Part 86: Episode LXXXIV: Spread Love Throughout the World!

Episode LXXXIV: Spread Love Throughout the World!



OK. Onward to fill our debilitating completionism streak. Today’s session begins quite close by from where we concluded the Wandering Couple’s business not long ago.




Music: Rays of Light (Quiet)



Today’s quest takes us to the sewer entrance leading to the Amusement Park zone. This sidequest was actually available to 2B back in Route A but we opted not to approach it. You’ll see why in a few moments. For now, let’s see what this clown machine is doing outside of its usual region.



Let me ask you something: Do you think the world is full of love?
<Er, it might be?>
Don’t you think we all need to express more happiness in our daily lives?
<I suppose?>
Exactly! In which case... You seem like just the person to help me make this world a better place!
<Sure, I guess.>
...Really? Do you believe in the dream of connecting the entire world with love?
<I do.>
I see, I see. Then perhaps I can believe in you. You see, there are many machines who detest fighting. As such, I have decided to gather them together in order to hold a parade. It will be a parade of love and friendship for all! However, as it turns out, there are many among us who frown upon such outspoken expressions of peace. Therefore, I’m hoping you will protect our parade in order to ensure the successful dispensation of its wonderful message.
<Agree to guard the parade.>
Thank you for your support! If you could keep my companions safe while we conduct the parade, I would be ever so happy! Now then... Let us show everyone the power of friendship!



Yep. It’s an escort mission... Unlike the last two back in Route A which were rather simple affairs, this one can be a big old pain in the dick! Especially, if it was taken when it was first available right after the Adam and Eve fight in the Mothership.


Music: Amusement Park (Vocal)



Five identical clown machines drop from a nearby building and line up for a parade. Our task is to keep at least one of these machines alive to the end of the parade. How far is the parade gonna go? Waaaaaaaaaaay too fucking long and far is your answer!



We’re starting here, at the entrance to the Amusement Park adjacent sewers. Our end point is in front of the Resistance Camp a few blocks south. You know... before the whole sinkhole happened.



I personally think this quest spawning during Route A was a straight fuck-up oversight. The reason we skipped this the first go around was that it spawns a pretty decent mob of enemies to thwart the parade of happiness. The trouble is we’re escorting fairly fragile fellows here and all of these enemies are Level 30-40. Which at this point is not a big deal at all, right?



You have to remember, this quest originally spawned in Route A following the events on the alien mothership. At that point, 2B was Level 13 making this quest literally impossible when it first spawns. For further references, the cut-off point for this quest she was Level 28. Eve, the final boss, was Level 30. We completed the Route A, having done all but like three sidequests, at Level 34. This escort mission is straight up not feasible as 2B without grinding to the point that the remainder of Route A and most of Route B would be mostly a joke.

NieR: Automata has some real difficult balance issues but this mission definitely takes the cake.





Spread love throughout the world! Spread love throughout the world! Spread love throughout the world! No more fighting! Live to have fun! Share in the happiness! No more fighting! Spread love throughout the world! Abandon all hatred! Live to have fun! Spread love throughout the world! Live to have fun! Live to have fun! All we need is love! Spread love throughout the world!

This repeats non-stop the entirety of this sidequest. This escort lasts for like ten minutes. I'll still be hearing this in my sleep tonight.



Another kinda tricky thing is the path of this parade: this jump. This is an awkward ass jump. It’s just far enough to make double jump + dashing assuming you don’t know any unexplained advanced movement tech.





But god help you if you don’t have the height to make the (slightly higher) opposite side because 9S/2B sure isn’t gonna grab that rocky mess. And guess what happens if you fall down that pit? The mission auto-fails! No, I’ve definitely not done that both times I attempted this mission for real. No sir... That’d be ridiculous.





Thankfully, unlike that one child bot who dies and stays dead in that early escort mission (you monster), this muppet and his parade of dinguses just instantly respawn to try again. They’re gonna fill the world with love by shouting about it for a couple blocks, dammit!





Once we get past that pit, we’re not quite out of the woods yet. Indeed, it gets much harder to keep this band of nitwits going here on out. I managed to get them this far with 2B the first time I played the game and was like Level 25 or so.



Here, outside the Resistance Camp, there three waves of machines ready to crash the parade. The first is Small Bipeds mixed with some Enhanced versions for spice...



...then some Small Flyers roll in. Again, with Enhanced Models dealing extra damage to mess it up.



Finally, some Medium Bipeds roll in, again sporting Enhanced models for the ride. Pictured above is one that dropped from the sky and decided it was going to immediately vaporize one of the parade bots and hell if I could do anything about it.



I actually got pretty lucky, all things considered. The first time I did this mission to success, a Goliath Biped decided to roll in to see the parade too. No idea what triggered that. There were more casualties than a mission in Myth when that rolled in. But we don’t have to worry about that. The parade made it to its conclusion... mostly safely. RIP Parade Bot #4.


