The Raddest Pokemon Ever
Salome's music is purty. As is Pram's.
I have seen the amateur, and it is me.
I have seen the amateur, and it is me.
Episode 6: Prediction
Episode 6 begins with Zetta fast asleep after a long, hard-fought battle. Along comes King Drake, patting himself on the back and trying to stifle his Un Evil Laughter as he attempts to rewrite the Sacred Tome to make himself supreme ruler of the Netherworld. The book gets wise to Drake's wicked wish, and erases it. He tries repeatedly to write the wish in, but is repeatedly denied by the Tome.Zetta wakes up and sees King Drake writing on him, saying that he knew what Drake was trying to do. Was it Pram's fault? Nope...it was Trenia, in a rare moment of lucidity. She tells Drake that that Tome has a mind of its own, and has the ability to strike out wishes it doesn't like. In other words, because Zetta's soul is bound to the book, he's not about to let Drake take control of the Netherworld with a simple wish. Drake can't believe that he wasn't informed of those rules, and Trenia says that she hadn't told them to him yet.
Pram teleports in, wondering how Trenia knows so much about the tome. Drake tries to convince Pram to get rid of Trenia for him, but Pram disses his cowardice in trying to steal control of the Netherworld. Drake, his pride hurt, runs away sobbing. (Bitch.)
Enter Salome, who comes in too late to figure out what's going on. She wants to help him regain his body, and then make her own wish come true.
The crew has decided to set a course for Salome's netherworld, but Steve has decided to make a few "roster adjustments" before they leave. Out of nowhere, an archer (named Tessa) 1, a Scrap Metal titan (named Alphonse) 2, a Tar Man (named Rocket) 3, a Red Idol (named Jeanne) 4, a Bomber Head (named Zodiark) 5, a Shadow (named Lamont) 6, a Walking Corn (named Munky) 7 and an Appleseed (named Johnny, natch) 8 wander into the Overlord's Castle.
"Uh, Steve?" Meredith says angrily. "What are we supposed to do with all of these new characters? They're not even combat-ready yet!"
"It's all right," says Steve. "We'll just take them along with us, and they can learn from the pros. We could eventually use a few good hands in case any of you guys go down."
"Do you have any idea how much we're going to have to go through until they're ready to actually be of service to us? And why so many, anyway?"
"Hey...I took a look at our unit generator and realized that we haven't been making the most of it. We could probably get some more of the strong monsters like the enemies we've been running into lately if we just keep training."
Meredith sighs, and watches as Tessa leads the new recruits into the warehouse, searching frantically for any kind of leftover weapons they can find to make themselves useful to the squad.
edited 13th Jul '10 11:11:16 AM by WillyFourEyes
I hope you get tiny bits of eggshell in all your omelettes for the rest of your life!
The Raddest Pokemon Ever
Have you gotten to the point where you can reliably grind 3-4 for Mana?
I have seen the amateur, and it is me.
Not that I know of. At this point, I can still only grind it for bonus gifts/EXP.
I hope you get tiny bits of eggshell in all your omelettes for the rest of your life!
The Raddest Pokemon Ever
You'd be surprised what your Main Character can dish out at the end of a combo, plus a Raider Hut / Fortress and Bravehearts.
I have seen the amateur, and it is me.
Yeah. My main hero's got an Attack rating of 500+ even without those kind of boosts. I keep him outside of facilities for those annoying floors in dungeons when you can only summon regular characters.
I hope you get tiny bits of eggshell in all your omelettes for the rest of your life!
The Raddest Pokemon Ever
You probably know this already, but Merchants gain EXP when you buy things from them. They can gain sooo many levels if you get top-of-the-line stuff.
BTW, since I'm a lazy bum, what's the strongest sword in her inventory right now?
I have seen the amateur, and it is me.
"All right, everybody! Training time!" says Steve.
Everyone except the new recruits groans. "Again?" says Leonard.
"Hey...gotta do it so that we can keep the new recruits fresh."
"But we don't have enough money to arm them!" says Nabiki.
"No problem. We'll just let them sit in the warehouse for a while, and once they've got enough experience, they can join us."
Free Dungeon Highlights:
B1F: There are only a Red Idol and Merchant when the team first enters. The group spots a Turbo Engine that can be used to upgrade the movement speed of any vehicle. Rather than just proceed after stealing the engine, the team puts on an exhibition for the rookies and routs everyone. The residual EXP boost from the stage bonus increases the level of everyone inside the Warehouse to 10. Their HP and SP aren't restored proportionally, so one errant sword strike will still kill them.B2F: No facilities can be invited, so the rookies can't just watch, and only four can appear at one time. The leaders and Lucca try their best to fight off the small horde of enemies they meet, going after the magic users first.
