Part 123: Incompetence at the Missile Base

Bonus Update: Incompetence at the Missile Base


Today, we're going back to the Missile Base to see what happens if you fuck up the mission there.


As soon as we walk in the place, there's this choice.

: It might look suspicious if we're uptight, so let's just act casual.


It doesn't actually matter what you choose here, this guy always stops you.

Guard: No running inside the base! The catwalks are very narrow here!
: (...Phew. Don't scare me like that...)


He's always got something to say, but he's just a chatterbox.


For example, this is what he says if you try to sneak past, which results in everyone doing their crouching sneak run thing.

: Ahh...Umm...No sir...!
Guard: Then walk normally...

He just seems so baffled by their dumb running around.


There aren't many changes with this first bit of the base.



At least you get the option to give this guy the wrong message. It's the little things.

: It's about inspecting the circuit room. The maintenance team said they were free, so they're gonna go on ahead.
: (Huh? Was that what they said?)



It doesn't change how this plays out, but delivering the wrong message reduces the SeeD bonus you get during the mission.


Since we went nuts on the panel in the main update, let's be a bit more careful here.




Of course, this changes nothing.


I don't really know why this one's even here. It doesn't affect anything, even the SeeD bonus.



This choice is the one that can get you caught.


Let's get nuts.


For whatever reason, these guys aren't even Base Soldiers, just regular G-Soldiers.


They do not live long.


As you can see, there's nobody around now that we've been caught.


Still have the missiles to deal with, though.



Being as we're not disguised, this is pretty direct.

: (Maybe that was a bit too much? Well, what's done is done!)



: We're gonna screw up this plan of yours!

Let's kill some people.



69 is the funny sex number.


Still have to do all the stuff with the control panels here.


And the self-destruct, of course.


Just like what happens if you don't get caught, this guy re-activates the launch procedure.


This time, though, there's some other business to handle before we leave.

: There's gotta be some kind of control panel that changes the missiles' target! We have to do something! Or else... It's all over!!! Let's go back! We gotta do this!


Or, I mean, we could not. That sounds boring.


Let's check out what's going on outside.


Naturally, the Galbadians have all decided to leave.


And of course, the missile launch goes off, same as always.


But, since we didn't stop it...

: Squall... Everyone... I'm sorry... We failed...

Honestly it was less "failed" and more "decided not to succeed".

: The missile target... We couldn't change it... It's all over...

Again, less "couldn't" and more "didn't".


As they are wont to do, the missiles fly towards Garden.


Is this a real thing missiles do?




The Garden comes out decidedly worse in this exchange.




I think it would be pretty funny if you had to do the whole sequence with Squall in the MD Level even if you didn't change the Error Ratio.


Of course, that's non-canon. So, let's jump over to a parallel save where: Rinoa is here instead of Zell; I chose 40 minutes for the timer, which is a very long time. Probably more than you need for the entire sequence if you know what you're doing.


By the way, once you've been unmasked, random encounters start showing up in the place, like this Geezard. Who the hell let a damn Geezard in?


This guy, Thrustaevis, is a touch more interesting.


Thrustaevis drops items you can use to make Wind magic. At higher levels, these Shear Feathers are replaced with Windmills, which refine into Tornado spells. It's the easiest way to get them.


Now, back to business. We have to talk to this guy.

Wounded Soldier: The emergency door has...already sealed......shut, and you...can't go in...... You guys should......escape... You'll......blow up...with the base......
: We can't just escape, knowing that the missiles will be fired...... There's no way! NOT A CHANCE!
Wounded Soldier: Hmm...... Why's that?


Of course there's a dialogue choice here. Why not, right?


Let's say we're doing it for our friends.

: There's no way I'm gonna let everyone get killed!

Well, not twice, anyway.



Wounded Soldier: Listen...... Let me help you.

That sounds swell.

Uh, sorry for causing your death.


That's not actually true.



It would be.


Thanks man, you too.



So it turns out that guy didn't have good luck, and died instead.


But, we just saw a dialogue choice, so let's see what happens if we're doing it for the mission.

: And no matter how hard or impossible the mission might be... To be a SeeD means to carry through with your mission, even if you might die!

This is a line you might not expect from Selphie. The thing about her friends is pretty typical Selphie, but yeah, she's still got that good old-fashioned willingness to die for the mission that the other SeeDs have.


And then, one last line to have.

: I'm gonna do this for my friends! I'm going to accomplish this mission as a proud member of SeeD!

By the by, the soldier's line is the same every time.


And that's all the choices, so let's go play with the console.


Since we've been caught, we have to enter the password for the console, one letter at a time.


It's all very exciting.


We already did this shit before, it's the exact same.


Except it's on a timer and this menu defaults to "no".


So Irvine told me off once or twice because I wasn't paying attention.


Once you've set the error ratio, it's the same as ever and you're back on script.


Unless you run out of time.



I'm sure you could have guessed how that would go.