Music: Rays of Light (Quiet)



We managed to complete the parade without being annihilated. How wonderful! I think our joy really came across this time. We’ll soon be holding another parade elsewhere. I hope we can count on your support for that as well. I know this isn’t much of a reward, but please accept it.



Eh. Nothing here is particularly spectacular. Reset is a chip that has a % chance of auto-reviving 9S or 2B with a variable percentage of health. For instance, +3 is 15% chance of revival with 30% HP. Optimally... we don’t wanna die in the first place! I could see this being more useful on Hard and above but hell if we’ll be using it on Normal.

Anyway, there’s some additional dialog as we try to depart...



......
I’m sorry. I hope to see you again.



Neither of you are going to say anything? You know this poor robot is just going to end up suicidal/depressed or insane now. No, don’t you shrug at the camera Silent Protagonist 2B. Zero talked enough to earn that. You’re not pulling your conversational weight, lady.



While we have gotten our reward for Parade Escort already, the quest itself remains open. There’s not actually a follow-up quest. We just need to buzz off for a while. We could do the usual thing of just teleporting to another area to advance quest stages. But, you know what... While we’re doing quests we left unfulfilled in Route A...



...Perhaps it’s time we dropped in on an old friend. The newest malformation of Father Servo has been waiting for months for our return.



Such drive is admirable. Well then! Do you care to witness the glories of this latest modification?
<Witness the glories.>
The Father Servo you knew has passed from this life, my child. Behold his latest incarnation!


Music: Birth of a Wish



Time for the long awaited Round 3 against Father Servo. His newest incarnation is an upright quadruped. I don’t think that’s come up again outside that one pseudo mini-boss in the Forest Kingdom Castle.



Being basically an upright boxing horse, Father Servo’s new body doesn’t have the largest of move sets. Mostly, it’s just wide haymakers that are easily telegraphed and avoided. Well, at least for the player. 2B tends to take those on the jaw fairly often. She’s got a strong jaw like Raiden. It’s fine.



Servo’s primary attack in this form is just pulling a Sonic the Hedgehog and spin dashing at rapid speeds around the arena. That’s a touch harder to avoid on a 3D plane, as it turns out. I mean have you ever played the 3D Sonic games? It’s a goddamn mess to control a rapidly rolling body. Much less dodge one.



The main reason we avoided this fight in Route A was that he is a Level 40 enemy regardless of our level at the time. We can take him one-on-one fairly easily now. And it would have been doable back in Route A. It just would have taken for goddamn ever chipping away at him. Quadrupeds are extremely easy to stun. This boss fight can easily be won by just hanging back, equipping the Missile Pod and spamming it until he’s defeated. It’s probably one of the few fights where missiles are actually pretty useful.





Regardless, despite the long months of build-up the fight itself is unsatisfying and quickly over. It’s just like modern pay-per-view bouts.


Music: Rays of Light (Vocal)



To business already? My my!
Figured I should get it over with and save us both some time.
You’re a clever one, aren’t you? Well, when the heavens offer succor, it is poor form to refuse. Father Servo requires a silver ore, a pristine screw, and a broken battery.
Hold on. That’s more stuff than last time!
ERROR. ERROR. BAD FILE OR PATHWAY. BZZZZZT.
Stop it! I know you’re not broken!
Let’s go already.



Holy shit! 2B, you can still speak? We were all starting to get worried there for a bit. Thought you were gonna pull a Rico Banderas on us the latter half of the game or something.

Anyway, we’ve already acquired all of this junk. Silver ore is a common drop around the City Ruins and Desert Zones. Pristine Screws are semi-rare drops from Goliath Bipeds. Broken batteries are drops from medium bipeds all over. Let’s just hand this junk over.



Thank you, my child. With these items, the flesh of Father Servo will be so, so, so, so, SO powerful!
Good. Because I’m going to beat you silly next time to make up for all your stupid errands.
Er, yes. Regardless, modifying one’s body is not a process accomplished quickly or without effort. So until your next visit, farewell!





...Wait, didn’t we just [b]give you[/i] a Broken Battery? Why are you giving us three back...? Whatever. That’s another stage of the Robo Dojo completed. We’ll be back another day to complete Father Servo’s training. There’s still a couple more stages to go.





However, in the meantime we did get an update on the Parade Escort and a marker back to where we received that quest. Let’s see how the parade of happiness is going.



I’m afraid I was simply no longer able to deal with it. Joy? Love? What is the point? Happiness wasn’t going to keep me from getting killed, now was it?
......
...Hmm? You wish to know where the rest of the paraders went? They took off on some kind of journey. “To bring joy to the ends of the earth!” was their cry, if I remember correctly. I lost contact with them once they reached the deep desert. I imagine they’re now dead by the side of some road. No doubt they were rambling on about love and happiness to the bitter end. What madness...



And uhh... that’s it. That’s the end of the quest. Congrats. We made a party machine into a nihilistic robot. Thaaaaat’s NieR: Automata! This is the lighthearted half of the game, by the way... Stay tuned for more!






Video: Episode 84 Highlight Reel





Amusement Park Machine Concept Art – Embrace nothingness in festive makeup.