B8F: Kashiwa learn an attack called Hell Needle, where she stabs an enemy with the syringe repeatedly and absorbs its health. This now puts her on par with Steve and Meredith as a viable combatant, since Syringe attacks are determined by RES.
B9F: At the end of the road lies a pit full of magic users, who are unable to escape. Steve charges right for the pit and prepares to add to his burgeoning mana count as they group around each other preparing their best shielding magic.
B10F: The team spawns right next to the boss, a level 28 Tin Doll. They ignore all of the other enemies in the vicinity and unload on the boss to get the maximum possible bonus points with minimal effort.
B11F: Lucca warns Steve that the LEX is running out of fuel, and that they should return to base soon in order to fix it.
After a few more floors of dominance, the group escapes on the 16th floor, with every character gaining at least one level. The rookies shot all the way up to level 17 without having to do anything at all.
In addition, two new classes become available to add to the team: the Makai Chef and the Gourmet Ogre. Steve doesn't have very much room left in the castle to keep them, so he decides not to create any new team members for now.
New Map Effects:
- Let's Fight! - Summons Fighter and/or Samurai Units.
- Flexible Body Wanted! - Summons Professors in Gear Metal LEXs.
- Just My Luck - Everyone is Depraved.
edited 21st Jul '10 4:13:52 PM by WillyFourEyes
I hope you get tiny bits of eggshell in all your omelettes for the rest of your life!
I have seen the amateur, and it is me.
Bad news: the Makai Kingdom liveblog is going to be put on hold for a while as I search for a replacement AC adapter for my Play Station 2. I gave the one I was currently using to my sister because she's taking her Sega Dreamcast with her to college (they use the same unit, and she's been dying to play Sonic Adventure 2 for GodJesus knows how long).
I hope you get tiny bits of eggshell in all your omelettes for the rest of your life!
Hey, that's alright. I have been criminally negligent in my own ToEE liveblog since I started running online Demon: The Fallen.
"The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules." - E. Gary Gygax
I have seen the amateur, and it is me.
I will get back to it, just as soon as I locate a new adapter. I need to search my house...I think one of my boomboxes uses the same model.
I hope you get tiny bits of eggshell in all your omelettes for the rest of your life!
I have seen the amateur, and it is me.
Scratch that. Liveblog is now dead, now and forever. I've made the tough but long-overdue decision to get rid of my PS 2.
I hope you get tiny bits of eggshell in all your omelettes for the rest of your life!
Shucks. Well, Willy's PS 2: I salute you! Go with the graces of the mighty Generation Ininity Console in the sky!
"The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules." - E. Gary Gygax
I have seen the amateur, and it is me.
*sends this thread to the Netherworld Hospital for treatment*
Sorry to keep you all waiting...I found a replacement PS 2. Well, rather, it found me. Since I'm more than halfway through this game, might as well see it through to the end.
Stage 6-1: Salome in Anguish
A loud explosion in the distance, and a lightning bolt herald the return of Alejandro the Asshat God of Dork-struction. Alex throws some more book-related barbs in Zetta's direction, which Zetta, of course, shrugs off. The other Overlords are watching the slap fight on Pram's crystal ball TV, as Seedle and Salome have their own little war of words. Pram finds it odd that Alex was able to catch up to Zetta a second time without being invited, because everything in the Sacred Tome disappeared along with the Netherworld. Trenia then speaks up, admitting that she tipped Alex off to Zetta's location for the lulz. The other overlords see this turn of events as a "very bad thing", since no one else knows. She then claims to be psychic, which shocks Pram into complete silence, and the others into laughter.
Battle time! Salome's Netherworld starts off with a handful of death sabers wielding some rather damaging morningstars. Zetta and crew, rusty and grumpy after a month-long rest, are in no mood to play around, so they take the cats out as quickly as possible. This draws the attention of a lumbering Iron Guard in the nearby Command Center, who scores a kill of its own. After disposing of the Iron Guard, Steve claims the newly-abandoned Command Center as his temporary base of operations. Because it's the key to the next area, Zetta instead decides to summon the hospital in uncharted territory just to the south of his position. The nearby monsters attack the building, hoping to get something out of it, but by the time they discover the buildings are empty, Zetta's team is long gone, having found the path to the next area, wherever that may be.
edited 23rd Sep '10 3:59:37 PM by WillyFourEyes
I hope you get tiny bits of eggshell in all your omelettes for the rest of your life!
