's dumb, even for this game.)

There's treasure to be had if you go off in directions Gen doesn't lead you, but an all-monster party can skip them.

A lot of screenshots to show off not-much, but I like Wakatu's atmosphere. It must have been one of the earliest-designed areas, because it's actually well-done, more or less structurally logical, and has the creepy atmosphere you'd expect.

R^2 · « **Reply #188 on:** March 18, 2013, 06:01:44 PM »

The pagoda at the top of Wakatu castle has three lanterns still lit.

If you press the confirm button when all three shadows are swords, you get the card... except that almost never happens. But when it does, there's a "clink" sound. Press the button when it clinks and the shadows will change to three swords, and you get the card. If you screw up, either nothing happens (3 rabbits or mismatched symbols) or you get into a fight (3 monsters). Eventually Gen will tell you to close your eyes, giving you a big hint that it's the sound of the thing that matters.

Whatever, man.

Outta here.

R^2 · « **Reply #189 on:** March 18, 2013, 06:15:55 PM »

Fuse: So you want the Shield Card, eh? It seems everyone wants it these days. I can't just give it to you like that. I don't know if you really deserve it. Besides, I need some help on patrol first.
Riki: Okay. What do we gotta do?
Fuse: You catch on quick. Let's go to Mosperiburg.

...and Fuse wants to get it to use as a prop for asking the front-desk receptionist on a date. Fuse is kind of a dick.

We take a break to fight this sprite-type creature.

Which in turn means a snowman might appear here. It's one of the most oblique, unintuitive, and likely buggy side-sidequests in the game.

Jotnar is another optional superboss, and probably one I should have handled in another scenario.

...yep.

Yep again.

Oh well. Beating Jotnar nets us SuzakuJr, who despite being "Jr" starts with one of the best monster forms around. Looks like I'm not gonna get him in this game, though.

And... there's... not Suzaku Jr.

We fight valiantly!

And are slain!

R^2 · « **Reply #190 on:** March 18, 2013, 06:18:33 PM »

Yorklander: But she got very ill...
Yorklander: He brought in just about everybody to cure her... doctors, priests, you name it.
Yorklander: I heard she's not feeling well. Poor thing...

Riki is so excited about everything.

Billionaire: In fact, a man is trying to help her right now...

He comes zooming out of that bedroom so fast he almost flies over the balcony rail instead of going down the stairs.

R^2 · « **Reply #191 on:** March 18, 2013, 06:21:39 PM »

Mollasite almost doesn't attack at all, its moves are so weak.

But after a couple of turns, it just buggers off.

Sei: Hurry, take the ring Riki!
Mei-Ling: Wait! Maybe the ring's power is keeping her alive.
Riki: Just like Margmel?
Mei-Ling: Yes.
Riki: No... She deserves to live to be a grandma.

Uh oh.

That girl? Annie's sister, the one she mentioned early in Emelia's scenario.

R^2 · « **Reply #192 on:** March 18, 2013, 06:30:10 PM »

Hey, are you the mystic who, being immune to disease, finds pathology endlessly fascinating? The one who, rumor has it, has the power of a mystic lord but doesn't care about politics as long as you have some interesting new malady to study?

Have we got an offer for you!

Despite not having the Gift for Arcane magic, Dr. Nusakan starts with the Death tarot spell.

Of course I know, but you'd... better explain it to Mei-Ling.

It takes several tries, because I had my party built up to take on Jotnar and Suzaku, and they can actually force Mollasite to rout just by using basic punch attacks. Even if they stall by using the Rings and other non-attack moves.

Eventually I bring in the B-list, who are still earlygame level.

That goes a little better. Mollasite moves over to the bed, and possesses the girl.

Then we smack it around with no reason to hold back, since it's tethered to a corporeal body now.

It will LifeSteal an LP away from the girl every turn, and while I don't know how many LP the girl has, this battle has a time limit. First you have to go slowly enough that the monster doesn't flee, then you have to hit it hard enough that its victim doesn't die. It'd be an interesting dynamic if it were done in a better game, I guess.

Yep.

R^2 · « **Reply #193 on:** March 18, 2013, 06:33:17 PM »

It is, ironically enough, the "Healer" ring.

By leaving and reentering, you can milk 2500 credits out of the guy before he leaves.

R^2 · « **Reply #194 on:** March 18, 2013, 06:34:58 PM »

Back to Mosperiburg. I couldn't get Jotnar to even show up this time, so oh well, no SuzakuJr for me.

