Part 42: Villains and Vehicles

Update 42: Villains and Vehicles

A little hailstorm isn’t going to stop Donnel’s quest to conquer Danaan Cave. At least, not after he sleeps.




You might wonder why I’m in Misty Bloom Cave again. Have I finally lost my mind? No, that happened back around Update 26.




I’m here to grab two Water Crystals. There’s something in this cave that you’ll want either a strong non-elemental or water weapon for. I’m going for the latter, the spear probably isn’t gonna cut it.




First step is this dinky little thing.




But that turns into…




The mighty (well, it’s okay) Sea Cutter! It has less raw attack and one less combo button than the Aerial Blade, but it’ll serve well for what I need it for.




Finally, I round out the kitchen with the last three items Ivan will be selling us. Farewell, old pal.

I’ll show them off in a future update, for now, though, we have business in Danaan.







OmNom is here, and there’s not much to say about it. It’s a standard melee fighter.




I’m going to skip the areas we’ve already explored and just get to the good stuff.




Actually I lied. Guess who forgot to refill the can?




Guess who had to run across the poison?

Guess who regrets their decisions?

It’s me.




One more watering/nap later, the Spinach is done!




Satisfied with our five plot offering, the gate disappears.




I do like the scenery in Danaan. Nowhere to go but up!




So, this is actually NOT Leafball. This little pain in the ass is PLANTCORE, and it will fuck you up. It’s just Leafball with higher stats, but that’s bad enough. Swordstorm is a menace.




Well, not from Donnel. But from anyone else.




There’s a fork at the north end here, I’m going west first, because I felt like it.




Ol’ Tricky Mush is back! The trick is that he’s still kind of a pushover, please, Tricky Mush, stop embarrassing yourself




Whoa. A new enemy model. This is the…Tortoise. Not too much notable about it, it’s a little odd because it’s one of a kind, no recolors, and only shows up here.




It can do a little chomp or try and slide at you in its shell. I like this guy.




tricky mush please, not again, just leave




But we’re still missing one spawner...I’m sure there couldn’t be too much bullshit between us and it. Time to backtrack to the fork and take a right.








It’s like they just figured out this whole “Locked Door Puzzle” idea thing in the final stretch.








His name was “F Hunter”? Little on the nose, buddy.


: (This sounds like it’s worth checking out!)

Luckily, this one isn’t too painful. It’s just a little scavenger hunt. Remember that cave at the very start of the dungeon?




This one? Clear away some of the top left corner here...and…








The Hoe pulls through for us once again.




Well, that’s access to the final part of the cave unlocked.





One nice thing about having crops in caves?




The runes respawn every day if you don’t harvest the plants. So this is a good way to keep yourself sustained. The thing is that it takes so long you’ll usually just want to blitz through it, and you typically can. Rune Factory 1’s core game mechanic is just too cumbersome to really work out.




Donnel, you dork.




Inside...hey...you again? Get outta here!




Aside from Mini-Golem’s unceremonious return, there’s not really much here. Just some water, fields…









But that’s it. Now, to see what awaits us in the final room! Get that Water weapon ready.




...That seems like a train wreck waiting to happen.








: I don’t know…




I’ll bet someone does. Haven’t seen another teleporter since Gigant!




Please, don’t make me just have to keep calling you “woman”.


: Huh? Who are you?




...I’m not transcribing that.







Same


: Not that I expected peasants such as yourselves to comprehend… In plain terms, I’m a member of the Sechs Army, overseeing this region.


: But what interest does your army have in our peaceful town?!


: We are investigating a certain monster called the “Grimoire”, traditionally reported to inhabit this region.


: In that case, you’re too late. I already defeated the Grimoire and sent it back to its original world.

You never bothered telling Sharron that!


: Don’t be ridiculous. What you defeated was nothing more than a mere dragon. It would take no small lack of intelligence to confuse such a thing for the Grimoire. But I digress…

<- but with pink hair and an eyepatch


: The true Grimoire can single-handedly destroy an entire nation. If a country were able to gain control over such a beast, no one on earth could oppose it!


: But even if a creature as incredible as that existed, what makes you think it would serve you?


: Obviously you don’t know the first thing about the Grimoire.


: What do you mean by that?

They’re really just knocking out all the plot threads in this conversation. Here comes another!


