Starting the Phantasy Star series

[+jeremiahjt]

Well it looks like Noah is not a bad guy.  I entered the final dungeon and made it to Pandora's box.  Dark Force kicks the crap out of me every time though.  Looks like I am off to grind for levels.

[+jeremiahjt]

So instead of grinding I decided with a change of tactics.  I went back to Paseo and grabbed the Color Scarf and the Snow Crown.  I gave one to each of Rudo and Rolf.  I made it back to Dark Force and opened Pandora's box.  I had Rolf use the Snow Crown and Rudo use the Color Scarf repeatedly.  I think the Snow Crown really weakened Dark Force's attacks and the Color Scarf made it so that Rudo and Rolf always had their turn before Dark Force, Kain almost always did, and Hugh went before Dark Force most of the time.  This allowed me to keep everybody healed with their healing items and chip away at Dark Force.  It went down after a long battle with my entire party intact.  The hardest part was when Dark Force would turn someone evil.  Occasionally the Nei Sword would wipe away the evilness, but sometimes it took a while.  Can you use the sword as an item to have it remove the evil?

 

I then made my way to Mother Brain.  Luckily I told her I did not want to fight her and she left me alone so I could heal everybody up.  I went into the fight with the same plan, but her attacks are not magic based I think, so the Snow Crown did not seem to affect her.  Her attacks really were not that potent anyways.  After a few uses of the Color Scarf, even Rudo and Rolf were not always attacking first, so I abandoned it.  I alternated using my healing items and attacking Mother Brain and she went down without too much of a fight, but it was also a fairly long fight.

 

So the people behind Mother Brain are humans from Earth. I did not see that coming.  I honestly did not get that Mother Brain was brought to the Algo system by outsiders during the game.  I thought that the people of Motavia or Palma built it long ago and became too trusting.  Knowing that Mother Brain just apparently showed up and the people just accepted it ruling them makes me not too happy I just saved a bunch of sheep.

 

So Noah warps in the rest of the party and they have a giant battle against a bunch of humans.  I assume I will find out how that ended in Phantasy Star III.  Why the human starship had to be named Noah is beyond me.

 

Immediate thoughts after finishing Phantasy Star II: this was an excellent game.  There were some things I wish were done differently, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed it.  The dungeons may have been overly large, but the encounter rate was kind of low.  I liked a lot of the enemy designs and none stood out as bad.  The towns were nice, but the towns on Dezoris were small and I think there could have been more quests in the towns.  The technique names still give me trouble, but I definitely got better at knowing what they do.

 

Definitely in my top 10 Genesis games now.  It may be my favorite rpg of the 16 bit era, but I have not played a lot of them.  I will have to ruminate on it.  I enjoyed Shining in the Darkness and Order of the Griffon quite a bit.  Phantasy Star II would probably be above Earthbound and Shining Force 2.  Pretty close to Shining Force.

 

On to Phantasy Star III, the black sheep of the Phantasy Star family.

[+Ryan Witmer]

18 minutes ago, jeremiahjt said:

Immediate thoughts after finishing Phantasy Star II: this was an excellent game.

The more I play PS2, the more I appreciate it.  I'm currently playing through it on Twitch (in the yellow dam right now) and once I finish it I'm finally going to be playing the remake in English for the first time, also on Twitch.

 

I cannot recommend the remake enough.  It's glorious.

 

 

It's not hard to find the translated version and set up a PlayStation 2 emulator to try it out.  I am super excited about playing the translated version and I'm intentionally doing it right after the original so I can get a better grasp of the differences.

[+jeremiahjt]

44 minutes ago, Ryan Witmer said:

The more I play PS2, the more I appreciate it.  I'm currently playing through it on Twitch (in the yellow dam right now) and once I finish it I'm finally going to be playing the remake in English for the first time, also on Twitch.

 

I cannot recommend the remake enough.  It's glorious.

