Unicorn Overlord

Within the context of a relatively niche studio amd a relatively niche genre (SRPG), 500k in a month goes beyond landing a critical hit.

Its more in the lines of rolling two natural 20’s in a row.

Edit: Pure Field hard counters Featherbows as does X of the Fairies.

Edited by magnum12 on Apr 8th 2024 at 3:30:23 AM

Based on VW’s usual track record, it’s definitely good for them; even if they never make a UO successor or another (T/S)RPG, they should make the profits needed for a new project of similar calibre and passion.

I really didn’t think so, but thanks for the confirmation there… It really makes me appreciate all the more how much thought was put into the setting, how big it genuinely feels with so many internal stories. Considering how many writers feel the need for everyone to be interconnected to the point it feels like a smaller world, but here we have unnamed notable characters like Cornia’s first Queen, it Amalia’s asshat ancestor.

Like, this isn’t another Bernadetta’s peasant childhood friend was actually a named character whose backstory as she knew it was a lie; annecdotal figures can be that, and the actual connections (Clive mentions Gailey as the noble who ended Berenice’s aspirations of knighthood, and he can be spotted in the prologue before his story relevance in Elheim) can speak for themselves. It feels… oddly real?

Edited by CaellachTigerEye on Apr 8th 2024 at 9:58:01 PM

Further testing of countering Feather Bows.

Rage of the Fairies gets blocked by blind. Rosalinde Elemental Roar gets countered by blind. Then the other parts of the Alain comp massacre them cause the Feather Bows waste all their PP trying to block the Rosalinde/Rolf Pursuit alpha strike, allowing Rolf to Row Shot their whole line undisturbed.

Eltolinde fares much better. Boon of the Fairies acts like a half strength Pure Field but with healing. Her Elemental Roar alpha strike goes through normally because blind is a debuff rather than a status ailment.

Act 5 is when the weaker sister gets her turn to shine. Note: The sisters are rated as S and S- tier respectively by r/unicornoverlord. Main difference being Rage of the Fairies is considered a slightly better skill…except for this specific situation.

Elven Archers are still the Feather Bow’s absolute worst match up.

Edited by magnum12 on Apr 8th 2024 at 6:55:21 AM

I literally dont get this whole "countering the featherbows" thing.

...Do people struggle? They literally never registered as a threat at all. Like, I struggle to remember a single fight with Featherbows that like... was any kind of an obstacle?

Alright, sweet, going to get this game in a few days.

I can't wait to play the latest Fire Emblem.

Feather Bows while not exceptionally damgerous on their own developed a really nasty reputation for shutting people down with blindness, especially when comboed with something actually threatening like multiple Doom Knights.

Think Shamans (another enemy type with a reputation for being extremely annoying) but able to damage you.

Hence me experimenting with ways to hard counter the class so others don’t experience that nightmare. Interesting that the same class that hard counters Shamen is what hard counters Feather Bows…Elven Archers.

Did you pack lots of blind immunity in your squads?

Edited by magnum12 on Apr 9th 2024 at 6:49:25 AM

Not blind immunity, but I have a lot of true strike and all my characters have really high aim stats so they are less defenseless if a flyer or thief squad sneaks on them, so blind kinda does fuck all. Also the game has like, three clerics by this point who an just remove debuffs, along with 3 elven archers who can do the same

I've legit not noticed the featherbow do anything. they also, like, tend to get one shotted by arrow assists so often they dont even get to act.

It's really weird to see people saying they struggle on these units. They never registered to me. I never even used the featherbow you do recruit coz her class left no impact in my mind.

Shamans are way more annoying because of how they make fights drag out (though thankfully they become less of a threat as the game goes on due to the default tactics favoring their worst moves)

Edited by Ghilz on Apr 9th 2024 at 9:59:33 AM

That’s similar to the way I’ve been playing. Trying to get a true striker or healer in every squad as part of a well rounded take on all comers approach.

I just noticed some interesting data points after hearing about how infamous the class was and wanted to share.

I think people struggle because they build themed teams (flyer teams, cav teams) or try to build Death Star comps and get it shut down by blind.

At least my Death Star comps are part of a synergized squad strategy so as to not put every egg in one basket.

Edited by magnum12 on Apr 9th 2024 at 7:23:56 AM

there are multiple ways to make everyone in party to immune all conditions or even just countering specific condition (like there is ring that gives 1 action all unit buff that gives blindness immunity and accuracy bonus)

speaking of which, I ended up testing switching Gammel to Lex on my Alain, plus Rolf plus Mandrin plus Ramona unit because of amount of level 50 parties with all immunity gear for them making all of rogue class abilities redundant.(shadowblind is great yeah, if opposing party didn't bother with immunities in any form, but almost any unit that has Alain also has holy unicorn blade so it doesn't help with Alain's spinning) Its working decently but definitely not one for all solution either

(I'm not having best ranking because I'm taking opportunity of fighting actual parties to learn to optimize my primary unit's strategies better. Its legit good learning experience)

Edited by SpookyMask on Apr 9th 2024 at 7:28:19 AM

Encounter the “it was a dream” thing again.

