Part 12: Part Twelve: No Boat Stuff

Part Twelve: No Boat Stuff


Here's the world map, just on the other side of Tozus. I think I have Mini still on in this shot, but I forget.


Either way, Desch has a new scene for us now that we've gone through the town.

The characters have more, well, character in this version of the game than in the original - more backstory and personality and whatnot - but it's not really integrated into the game itself outside that very first part before the Djinn and Canaan. The rest of the time, you get it through optional scenes like this and Mognet letters.


Kuja is so concerned about Desch's memory. Just look at her face. The models can be pretty expressive, even if the game isn't a visual marvel or anything.

I also like the bow on her Black Mage hat.


See? An expression. You can see what's going on and you don't even need it explained.


Of course, it is explained. The game doesn't pretend to be deep with this kind of thing.


Now we can move on to this other cave! Lotta caves in the world.


This particular cave isn't a dungeon, though. It's the Viking's Cove. Of course, you can read that in the screenshot. If you can't read, then I guess we're really just wasting each other's time here.


Over here is a viking who looks like he might be sick. You can tell he's a viking (Viking?) because of his horned helmet.


Nevermind, I guess he's just sleeping.


Vikings are...kind of like pirates in this game, I guess?


They're also in a tight spot. If you're at all savvy, you've figured out what we have to do here already.


And now you've figured out why we're doing it.




The vikings aren't really doing anything right now. I think this area probably would have been better served as a run-down coastal town kind of deal as opposed to a cave.


In the next room, there's an item shop...


...and an inn. I don't need any items, and I thought I didn't need the inn, because I forgot that I'd pissed all my MP up the Mini wall. O hubris!



There's also a Black Mage hanging around here, selling magic. There are some spells that I'll go out of my way to buy later in the game, but right now it's not a top priority, and besides, this guy doesn't have anything we haven't seen before.


While I'm here, I relieve the vikings of this little thing. It's not much use to me in my current state, but it'll come in handy once I have a Thief in the party again. Besides, they probably pillaged it anyway, so it's not like I'm really hurting anyone by nicking it.


The second half of Viking's Cove features what is, presumably, the dock.




There are also some vikings hanging around.



Treasure, too! Like the dagger, I can't use the axe right at this moment, but cash is always handy.


Also located in Viking's Cove: a revival wellspring.


And, of course, a moogle.


Too bad it hadn't quite been an hour since my last message, though.



More vikings! In case you hadn't picked up on it, maybe THE ENTERPRISE will be important to us.



You can also mess with the cannon here. It makes a splashing noise when the ball hits the water.


Downstairs, I find a bed. Unfortunately, I can't rest on it for a free heal, so I guess I have to use the inn if I want to restore my MP.



This nice lady viking helpfully reminds me that there are boat troubles happening and to be on the lookout for the dragon. Jeez, what can I do about a dragon? I'm supposed to be saving the world, not ensuring safe sea travel.


This guy is the boss viking.


His boats got all fucked up by a dragon.


But hey! If we can beat up the dragon or whatever, we can have his last boat.



This is a pretty safe deal for Boss Viking to enter into, because we're children and we will probably die. If we don't, he can build another boat, I suppose.

I don't really have much to say about this right now. It's a very basic sort of RPG roadblock: we can't travel further without a boat, but to get the boat we have to do a small quest. This game was designed in the late '80s, it's not huge into the current RPG design trends.


Just outside Viking's Cove is a boat. Since there's only supposed to be one boat, it stands to reason that this is the Enterprise.


And I...can just get on freely?


Haha, fuck you, Boss Viking! Have fun with the dragon, shitlord!


...Oh.


...Oh.


...Oh.


Shit.





Well.

If you try to take the Enterprise straight away, you get attacked by the Nepto Dragon. You cannot beat the Nepto Dragon. You must do the quest first.

With Bahamut on Dragon's Peak, if you grind a bunch of levels or whatever, you can beat him and nothing changes. With the Nepto Dragon, though, it just kills two of your characters every round and you get a game over.


So, instead of taking the Enterprise, we head to this temple north of Viking's Cove.





These are everyone's stats before I head into the dungeon. Sephy and Kuja are still in the adjustment phase, and levels haven't gotten high enough for the classes to really diverge stat-wise. Encounter rates in the game are generally fairly high, but I've had Mini for a while so I haven't been looking for fights, plus I don't want to gain too many levels as a mage.

Besides, I don't need them. The game piles difficulty on for the Djinn (comparatively), but doesn't keep that curve up, so a more natural growth is fine most of the time.


Nepto Temple, the temple of the Nepto Dragon.


Where we find a statue of the Nepto Dragon. Quelle surprise.


A dragon statue with one eye. The eye glows purple. Pretty metal.


Maybe you should trade that Red Mage hat for a deerstalker, Detective.





Sephy is as disappointed as I am.

Next time: more Mini stuff.

Mognet



Today's letter is from Topapa, who tells us about the kids getting into trouble with their ill-advised adventures. Who'da thunk it?

This is also Topapa's last letter, and unlocks his sidequest in the game, which we will get to...in a bit!