Thanks, Doc!

The Shield Card joins its bretheren.

Not that I'll ever use it, but...

R^2 · « **Reply #195 on:** March 18, 2013, 06:44:51 PM »

Rei: Controlling space at will is pretty powerful too. To obtain this magic, you must go to the remotest part of space.
Riki: How do I get there?
Rei: There is a creature called Kylin who creates its own magic space, calling it Paradise. It's a very strange place. Well, you'll see when you get there.

And she teleports you to Kylin's Paradise. If you haven't gotten the gift for Light/Shadow or Rune/Arcane magic, she'll just tell you you're not good enough to talk to Kylin and end the conversation there. That's why I did the whole Arcane quest.

He wants to test us, of course.

So he sends you to Level Ate.

It's kinda trippy.

Gravity is subjective in parts...

Size changes in parts...

But it's not actually difficult. There aren't any encounters here, so it's a breezy little dungeon.

Join the party!

Kylin is a monster. Despite the Space magic spells being, well, magic rather than monster abilities, Kylin starts with the whole set. Granted, most of them are kind of useless. LightShift and DarkShift will activate and deactivate Photosynthesis/Deathsynthesis and Deathsynthesis/Photosynthesis respectively. VaporBlast is a single-target attack, ReverseGravity an all-enemies attack, and Vanish an instant-kill that doesn't have the potential backlash that DeathCurse and Death tarot do. Vortex removes stat buffs and debuffs.

So eh.

But we "finally" have our fifth monster.

With Kylin in tow, we return to normal space.

R^2 · « **Reply #196 on:** March 19, 2013, 06:03:30 PM »

Imagine that, a priceless artifact at a retail store has been purchased already.

So apparently this guy isn't the Lord of Owmi like I thought he was in Asellus' game. Oops.

He has Gendo Ikari glasses. I don't trust him.

Lord: Yes, and...?
Mei-Ling: Can we buy it from you?
Lord: I see. Are you also a collector?
Riki: Yeah!!
Lord: Then I'll take whatever rings you've collected so far.

You diiiii-ii-ii-i-i-ick!

R^2 · « **Reply #197 on:** March 19, 2013, 06:15:51 PM »

That's why

has the glasses and not you.

You know what that means.

Somebody brought a bunch of water-nulling PearlHearts when he was in Manhattan, though.

You'd think this flagrantly obvious trap door would be some other obstacle to overcome, but nope.

Devil Squid, chief. Not Monster Squid.

Lord of Owmi: Please spare me!

Poof!

Ain't no mystics look like that, Riki.

Mei-Ling: Now we'll take your ring. You probably got it by bewitching them anyway.
Lord of Owmi?: Shoot! Yo, ya big, hairy... be careful of this broad. Anyone after a ring's gotta be up to no good.
Mei-Ling: Sheesh! Look who's talking!

R^2 · « **Reply #198 on:** March 19, 2013, 06:20:02 PM »

I have an idea! Let's go to Despair!

Because in the sprawling backstreets of Koorong, there is only one restaurant.

Annie: I suppose.
Mei-Ling: Do you know the prisoner who was sentenced for a million years?
Annie: Only by rumor. He's in solitary, with a heavy guard. But I don't know who he really is.
Mei-Ling: We need to find this guy. Can you take us to him?

Again, Mei-Ling pays out of her own purse. Annie whistles.

I guess Mei-Ling pays better than Roufas.

R^2 · « **Reply #199 on:** March 19, 2013, 06:26:58 PM »

When's the last time you saw a hot plumber?

Front Gate Guard: Okay, let me check the pass.

Warden: Hey, what happened to the regular guys?

Clearly they aren't so regular, because you had to call a plumber.

Guard: The pass is valid.
Warden: Hmm, I know. They brought in sub-contractors to do their job. That dog's gonna work, too?
Riki: I'm not a dog. I'm Riki.
Mei-Ling: His sense of smell is very keen. He'll come in handy.

Great, now justify the ogre, the long-dead king of Shrike, the universe's one commander of Space magic, the monk, the samurai, the IRPO cop, the other IRPO cop, the backalley information broker, the creepy doctor...

This plan wouldn't have worked outside a video game, is all I'm sayin'.

As Fei-On did in Tanzer, Annie leads the way to not-the-rune.

News:

Author Topic: Plots to Make Fun Of: Seven of 'Em! -- Let's Play Saga Frontier! (Read 38460 times)