Part 122: Interim 2: Unused conversations

Thanks! Glad to hear you've been enjoying it.

Speaking of....

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Welp. I had this whole thing planned out for this one unused conversation, and then managed to trigger it in-game while going to grab a screenshot, so we're gonna have "missed crap part 2" right here, by clicking on this screenshot.



Welcome back!

Today's update will be a little unique in that we won't be looking at stuff that can actually be triggered in-game. As such, there's gonna be far fewer screenshots than normal.

So, the first question should be "If this stuff can't be seen in the game, how are you so sure it's there?"

The answer is developer laziness. Because of the amount of space on a CD-ROM compared to an NES or SNES cartridge, the game developers didn't have to do any sort of compression to the text in order to save space. Therefore....



Just cracking the maps open in a hex editor will reveal, in plaintext, all of the text associated with that map. It even comes with control codes to show portraits, auto-advance the text, close the text box, and a few other things I haven't yet scienced out. I'll be using a series of four dashes to mark the end of a text box here. For, uh... reasons, I guess.

Let's begin back in Parm, shall we? This text was, presumably, going to be used if you investigated the gate with the Joule Foundation logo.

: Hang on, Justin! That is Joule Foundation land. We'll get yelled at if we go in.

: The more they tell me "NO", the more I want to do it.

: I am cut out to be an adventurer!

: Don't give me that. You sound more like a spoiled brat than an adventurer.

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: Hmm, hmm. A wonderful adventure awaits us on the other side

: or maybe not. Definitely not.

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: This emblem is just so cool. Doesn't it look like a secret base? Let's take a look inside-

: Justin! I told you no.

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: I can't believe it. If I wasn't watching you who knows what you'd do.

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In addition to that bit, the two bridges that connect North and South Parm are named: The Morning Glow Bridge, and the Night Bridge. The Night Bridge also has a memo from the Garlyle Forces stating that civilians are permitted to use it, so presumably that's the only that Gantz had blocked.

Anyway, that's really the only exciting unused stuff on that map, so let's hit up the Seagull. Specifically, the living room upstairs, and the bulletin board there. Normally, you can investigate it, but you either get a shopping list, a "come see me" note from Lilly, nothing at all, or Justin leaving a goodbye note, depending on when you check it. There are, however, a few more messages that never get displayed.

"Don't mess up your room. Especially you, Justin. - Sue"

: Hey, hey. Sue, why are you posting notes on our bulletin board?

: 'Cause your room is really really messy, Justin. So I thought I'd help and write a note.

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: You always keep forgetting stuff if I don't keep reminding you!

: I gotta do it. You're so hopeless.

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"Remember to wash the dishes you use. - Lilly"

: Hmm. I really want to wash the dishes, but....

: Trying to get away with that? Don't forget that I always wash the dishes for you!

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"Children mustn't stay up late. Come home early. - Lilly"

: Mom, I don't think I'll be coming home for a while this time.

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: Maybe I should write something.

: Naw. That's not like me! C'mon. I'm leaving!

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: Hmm, something or other.... Huh? What? I can't read it at all. Who was it? Who put this scribble up here?

: Puff puff Pufft! Puff Puff!

: Don't be so rude, calling it scribble. That's Puffy's first try at writing. I put it up there to show everyone. ♥

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: Is that so? Well, I'll translate it for you! Um, hmm.... It says Justin's the world's greatest adventurer and the hero of the world!

: Puffy, puff pufffft! Puff Puff!

: You're wrong. Puffy says so and is angry with you for reading it wrong, Justin!

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: It really says "Sue's the prettiest girl in town". ♥

: I wonder....

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"HEY! Justin! They said you blocked the bridge!"

: Yikes! Mom knows....

: Huh? The note continues...

"Don't cause trouble for people! A boy ought to be strong enough to be able to do that! -Mom"

: He he heh. That's my Mom! I know what she means!

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Whew. As you can see, the bulletin board was originally going to be far chattier than it wound up.

Let's skip ahead a bit, to the New Parm Church.



Apparently, the ceremony was not only going to have a proper audience, but you'd be able to talk to everyone after rescuing Feena. Including Chang, here.

Finally, you've no doubt noticed the fact that, despite Gumbo and Dight both having inns, there are no dinner conversations to be had at either of them. Despite this, there is text in both maps for a full set of dinner conversations, covering events from when you first arrive at the villages all the way through the departure on the Sea Dragon.

First up, let's go with Dight. Conversations here have been shuffled around into my best guess for the individual dinners, instead of grouping by character like the data does.


: Gadwin sure is late. I guess he's talking with someone.

: He said something about the rain. What's the big deal? It's only rain.

: When I took a walk in the village, I noticed that people here are not very enthusiastic.

: That's Gadwin's home village, right? You'd think it'd be just the opposite.

: Right. That's why it's so strange. If Gadwin were here, I'd ask him to explain that.