Yay! More Makai Kingdom... the game I quit after two levels but for some reason love as a liveblog.
"The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules." - E. Gary Gygax
I have seen the amateur, and it is me.
Before heading off into the battlefield once again, Steve ascends to the next evolutionary level (from Warrior to Destroyer), with his level once again reset to 1. He brags that it's okay for him to do this, because he's the leader, and by default the most powerful unit of the group.
Stage 6-2: Salome's Confession
The crew gets dropped in a mountainous area, protected by a few powerful medics and witches. Steve hangs back while his supreme team clears the field and steals anything not rooted. Everything goes according to plan and ends rather quickly for the team.An earthquake rattles the, erm, "ground" where the overlords are standing. Babylon says that something similar happened before, when "The One" made its first appearance. (Whoa.) He starts shaking in his scales at the mere mention of the One.
Stage 6-3: Salome's Sigh
The pending appearance of "The One" is of no concern to Zetta and his group, as they have to deal with a dangerous brigand who's holed himself up on the northern end of the hills. The path is full of enemies with various implemenets of death, and the brigand boss is fully prepared to summon more into the battle. They know that they won't make it in time to stop the summoning, so they concentrate on bringing down as many as they can in the four turns that they have. The boss, after seeing that his minions are nothing more than a group of slimes (Tar Men), decides enough is enough, and sends everyone after them. "What do you mean everyone?"
Zetta's team decides to wait them out, figuring that since there's no penalty for taking too long to beat a stage. They are first attacked by a new machine, a wind-generating WarCry 01, which blasts Steve and his crew back a few meters and slams them into the nearby rock. Unfazed, they get up and rip the machine to pieces. Lucca laments the fact that they couldn't simply steal it and make it one of their own. Morrigan picks off the leader with a weak wind spell, just to rub it in. The other henchmen are allowed to live...at least until Salome gets back and finds out that they have failed her.
edited 23rd Sep '10 3:59:16 PM by WillyFourEyes
I hope you get tiny bits of eggshell in all your omelettes for the rest of your life!
- points for a Leon reference!
I have seen the amateur, and it is me.
BOOM! In a tiny blaze of fire, Makai Chef Mugen, the Gourmet Ogre Jin, and the Big Eye Fuu wander into Zetta's ever-changing castle. Only they really know why they're here, because they came without any money. Zetta orders them to sit and wait in the warehouse until they've received enough experience-through-osmosis training to fight with the rest of the team.
Stage 6-4: Fallen Salome
Similarly to the previous battle, this one takes place on a vary narrow path. A few enemy outposts and castles line the area, with samurai guarding them. Apparently, there is something Salome doesn't want anybody getting near. Or, it could just be another level without any significance. Who knows?The samurai guards come out to give Zetta's trespassing brigade a warning beating. Zetta's team has little choice but to respond in kind, but also being careful of friendly fire. After the Samurai are defeated, only a captain in the wind-generating WarCry 01 and an unseen-until-now Demon Soldier remain. The Captain tries to demolish one of her own buildings (which had been hijacked by the heroes in all of the confusion), but is ultimately done in with a tag-team effort by a few of Steve's best hand-picked troops.
Stage 6-5: Salome's Compensation
After a pair of closed-road battles, the gang feels glad to be back in an open-field battle again...or so they think. After they clear the road of Shadows, the next area spawns in a location out of their reach. Luckily, they are able to gather enough points needed to clear the stage without any problems, so they pack up their things and go to...Stage 6-6: Tragic Salome
...a dead-end forest, where apparently Raiden has set a trap for them."This guy again?" says Meredith. "I thought we had beaten him already."
"It is strange," replies Kashiwa. "I was expecting a cutscene of some sort to herald this upcoming battle."
"Lo, how the once-mighty have fallen," Astral interjects.
"Cutscene or no cutscene," says Steve, "we're still going to take these guys down! Right, guys?"
"Right!" they all respond...at least the ones with voices do.