This time with the 3rd Eltolinde rapport.

Alain must be incredibly unfaithful to constantly fantasize about other women like that.

I believe this is Leaning on the Fourth Wall trolling directed at the player. Specifically the ones that seek harem routes.

With Alain basically saying this…

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C-i5s08pYDE&pp=ygULcm9ib3RuaWsgbm8%3D

Cause YTP Robotnik memes never grow old.

Edited by magnum12 on Apr 10th 2024 at 5:01:44 AM

It's one hell of a characterization where Alain is both oblivious to love but also keeps dreaming of hooking up with all his co-workers.

(And his cousin that looks like his mom. He should never live that one down)

Edited by Ghilz on Apr 10th 2024 at 9:06:28 AM

If Alain is a memetic womanizer (thanks a bunch to my discovery of that Easter Egg), then I have this question to all of you.

Who is the game’s Memetic Molester?

Melisandre does hit a lot of the check boxes inviting said interpretation.

I personally nominate the Bastoria Armorer. Due to his voice and the infamous Baldurs Gate 3 “Fun with Bears” meme, he sounds like he’s gonna either stuff you in a suit or take you out back and do inappropiate things to you.

I mean it's Melisandre and there's literally no other contender?

She literally breaks into his home repeatedly if you don't marry her.

Like no one's even close to her league.

Edited by Ghilz on Apr 10th 2024 at 9:23:12 AM

That's the second time you asked that.

And really, people ignored you the first time for a reason... It's kinda a creepy question.

Trying to be comedic in a Black Comedy way..like the trope.

Seems I suck at it. Still not gonna give up trying the spirit of banter.

Or maybe stick to trying to devise ways to go full blown Old Man Henderson on this game

Edited by magnum12 on Apr 10th 2024 at 7:05:49 AM

Well, as far as characters surprising me Rosalinde is definitely up there. She goes from dignified, wise Warrior Princess to flirty goofball troll when she's no longer in the public eye.

Edited by ShirowShirow on Apr 10th 2024 at 3:27:45 PM

I found a bug while testing counters to Feather Bow. It involved a Glacial Rain death star build.

While the Sorceress’ Focus Sight will bypass Bling, the Sniper’s Amber Lens Hawk Eye skill does not. Hawk Eye is supposed to grant both true sight and auto crit.

Where to go to report this so it can get patched?

-Edit: The Sword Master’s Hastened Strike also gets negated by Shining Light, despite its accuracy being True.

I have found the reason people struggle with Feather Bows. Shining Light is an extremely buggy ability in which the bugs benefit it. Said bugs negate its supposed counters.

Edited by magnum12 on Apr 12th 2024 at 4:36:51 AM

Update: I have found even more bugs involving Blinding Light.

Refresh does not get triggered by Blinding Light. I know this one is a bug for two reasons.

1. Passive skills can proc other passive skills. Example: Rage of the Fairies can proc Blinding Light.

2. Blinding Light is a debuff not an affliction. This is known because Pure Field blocks Blinding Light.

Yet another round of intended counter play not working because of bugs. No one skill is as buggy as Blinding Light.

Also gonna share my Beren tank build. The basic premise is that in contrast with Alain whose tankiness plays like a World of Warcraft Protection Paladin (emphasis on damage reduction, protecting allies, with some healing), Beren plays more like a Blood Death Knight. Though her shield and her fantastic start of battle move certainly help. She’s the meat shield to my Yunnifie Death Star build.

Axe you get from Sanctuary (more hp + middle finger to typical ways to counter tanks), Azure Crest Great Shield, Bloodmoon Earrings (Sanguine Pursuit is the lynchpin of the build), Amethyst Pendant.

Edited by magnum12 on Apr 13th 2024 at 7:34:53 AM

Honest question folks: should someone do an Unintentionally Unsympathetic write-up for Gammel?

I’ve been yonder Reddit, and a lot of folks feel the game fails to reasonably deliver on him being someone we should even believe on his Freudian Excuse to begin with; I for one find it funny that neither Clive or Alain actually question if the sob story this proven murderer is even true, the argument is solely about whether he should still be punished… Then, when Mandrin reinforces it, Ochlys actually presents that very reasonable argument for disbelieving him deserving of mercy; at this point the player has good reason to believe it true (same in reverse), but why does the other person in the scene not question one Black Talon but not the other (yes, Clive and Ochlys are different people in their values, but why did Rolf not decry Gammel a liar then?) On top of which… if I had a choice between recruiting one but not the other, I’d think Mandrin is committing the lesser evil; he kills nobody onscreen and is only robbing a church for Divine Shards, while Gammel outright slaughtered the town militia and said, “Take everything of value.”

