Part 3
So here's the video version of this post, it's about 18 minutes, but it's very informative and I explain every goddamn mechanic I can think of:
http://files.filefront.com/L3+tutor...;/fileinfo.html
(I wanted to use dailymotion but it wouldn't upload so fuck it, filefront version)
But if you don't want to watch the video, here's the abridged screenshot version:
Cave
This old man does the tutorial.
You are already quite skilled, but you must brush up on the basics! Come follow me to this tutorial cave!
kay
All the dungeons are randomly generated! This is the greatest mystery of the Southland. Now follow me downstairs.
The next floor gives me this accessory, which I equipped on Marco, that raises his def by 5 also protects him from sleep.
The enemies appear on the map, like in lufia 2, and coming into contact with them results in battle. Also they won't move unless you do, again, like Lufia 2. Defeat the slime below to continue.
A SLIME!
Killing it results in stairs.
I will teach you about positions! You fight on a 3x3 grid, so you can have 9 characters. You only get three moves per turn, one for each column. First you choose from the three in the left column, then the middle, then the right. If the characters in the front row die, that is the ones with no one else in front of them, you lose. So if Seena is in the very back row, but has no one in front of her, she counts as being in the front. The people in the front row take normal damage but also do regular damage with their physical attacks, the middle less damage and less power, and the back row the least. Note that this doesn't affect magic power. Also, if you're attacked from the side or back your positions get all messed up, but you can change them during battle. PHEW!
I promise this is easier to understand if you watch the video
Next floor
Here's how you use your sword! Press A to swing it, but hold A and you'll charge up a wave, which is much like the fire arrow in Lufia 2, in that if cuts grass and stuns enemies. Also, swinging your sword counts as a step. Last, sometimes there is treasure hidden under grass. Go shoot a wave at the slime downstairs!
I did but forgot to screenshot it. . . it's in the video. I show a wave in the next bit anyway.
Attack items are useful in this game, especially for dispatching some enemies earlier than you should (which I will show later)
There are traps in dungeons sometimes under grass. If you cut the grass it will reveal what is underneath. Go shoot a wave into the middle of the room downstairs.
That grass looks suspicious. . .
waves go pew pew! (sorry about the quick screenshot thing. . . this emulator is pretty gay, not as bad as Visual Boy Advance though)
I revealed a mine! These damage you if stepped on. There are a lot of other traps that we will see, eventually. I explain a few in the video.
I equipped this on Marco. Raises his DEF and AGL a bunch.
Sometimes, if you swing your sword at a suspicious wall, it will reveal a hidden path, or a room. Go swing your sword at the vine downstairs to see.
This is a HUGE mechanic. Most of the treasures in the game are in the walls of the dungeons. Sometimes hacking a wall will reveal a small room with one chest, sometimes it'll reveal a corridor to a room with four chests. It's good to hack all the weird things on the walls of dungeons.
Vine, meet mr sword!
(again, sorry about the thing)
Here I will point out that if you go down a dead end corridor, and there is something to slash, it will ALWAYS lead to a room with four chests. Always.
This one just takes me to the next floor, but this isn't a proper dungeon.
OH LAWD!
The other was an antidote.
Good job! Also you can dash with B. Now get the hell out of here.
Sweet we can go to the tower now!
Hooray, Tower of Death!
Oh goddamn it.
I forgot to explain spiritual force and IP attacks!
Shut up I know about it already
Okay well take this scroll for drive and I'll be on my way.
Okay so I select this text. . .
He needs 4 red and 2 blue. . . what the?
SF is a magical energy that flows out of characters into the other characters in the same row and column as them. So, Marco and Seena are in the top row together. Marco is red, and Seena is blue. So their SF flows into the other one, hence why Marco has 5 red and 5 blue. I upgraded their SF levels a little. You can raise them with LP. Anyway, you need 4 red and 2 blue to learn Drive from the scroll, but if you ever drop below that value, then you can still use the attack, it just costs more IP. IP is still earned from taking damage. Also, SF isn't just some stupid pointless number, each color actually raises a stat by one point:
Red: increases attack
Blue: Increases INT and WIS
Yellow: Increases AGL and MP
Green: Increases HP and defense
They're important! Some weapons raise the SF levels of an individual character, but only their natural SF flows into other people. Also note that you can never change the color of SF that a character gives off.
As you can see he learned it, yay!
Here's the SF screen, the value to the right of their names, next to the blue dot is how much LP it takes to raise their SF one level. However, you need LP to learn magic, so it isn't advantageous to just use it on SF or just use it on magic, you have to balance. Unless you never use IPs or magic or something, which would be impossible. Anyway that's the end, watch the video, next time I will do the tower of death and also a bonus video.
In case you're wondering, you fight Gades, and there is a special (although time consuming) way to kill him the first fight, which I will do for sure, because while in Lufia 2 you fought Gades the first time and got the gades blade, this time you fight each of the Sinistrals many times, and if you are able to kill them each encounter you get a totally sweet and powerful piece of equipment. AND I WILL GET ALL OF THEM!
EDIT: Like I said in the video, if there's anything you don't understand, I'll explain it. Just ask away.