: To some, legends are merely old fables, but others know them for what they really are: keys to unlocking new truths! We searched this region’s caves and we used “shifts” to randomly summon monsters in a sweep for the Grimoire.


: “Shifts”? Is that what those devices in the caves are called? So you’re the ones that put them there!


: Yes. The shifts represent the culmination of the Sechs Empire’s advanced scientific might!


: So you’re summoning innocent monsters into our world just so you can find the Grimoire?


: You’re a smart peasant.


: That’s not right!

Quick, Mist, try to give her a shitty farm!


: What do you plan to do if you find the Grimoire?


: Need you even ask? What fool wouldn’t want its amazing powers?


: I’ll never let you do that!


: Oh? If you don’t mind me asking, how do you plan to stop us?


: I’ll fight if I have to!




You are literally the only soldier we have seen so far in the game, Lynette.


: You never know until you try!




I thought you wanted to command its powers?




Well, bye.

The screen rumbles…


: Wh-what?




Well then! Fuck.




TRAIN TANK


: So this is what they’ve been up to… Mist, you’d better stand back.


: O-Okay.




Well it’s time for Donnel to 1v1 a freaking tank, Boss #7 got metal in a hurry. The Sechs Battle Tank has 2000 HP, like Golem, but a high defense makes it hard to chew through. Plus, any element that isn’t water is HIGHLY resisted. My Aerial Blade did 7 damage a swipe.

The Tank is confined to moving on the tracks, so you can predict it a bit.




The first attack it has is to use the turret to fire an Aqua Laser. It traces Donnel for a few seconds, then shoots. The key here is to be constantly circling the tank to keep yourself out of its eventual blast. When it starts firing, it’s stuck in the animation for a while, so you have a chance to pull out a combo.




Try not to get into a corner, or you might have to double back, and that’s when it loves to zap you.

After firing it a few times, the tank will retreat into one of the caves on the edge of the arena, and, after a few seconds, pop out a different one, like a Scooby Doo chase scene.




The second attack the Battle Tank uses is a burst of flame from the small guns on the sides, forming an X shape. The safe spots here are in front of or behind the Tank.




But, if you can sneak between the fireballs, you can get a couple sly hits in. After a little circling around and fireball blasting, it’ll retreat and come out again. Each time it does this, it picks one attack to use. So if it fires a laser immediately after leaving the cave, it’s lasers until it goes back in. If it’s fireballs? Get ready for fire until the Scooby Doo Shuffle happens again.




Cure is a great tool for this fight. And the whole game, really.




Oh, the Tank can also run you over if you stand in front of it. You’ll take damage and be toppled. However, being behind it, even if it backs into you, has no effect.




The Battle Tank’s “Turning Red” is a little different. It sheds its turret…




AND REPLACES IT WITH A FUCKOFF HYPER BEAM. That is an obscene amount of damage. You still dodge it in the same way, though. In this phase, I’d highly recommend only attacking the tank after you’ve dodged a laser, because unnecessary damage can be gross when it gets this high.




A better look at the Sechs Plasma Gun.




Oh, also the fireballs are upgraded in this phase, eliminating the handy middle spot. Really have to use that opening with the laser now.




So, play it safe, keep in mind it’s predictable, and the Battle Tank will eventually go up in smoke.









Someone’s mad.










: You know, Mist. You could at least pretend to think I won because of my skill…


: Oh, right! You’re so strong, Donnel! No, I mean it!


: Thanks…




Enough banter, let’s bring in the pirate here.


: I would appreciate it if you would head back to your country.


: It’s not over yet. I won’t forget this insolent act!




She keeps doing that.


: You’re not going to chase her?


: Even a blade imbued with Retornen magic can harm humans, right?


: Yes. Against a human, it act as a normal sword. If cut, people will bleed. It can even take a person’s life.


: In that case, I must not fight. Not even against a soldier.

...She never said that was an unmanned Battle Tank, Donnel. I think your hands might be stained today.


: Donnel…


: Yes?


: I’m...I’m so happy to have met you…


: Mist…


: I’d better be getting back. See you back in town…


: Okay, Mist.




Done-aan Cave.




Only one Pass remains...

Names! Names would be cool for any of:

Arch Demon
LEAFBALL
Lil’ WIzard
Blood Panther
Hunter Wolf
Necro
Plantcore
Mini-Golem
Tortoise