Part 11: Update XI - We're detecting energy from deep within the lost woods! Find it!

Update XI - We're detecting energy from deep within the lost woods! Find it!



Music: Chapter Title


Music: Jungle Treasure


We've actually heard the music for this area once before, as Spider's intro music back in Chapter 2. No idea why they used a dungeon theme for it.



Looks like the Rebellion had the same idea we did.



Music: Event Battle




The Preon Gunner here has one job: shooting you a whole lot. Their normal attacks deal 6 hits, and can also use 180º to hit the entire party three times.

The Gunner also marks the point where enemies can start dropping Build items, but only at a 1% chance.



The Preon Elite, on the other hand, takes on more of a support role, having access to Gain Life 25 to patch people up, Power Leak to cut someone's damage, Riot to inflict Berserk on the party, and finally,



YES SIR

Order, which makes all enemies focus on the targeted unit. Combined with an innate chance to block any incoming damage, and they become extremely durable.

The Exodus in their steal list is important, it being a 0 Erosion FM that gives a 100% chance to flee. Spider is on permanent steal duty whenever one shows up.

Music: Jungle Treasure


Moving on, we instantly come to a fork in the path.

Video: Enter Marino




Oh hey, that thief everyone in town was talking about is also here, what are the odds?



The mysterious red thief we've heard so much about runs off to the side.





Music: Cheerful Thief Marino


I'm sure glad they took care of those guards!



Although it looks like she's taken a few pages from Locke.

Music: Jungle Treasure


Circling back to see where she went.



Along the way, we run into some Rabbids. On top of SOS chains like we saw with the Dober Men, they can also use the hard hitting Twin Laser and multitarget Spray Gun as their health starts to drop. Rabbids also have a chance to run away if they're the last enemy on the field.



The split is blocked by a locked door, but there's a Treasure Token laying there to make up for it.



Our thief is a master of unlocking.



At this point, I had an idea.



Spider has nowhere near enough Immunity to run two Gain WE +5s. But he can run one plus a WE +5.



Making Spider hit 75% WE on turn one, instantly giving access to his Club bonus.



At the end of the left fork is an elevator.



With a token behind it.



Coming out of the elevator, we see something to the side.



A Preon Spark!



When we get back to the base. let's call Nana to the Deplogment Center. This’ll surely lift her spirits.

Hold on. Preons can talk, several of them have threatened X before a fight. Did we just take this one and brainwash it into serving us?

Ethical dilemmas aside, finding mechaniloids in dungeons is how we'll be getting more units for the Deployment Center.



We also run into a Pararoid, which is arguably one of the worst enemies in the game. All they have on offense is a normal attack, but they have the exclusive move Parasite, which sacrifices itself to boost all stats on one enemy by 50%. Trying to take out the Pararoid first is also a gamble, as they have a sky high evasion rate. The one saving grace is that they only have a mere 200 LE, so any hit will be enough to kill.



We get our first real look outside. 'Jungle Treasure' turns out to be an accurate song name.



This side path has two Figure Tokens.



While the main path has a Vaccine Program, Cooler, and Cure One.



Plus a Token on the side of the room.



Ahead are some glowy squares.

They're set just on the surface of the floor. X, your dash should get you across it safely, right?



As Massimo said, dashing gets us clean over the squares, while walking on one would trigger a fight.



However, there are a few things I want here.



Like a Shock Lance from a Radar Killer.

A Radar Killer is the miniboss-ish enemy for this chapter, like the D-Shark from Tianna. It can inflict Bind with Stun Gun, attack the entire party with Split Maser, or use Lock On to target the unit with the lowest HP with Focus Maser next turn.

The Shock Lance has a 5% drop rate, so it'll takes a bit to get one.



I also want a Gatling Buster from a Killer Mantis

The Killer Mantis is the first normal enemy we've seen that reacts to attack types. Upon getting hit with an S-type attack, it shifts into a counter stance. If it gets hit with a second S-type attack, it counters with Death Scythe, which hits the entire party and inflicts Bind. The stance lasts until the Mantis' next turn. It also has access to Riot to berserk the party and force them to set off the counter.

As the Gatling Buster is a stolen item, I just drag out a fight until Item Capture finally goes off.



The Gatling Buster is the second weapon with a different attack we've seen, after Spider's Clubs. It deals 8 low damage shots with reduced accuracy.

I'll keep it on X for this chapter, and give him an Eagle Eye to offset the reduced accuracy.



A bit of farming finally nets me the Shock Lance.



Elemental weapons pass their element to the user's AT. For X, this wasn't a major factor as X Fire overwrites his weapon element no matter what he has on.

Massimo, on the other hand, can now absolutely shred Thunder weak enemies.



It also has a different attack animation.



Farming took a bit of time and drained a good bit from my Sub Tanks, so I head back to recover and check on the Deployment Center.

Music: Respond!




It went fairly well.



Scratch that, extremely well! On top of a token and our fourth Tank Part, we also got a figure of Giga City, as well as two cutscenes for the scene viewer.

I won't show off every single time I cycle these out, only the times I get something valuable.