Raiden's metal monstrosities rev up their weapons for a fierce battle. Morrigan, predictably, is the first to fall as the enemy's LEXs close in on them. Astral and Tessa also fall prey to the monsters' Ark Fire. Steve, Meredith, Kashiwa, Woody, and Ryuunosuke are able to hold out long enough for the enemy to run out of firepower, allowing them to mount a small comeback. Kashiwa survives an assassination attempt, and stays as far back as she can so that she doesn't get shot at again while the rest of them go after Raiden's troops.
"If you're asking me to be impressed," says Raiden, "you're sadly mistaken. You can approach me slowly, or rush as quickly as possible. It matters not, for you will be destroyed no matter what you do."
"Don't you mean 'killed'?" asks Meredith.
The remaining four fighters hit Raiden with their most powerful attacks, but he manages to survive with less than 10% of his HP.
"Is that the best you've got?" he bellows. "You should have spent more time training. Now is the moment of your death! Farewell."
Raiden tosses his thunder drum into the air, which forms a ring of lightning that wraps around his body and circles him like a hula hoop, zapping Zetta's power part for massive damage. Steve and Meredith are badly battered, but neither falls.
"Can't say it's been nice knowing you," Steve says as he plunges his sword in Raiden's back.
Alex appears before Zetta, impressed that he was actually able to kill Raiden. "You may be rotten to the core," he says, "but you know your stuff."
Zetta takes offense to Alex's backhanded compliment. "How dare you! I'm not rotten!"
Alex powers up and prepares to attack Zetta while the two of them are face to face. Trenia's cat wanders in and mumbles something to Alex, and Alex suddenly says that he has to retreat. Zetta is left in the dark as to what's going on. All Alex says before leaving is "You'll know soon enough. Laterz!"
Six netherworlds conquered, and just two to go.
Among the many rewards for taking down Raiden, Zetta's crew has acquired its first non-Gear Metal LEX vehicle: a Justice Gear! More on this in my next update.
Extra Note: There are several bonus battles to partake in after the game is completed, but since they require Loads and Loads of Grinding and aren't required for the plot, I'll conclude this liveblog with the defeat of the final boss.
edited 28th Sep '10 11:20:48 AM by WillyFourEyes
I hope you get tiny bits of eggshell in all your omelettes for the rest of your life!
Sounds like a pretty brutal fight there. Hope that Justice Gear was worthwhile compensation for your trouble...
"The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules." - E. Gary Gygax
I must say, I'm very impressed. Not just with your most recent struggles, but with the LB as a whole. I think you're very good at giving these various characters distinct traits and personalities. That's a valuable skill that's hard to find nowadays, if works like Twilight are any indication.
By the way, I think it's about time to get Mickey's Netherworld out of the way next time. There's not much left to the game, and we don't want things to end anticlimatically, do we? ...Was that even a word?
Two more things before the post is over. First, when you use reincarnation, do you always wait until you have enough mana for the next rank up and then go for it, or do you sometimes change classes/species/genders/whatever? I'd hope you don't mind me saying this, but when I played through this game, I liked to make things such as mages that could take a few good physical hits, and melee fighters that knew how to heal themselves in case of an emergency.
Second, have you ever used your Red Idol to paint anything? It doesn't do anything helpful, but it's nice to have an extra personal touch on your war machines of death and destruction.
And that's all I have to say for now. Best of luck in the battles to come!
The Raddest Pokemon Ever
Wait, Idols can paint vehicles?
...My life is incomplete.
They're the ones with red hair and berets, right? Just summon one of them and a vehicle into the main area, talk to her, and select your target. Free of cost, too. I can still remember riding into battle on my glorious violet LEX...
I have seen the amateur, and it is me.
Yeah. Micky's Netherworld will be the next one to conquer. I'm going to save Alexander's for last. There's a story-based reason for me doing this.
And to answer your earlier questions, Endark: I always find it advantageous to save up as much mana as possible both to create a facility (even if it means using dummy buildings like warehouses and huts that get deleted soon after creation for extra mana) and advance them to the next class in line. If I've got a magician who needs 200 Mana to advance to the next level, I often let him rack up enough kills to get twice that so that he has some left over for the transmigration process. It's ugly, but it's usually a lot cheaper than absorbing stars, which have been pretty hard to come by in my game lately.
edited 30th Sep '10 9:58:36 AM by WillyFourEyes
I hope you get tiny bits of eggshell in all your omelettes for the rest of your life!
Okay...I'll pick. After a quickie coin flip (heads for Micky, tails for Salome), the coin lands on tails. Looks like it's Salome's for us!
I hope you get tiny bits of eggshell in all your omelettes for the rest of your life!