: I sure hope Gadwin'll be back soon.

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: Hey, Gadwin, why do they call that tower the "Typhoon Tower"? I can see why they'd call it a "rain tower" 'cuz of the rain problem, by why "typhoon"?

: Hmm... well, uh... I don't know why.

: Oh, even YOU don't know?

: I'll ask the elder when I see him.

: I wonder why they used the word "typhoon" to name the Typhoon Tower?

: Guess the reason they call it Typhoon Tower isn't so interesting after all. I guess it's just the way it is.

: The elder said we could visit him at home later on. Let's go tomorrow.

: You know, I went over to the Typhoon Tower. And the villagers have been showering me with praise for it.

: Yeah, and so they should. You did a great job, Sue.

: I did, didn't I? So, do I get some praise from you, too?

: That Sue is really something! I wonder what?

: OK, that'll do...

: Hmph!

: Let's go to the elder's house. Don't you think they'll have some kind of reward for us?

: For a long time, that tower has caused trouble for the village of Dight. But that will all be finished soon.

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: I wonder what the village of Gumbo's like. Can't wait to get there, Justin?

: You betcha! I'm always excited to go someplace new.

: We're going to Gumbo next. After Gumbo, we're going to the Twin Towers.

: To get to the Twin Towers, we must go via the town of Gumbo. I'll guide you there.

: Thanks! We appreciate your help.

: We gotta get an early start tomorrow. It's a two-day trip to Gumbo.

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: Gumbo village is kinda weird. No sign of any parties or festivals. Just talk about couples, weird stuff.

: That Gumbo is a weird place. Various people will ask if you're a couple or not.

: Hmm... it's strange that Gumbo is like you say. It's never been like that. And no festivals? That's the strangest thing of all!

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: We can finally go to our first target, the Twin Towers! What a roundabout way of going!

: That's OK, though. It's been fun!

: It's finally time for the Twin Towers adventure. It's been a long wait.

: Finally, you can start your long-awaited adventure to Twin Towers!

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: After that, it's the Mysterious Vanishing Hill. Hmm, what's that like? I wonder if it can teleport us around?

: Where would you like to go?

: Well... I'd like to go see Parm.

: Parm?

: Well, yeah, I've never been there. I could go shopping in the town of Parm. Maybe get some nice clothes.

: Heh heh. I guess you are a girl, after all.

: Of course I am! Wouldn't it be fun to go relax there for a while, and then come back for more adventuring?

: Yeah, I guess so. It'd be great to bring a lunchbox from my Mom when we go adventuring again.

: Hee hee. Adventuring with a lunchbox!

: Tomorrow it's Mysterious Vanishing Hill! We'd better rest up for it.

: And how can we use that Mysterious Vanishing Hill?

: Yeah... well, we'll just have to try out some stuff.

: Sue... Sue...

: Sue, what's the matter?

: Did you call me, Justin?

: Yeah, you didn't answer. Were you thinking about something?

: Uuugh... I don't feel very good.

: Well, get to bed early, then.

: OK, sure.

: Next is the Mysterious Vanishing Hill.

: And can we go to Alent after that?

: That I don't know. But if we run out of luck, we'll just have to cross the sea.

: How can we use the Mysterious Vanishing Hill? Can we use it to go to Alent, for instance?

I know the plot flags don't ever line up for Sue to still be in the party when you'd have access to a dinner about the Mysterious Vanishing Hill, but it's really the only place Sue's conversation there would fit.

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: I hope Sue's doing all right.

: I'm sure she's fine! I mean, look how tough she's been all along.

: Is Sue OK? I figure she must be fine, what with Dr. Alma looking after her.

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: How can we use the Mysterious Vanishing Hill? Can we use it to go back to Parm?

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: Whew! I thought I was gonna die! That was tough!

: It's a good thing you're so strong, eh Justy boy?

: You know, we'll have to wait for two months before the mermaid season ends.

: Actually, now that you mention it, it's not quite true that there's no way to cross the Sea of Mermaids now.

: So, Sue has gone back. I guess I need to rethink my plans for the future.

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: It's so sad that Sue left.

: Yeah, it was hard seeing her leave.

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: So... tomorrow's a big adventure day! We'd better get to sleep soon!

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: With Sue back home and with Gadwin gone, too. That leaves only the two of us. It's kinda lonely, huh Justin? You talk to talk a little longer?

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Again, the above is really only my best guess as to which text boxes belonged to which dinners.

Nothing particularly earth-shattering revealed here, but it still would've been nice to have them.

Anyway, this is starting to get longer than I had thought, so I'll cut it short here. The less-interesting text will be showing up on The Cutting Room Floor once I a) confirm what's unused and what I just haven't managed to trigger yet, and b) figure out a good way of handling the portrait control codes over there.

See you next time, when we'll be starting Disc 2 proper!