I send the same group back to Lagrano, while this poor Preon gets sent to Central alone.



With that, we now have an extra 100% energy.



A quick trip to the bed to refill my Sub Tanks, then once more unto the breach.



Skipping past the return trip, we head into a side area.



With a lot of loot. From this we get 600z, Tank Parts, a Protect +1, and a Tank Energy 50. On top of all that...



We get another bot!

In hindsight, I should have grabbed all this first just so the Preon would have had a friend.



This side area also has five Figure Tokens, as if all that wasn't enough.



Moving forward, we now have alarm tiles that slide back and forth.

Video: Dr. Psyche




I think this is the earliest we've seen a chapter boss.

Music: The Rebellion's Ambition


I've been nice, since we go back a while, but... you’ve brushed me off for the last time!



Eventually...you'll join us! Because now we have an ace in the hole.





How did you get past the guards? Quit your bumbling and get them!

With a bit of the old ultra violence, Doctor.

...is he even a doctor? The pod he was created in called him Dr. Psyche, so either Reploids can get a PhD before they're even born, or his name is actually Doctor.



And what are the odds of that working out?

Turn the fools into scrap metal!



He just casually walks away while leaving these two Preons to fight.



Three Preons weren't a threat at the start of the chapter, so two are even less of a threat.

At the very least, I nab a copy of Exodus from here.

Video: Cinnamon and Marino, Enter Gaudile, Cinnamon's Secret


Meanwhile, Marino is taking advantage of all our noise to sneak around.



Now, where's that treasure...?



Unfortunately, the first room she checks is already occupied.



For a thief, that's kinda a bad scene.

Music: Worrisome Cinnamon!


Ahh, the golden years of the early '00s. Where you could just slap a red cross on things and not get lawyers on your case.



You gotta admire Marino's guts. Just stroll in like she wasn't planning on stealing everything that isn't nailed down.



Cinnamon is polite, even to intruders.

Uh... I'm Marino.

Can I help you with something, Marino?

Uh... yeah. I heard there was some treasure here, so I thought I'd take it off your hands.



Cinnamon is probably Gaudile's daughter. In which case, Gaudile is kinda a terrible father. A complete stranger just barged in and started talking about taking your stuff, where's a panic button!

Yeah. That’s my job.



Marino isn't even being coy about it!

| see. But... The Professor never said there was any treasure here.



Listen, kid... The treasure I'm looking for is called a Force Metal Generator. Have you heard anything about it?

Well that sounds important!

Generator?



Music: Resistance Line


So instead we cut to Gaudile.

I'll never help you build weapons of war!



I think Psyche is the first remotely civil Rebellion member we've seen.

Epsilon is not trying to wage war! Surely you believe in the power of our common vision!

Every time they just to paint the Rebellion as being these noble, misunderstood souls, I want you to think back to Jango trying to bring down Central Tower and Silver Horn torturing True Massimo to death.

It feels like the writers wanted to do something similar to Repliforce, except while Repliforce were only complete morons, the Rebellion is actively malicious, so the entire thing sorta falls flat.



Gaudile, I know all about the Force Metal Generator you’ve been working on!



| just have to say the word, and we could find where you keep it hidden, and take the Force Metal Generator for our own! You know very well the resources we have at our disposal.

Impossible...

We know everything, Gaudile... You figured we were coming, so you came up with the brilliant plan of equipping the Generator onto a Reploid... who's hiding in another room! Right?

Gaudile please tell me you didn't install this incredibly important piece of tech into a girl so innocent she happily greets a literal thief.



Psyche starts typing.



Which room? This one, perhaps?



Gaudile you utter idiot.

If the Generator was just a lump of tech, it could get stolen. By installing it into Cinnamon, you just bumped it up from theft to kidnapping! That's traumatizing as all hell! You'll give the poor girl PTSD!

Now Professor Gaudile, just cooperate, and nobody has to get hurt!



Psyche keeps turning away from the computer just to stare at Gaudile.

Hey, who's that?

So it takes him a moment to notice Marino.

Music: Mystery of the Force Metal




Gaudile didn't even tell Cinnamon to keep the Generator secret, she just shows it off!

Wow... That’s the Force Metal Generator?

The Force Metal Generator...is me.

Like, if you have to install it into a Reploid for safe keeping, why not install it into a genuine shitwrecker of a bot? Could you imagine if Colonel had this in his chest? Not a soul would ever get their hands on it without his permission.



So Marino jumps from theft to kidnapping with no hesitation in the slightest.

Steal me?

Yup. It’s my job. don’t you remember? Now, come with me, Cinnamon.



The screen changes to the security camera.

She’s trying to kidnap Cinnamon!

Kidnap...?

The Force Metal Generator!

No! She can't!

So, to sum up, we have two separate kidnapping plots running at the same time because Gaudile couldn't be bothered to teach Cinnamon not to talk to strangers. We're supposed to root for Marino because she's in the intro and mentioned on the back of the game case, so she's unquestionably A Good Person.

I love this game to death, but good god the writing leaves much to be desired.

Next time: