Part 26: Update 26

Update 26



Today we have way, way too many images because there is so much damn stuff.


Video Record


: No kidding.
: Hey, Marta. You know this place, right? If there a place where they could imprison someone they've kidnapped?
: I've heard about this base, but I've never actually been here, so it's hard to say.
: I see. Looks like we'll just have to search the place inside-out. Oh well. Let's go.
: Yes.



Skit Video: Vanguard's Base
: So this is the Vanguard's base. Man, what a total dump.
: Making it ornate would serve little purpose.
: But what kind of scum locks a guy's poor sister up in a diseased rat hole like this?!
: You were expecting one of those immaculate, luxurious revolutionary soldier camps?
: A little of you goes a long way, Tenny.
: I might say the same thing about you, sir.
: You got that right.
: Come on guys, where's the love?



Dungeon Video - 35min


By the way, I'll demonstrate Ain Soph Aur here briefly.




This is the damage done by Devil's Hellfire.






To compare, Ain Soph Aur is only 537 damage(!!). Part of this is because I probably didn't have the full 100 TP(!!) to use it, which causes it to do proportionately less damage, but part of it is because it requires you to have access to a ton of monsters, especially more powerful monsters. I'm not 100% sure how the damage formula works, especially the "Monster Evolution Damage" chart - it might be that it's necessary to have a higher-tier monster physically present with you, or in the party, since I'm pretty sure I have some highest-tier monsters with the Katz. Here's a link to the Tales wiki if you want to check, but it contains spoilers.





: If she's not, I'll make sure the Vanguard pays with their lives.
: I'm sorry.
: I wish I could say "it's fine, don't worry about it." But I can't.
: Zelos! Don't you think that's a little harsh?


: Huh?!
: Oh my g... uh, you are the WORST NINJA EVER.
: Sheena! Look out!




: No sweat!






: What? Again?!
: Heh... What a klutz.
: OK, now that was just dumb as hell.
: I'll go look for her. You all keep looking for Seles.
: Right. Good luck, Regal.



Skit Video: Pitfalls
: Sheena was an assassin right? What's she doing falling into a low-tech trap like that?
: From what we've heard, she struggled with this a bit in your previous journey as well.
: And this isn't the first time it's happened on this trip, either.
: For real?
: Yeah. Which reminds me, I've seen more pitfalls on this one trip than I have in my entire life.
:



Skit Video: Friends
: I'm worried about Seles, but I really hope Sheena's okay, too.
: I know. Why do bad things always happen in pairs?
: How about you, Marta, are you doing okay?
: Huh?
: I mean everything that's happened with the Vanguard lately.
: It's hard to believe I used to be in a group that would do all this.
: But you're not in it anymore. You're with us now.
: Yeah. Thanks, Emil.



Skit Video: Gourmet Cuisine
: Ta-daaa! Feast your eyes on this! Come sample my one-of-a-kind gourmet cuisine.<3
: Woah! Look at it all! Everything from appetizers to dessert! I had no idea you were such a talented cook!
: Well, what did you expect? High-class men have high-class tastes.
: This is great. I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.
: Not so fast. Your seat's over there.
: Over there? But there's only bread and water over there.
: And what's wrong with that? Bread is quite a luxury. And I'm such a gentleman, I even arranged for sparkling water. No need to be polite, eat as much as you like. Marta dear, step right this way.
: Holy shit Zelos, that's a bit too much.
: Isn't this taking the whole chivalry thing a little too far?



Skit Video: Cheer Him Up
(Trigger: Fail 5 pacts in a row)
:
: Come on, cheer up! You've just had a non-stop string of failed pacts, that's all! Don't let it get you down.
:
: Hey, nobody's perfect. Even great people slip up here and there! It's not surprising to see to see you fail! So if you keep your chin up--
:
: What did I do? It's like the more I try to cheer him up, the more depressed he gets.
: I'm becoming convinced Marta doesn't actually have emotions, she's just trying to imitate them.





: Why do things like this keep happening around me?
: I'm sorry.
: I'm sorry, too.
: Why are you two sorry?
: Um... Well...
: Come on, now you're making me feel like the bad guy here. Cheer up. Lose those pitiful, depressing faces.
: But it's all our fault. If not for us, Seles would be safe.
: If you really want to help, the best thing you can do is focus on the task at hand. None of your apologies are going to bring us any closer to saving Seles.
: Right. I'm sorr--
: Enough. I just want to save my sister. That's all. Making you two miserable is not my style. Understand?
: Yes!
: We'll save Seles!
: There, that's the spirit.
: You are much kinder than one would expect.
: What? How can you gaze upon this beautiful face and this graceful figure and ever think otherwise?
: He's really not doing anything for me.
: Me either, I guess it's a cultural thing. Like people born thousands of years before or after him just don't feel it.
: Ah, you'll have to excuse me. It would appear the standards of beauty between monsters and humans differ greatly.
: You might make a nice piece of steak.



Skit Video: It's Not Like That
: So, fill me in. How is dragging this tyke around with us going to help us rescue Seles?
: Hey!
: No, I don't mean you, Marta sweetie. I was talking about our little daydreamer over here.
: S-Sorry.
: I don't know how you can be such a limp noodle with this lovely little lady fawning all over you like she does.
: Hey! I won't let you talk about my knight like that!
: Whoa kid, for a dim bulb, you sure put the moves on quick!
: No it's not like that!
: I...It's not?!
: Wait, I mean, huh?
: Ah, There's nothing like young love.
: Nothing so awkward.
: Hey!



Skit Video: One Okay
(Trigger: Fail 5 pacts in a row)
: Emil, if I may--
: I know! It's about failing multiple pacts in a row!
: Yes. As I've told you before, when forging a pact you must consider your familiarity with the target, as well as it's elemental affinity. The way you are making pacts now--
: Okay, okay, I'll do better next time, so stop bugging me!
: Emil, I say this things only for your own good!
: Okay okay!
: One okay will suffice, thank you.
: OKAY!
: Did...I just walk into a family meeting?



Let's talk about this dungeon for a bit.


You have to step on a series of floor plates in sequence...


...in order to open a set of grates.


Then there's a room where there are a pair of knights, plaques recounting the order in which they defeated monsters, statues of monsters, braziers in front of the statues, and a device to set the Sorcerer's Ring to water.


Incidentally the blue knight's code is only useful for obtaining this. It's an ingredient for several powerful accessories.



Really Long Video Record






: Then one of them is really Decus!




: That's a really goofy expression that one in the background has.
: Yeah.


: But the smell is overpowering everything. I can't tell which one it's coming from.


: OK, how the hell does Zelos already know.


: Honestly, how is Decus possibly keeping up with Lloyd.
: He's using a Centurion's Core and an Exsphere. Double cheater powers. Plus Lloyd's using a normal sword.
: Why is Lloyd using a normal sword?
: He didn't want to use the Eternal Sword or Nebilim, and forgot where he put the Kusanagi Blade.
: That's... pretty dumb.
I trust all of you! I know justice will prevail and that you will make the right choice!






: Even for Emil, the choice was obvious.


: Against Lloyd, Colette, Emil, a Garuda, or an inanimate object, Decus's stupidity is unbeatable.
: The imposter is this one!


: So Emil hit the stupidest-looking one.






: Decus! I can't believe it! Then you're the one responsible for attacking Palmacosta and destroying all of those cities.


: Damn it! I was supposed to keep all of this a secret from you Marta!
: Wha... What are you talking about?! So then Daddy ordered you to--
: Daddy? W-What do you mean, "Daddy?"
: Oh, I see! So you didn't tell them, did you? Yes, of course! If you did, you wouldn't be able to stay with them.
: What does he mean Marta?






: Don't you dare take another step!<3 I just love breaking the arms of cute little girls like you.<3
: Why you little bitch.
: Long as I win.<3


: Decus, shut up. Now be good kids and hand over your cores and weapons. Martmart can bring them to us.
: Why are you doing this?! What do you want with the Centurions' cores?!
: We only really need Ratatosk's core. Commander Brute wants the rest for his little collection.
: Agh! Decus! Stop answering their questions!
: Uhh! Sorry, my dear Alice!
: Now, Martmart. And please be quick about it.
???: Not so fast!




: Holy shit Sheena actually did a ninja thing right!
: Yeah, she had a bit of a slump before.
: Eeeeehhh!!!












: We're not going to let you!






OWWWW




: Lloyd! Is Seles all right?
Yeah.
: Zelos, we'll take care of Seles! Lloyd! This way!
All right!
: You're not getting away!
: Wait!




: Huh! Oh really? You're going to stop me? You can't even put on cologne without screwing it up!



Fuck this fight.




First of all Decus hits pretty hard. That's one of the major issues here.


He's got a LOT of random flashy moves and I think I took pictures of all of them.






And now for something new. Now that I have the Tenebrae skill and my Demon Fang provides a reliable source of dark elements, I can do the love-love unison attack. We're taking Decus to the spiritual hot springs. This requires a single light and dark symbol, and for Marta and Emil to be in the party with the "Special" skill (the one that lets them use Mystic Artes) enabled.














The damage could be better but it only costs half a UA bar and no TP.








I have no idea what this does. I'm pretty sure those are pictures of Alice.




Oh and he has a Mystic Arte OH FUCK.


















Oh dear.


Fortunately the combination of terrible AI and free run lets me kite this bastard around.


Like this.


That's not a deinterlacing failure, that's the game having terrible antialiasing.




The drawback to kiting him around is that it causes most magic spells aimed at him to miss due to their windup times.





YES I AM DOING IT AGAIN.


AAAAAND this is the other problem. He has too much goddamn HP.


A THIRD ARS NOVA YES.


OH NOT AGAIN FUUUUUU


CCCCKKKK!!!! If that was a monster in Zelos's spot that would have been game over right there. BTW the cutscene before this fight seems to be unskippable.


Zelos saves the day!


And manages to avoid (that) horrible death.


I mix up my super-move usage a bit.


This won't quite finish him off.



That will though! Stop being awesome Zelos!


Jesus Christ that Bonus. That's about 704% of the base XP (which was doubled). I guess all those Ars Novas racked it up? In any case Emil and Marta gained literally five levels from that.



Video Record






: Damn it!




: That would allow us to wipe out our internal dissent and place all the blame on the Church of Martel.
: Wow, that's pretty low.
: Uh! No Decus...




: Richter!
: Man, that guy sure doesn't know when to show up. If he'd arrived while they were still fighting Decus they'd be toast.
: Actually he arrived halfway through the fight. He just doesn't really give a shit about Decus.
: I'll handle this. Now go!
: Thank you.
: Wait a minute!




: Given that Centurions are nearly invulnerable, can become intangible and can interact with people why hasn't Aqua just sneak-attacked Marta before?
: Well, nobody involved in this whole thing was really that smart.
: So it seems.


: Man! What is it with you people?!




Enjoy your cliffhanger everyone! I'm hoping for a whole new page before the next update, since there are just too many jpegs here.