Then there’s the fact of how the plot lets you execute numerous other characters who just happen to have been aligned with Zenoira, but Gammel (if you didn’t free him) and Beaumont get off with slaps on the wrist for participating in slavery… Granted, I don’t have an issue with the other scene where a reformed Gammel pays Alain’s earlier kindness forward with… was it Cesar? Cezar…? Anyway, that one makes contextual sense. But along with trusting Batiste to keep Beaumont in line, you don’t get the option to even express whether you can trust Gammel to not fall into crime again just because Celeste offered air for his sister; the game outright shames you for not giving him the benefit of the doubt. Never mind that again, why should we believe his word without proof… and why should we believe someone willing to enter the slave trade wasn’t already bad to begin with.

There’s probably some Values Dissonance going on, but between me and numerous players baffled at how differently the standards are applied to Gammel (and to an extent, Beaumont) I reckon we have enough material to argue the case. I don’t even think the idea itself was bad, but the execution is definitely… something, that’s for sure.

Did more investigating into that Easter Egg I found. Chole and Yahna trigger the It Was A Dream, better not mess with the covenent or you’ll be sorry. Sharon, Kitra, and Oclyss do not trigger it.

I think the issue with Gammel is one of a lack of show. Showing the sister on screen even with Celeste would have done a much better execution. Flaws of an idealistic narrative.

As per Batiste and Beaumont, the lore depicts Batiste as an Anti-Villain whose stuck with an asshole. I think the intent was for karmic justice. The moment Batiste gets a viable chance to escape his life of villainy, he takes it and gets his karmic justice by becoming Beaumont’s master. Being stuck doing good by the guy you stuck into evil is the ultimate form of ironic humiliation.

Just think how angry the fan base would be if the game forced you to kill someone like Harpuia.

To elaborate, Harpuia is an antagonist from the Mega Man series that blurs the line between Anti-Villain and Hero Antagonist. He’s a dick whose worst acts amount to trying to speed bump Zero with his own soldiers…in order to buy some time to conduct an investigation on the 2nd game’s Big Bad who was an imminent threat. but he was a very honorable reploid that genuinely wanted to protect as many innocent people as he could, but is stuck with a total psycho of a boss. Heavily implied at the end of the 2nd game’s 1st act to not be happy that things turned out the way they did. Is massively popular with the fan base for being such a complex and tragic character in a series not known for complex stories.

Edited by magnum12 on Apr 14th 2024 at 4:10:53 AM

Turns out Joseph is actually a subversion of the Jeagen. His stat growth EXPLODES once he hits level 40. Apparently at level 50 with Roscurian Blade his attack power is slightly worse than Alains.

Galerus and Baltro have a Weak Sauce Weakness that I discovered completely by accident. Lack of Contractual Boss Immunity.

Galerus’ signature barrier shenanigans are a Start of Battle move. Since I had Alain and Rosalinde in the same squad (covenant), Rage of the Faries is in my commander team. Stun works on BOTH bosses. Meaning neither of them get to use their Start of Battle commands.

Galerus was half dead before he got a single turn. Baltro’s squad was more than 3/4 dead with two Dark Marquis killed before they got a turn, resulting in a whopping 23 damage inflicted back vs 1500+ they suffered).

This is the comp I use. Forgot some of it since I dont have the game on right now. It snaps PVE in two as soon as you get Elemental Roar (act 4). Haven’t tested this in PVP as a hopeful counter to Trinity Rain.

Alain: Holy Unicorn Blade, Chivalric Shield (should probably update this), Ring of the Unicorn, Sapphire Pendant

Rosalinde: Kings Spear+, Ring of the Maiden, Angel Plume, (depending on initiative could swap for Sniper’s Amber Lens), Ruby Pendant.

Scarlette: Lyrical Wand+, Frost Tome (Ice Conferal is the most important part of the comp), Scarlette’s Ribbon, Sapphire Pendant iirc.

Oclyss and Rolf are there to act as a 2nd tank and anti scout/flyer respectively.

Edited by magnum12 on Apr 17th 2024 at 6:18:57 AM

And I thought “Chole” was the only repeated misspelling you’d partake in…

Good job on figuring these things out, though; it really speaks to how much depth the game has, that putting together the right preset of tactics with the correct unit really seems to make this come together.

Unrelated to this (or my earlier Gammel inquiry), but am I the only person who doesn’t get why Lex/Chloe is apparently a Fan-Preferred Couple? Maybe it’s the reports of the English localisation (purportedly) trying to accentuate it, which actually gives me Ash/Misty flashbacks and being literally the only person who anti-shipped it… probably because something was off instinctively there, too. *shudders*

People have a hard time understanding that two people who stand in a room together are not madly in love because they talked once. Expand that to two people whose dialogue and characterization completely revolve around the other in a complex way that shows how much they care about each other.

It's not wrong to see it as sibling-like behavior, but just about everyone seeing it is also going to see a guy trying to show off for his crush.