 

 

It's not hard to find the translated version and set up a PlayStation 2 emulator to try it out.  I am super excited about playing the translated version and I'm intentionally doing it right after the original so I can get a better grasp of the differences.

I would be curious to see the story differences, but I do not like the look of that.

[7800Knight]

Phantasy Star II is a good game in spite of being hard.

 

While Phantasy Star III has a reputation as the oddball in the series much like Zelda 2: the Adventure of Link and Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest, it is still fun!

[+jeremiahjt]

I played a little bit more of Phantasy Star II. On the helmet list at RPG Classics for the Magic Cap and Mogic Cap it mentioned Musk Cats. I kept on wondering what Musk Cats are until it dawned on me today that the Musk Cats are the cats hanging around Skure. On one of the videos I watched it mentioned the cats being descendants of Myau and I guess that was enough for it to click.  They do not say a whole lot, but they do give some history.

 

I kind of started Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom. I read the entire manual, watched the game's introduction, and spent about five minutes walking around. I do like the look of the game. So this game takes place during a war between Layans and Orakians. I have no idea if Laya or Orakia are related to anything from the first two games, but hopefully I will find out soon.

 

One thing that annoys me is watching a video about a game that you have played and having spoilers in the comments about other games.

[+jeremiahjt]

I finally got around to actually starting Phantasy Star III after my break so I could have an Atari accomplishment for my 1,000th post. I usually do not pay attention to music in games, but I did notice the music here. I liked the title screen theme, but I am not a fan of the in-game music so far. It is not really bad, it just does not seem to fit.

 

I walked around a lot fighting mostly Chirpers. I got kicked out of a couple of blocked caves and told to get out of a couple of temples or something. I did find my first companion; a cyborg that should let me get access to that boat.

 

I like the intro sequence with the wedding getting interrupted. First, the future princess gets kidnapped and not one soldier even reacts to it. Second, the king throws his son into the dungeon. A dungeon with treasure chests full of meseta and a weapon. That does not seem like a smart thing to have in a dungeon.

[+Ryan Witmer]

1 hour ago, jeremiahjt said:

but I am not a fan of the in-game music so far. It is not really bad, it just does not seem to fit.

Oh, just wait.  The overworld theme does something really cool that I've never seen in any other game.  Pay close attention to it as you play.

 

I'm going to vent here, because this is kind of funny.  I'm playing the PS2 remake in English for the first time, and it uses the original Japanese names for the characters.  Most of them I can deal with, Rudo is now Rudger, for example, but...

 

Amy, the doctor, is now named Anne.

Anna, the blonde terror, is now named Amia.

 

Amy -> Anne

Anna -> Amia

 

I will never be able to keep this straight.

[+jeremiahjt]

Played a little bit more.  I gave Myau, I mean Nei, I mean Mieu a second claw so her offense is pretty good right now.  When I got the boat I thought this game is giving me a boat really quick.  I did not realize the boat only took me to the island and back.  I did not use a map for the first dungeon, but I did for the second as I was in a hurry to get through it.  I made it through the dungeon to the new land and I was like at least I should be done fighting Chirpers.  Three steps later; a Chirper appears.

 

I made it to Rysel and equipped Rhys and Mieu with the new protective equipment available, but I did not have enough for new weapons.  I guess I will do some grinding just to get better weapons before going too far afield.

 

One thing I noticed immediately, this game poisons you a lot more than the previous game.  I think I used more Anitdotes in the first hour or two than I did for the entire play through of Phantasy Star II.

[ChildOfCv]

5 hours ago, jeremiahjt said:

One thing I noticed immediately, this game poisons you a lot more than the previous game.  I think I used more Anitdotes in the first hour or two than I did for the entire play through of Phantasy Star II.

Even worse, the Anti magic has a percentage chance of working rather than being a sure cure.  You have to adjust your technique strengths to decide which one is most important (and mostly important).

[+jeremiahjt]

On 7/16/2021 at 7:41 PM, ChildOfCv said:

Even worse, the Anti magic has a percentage chance of working rather than being a sure cure.  You have to adjust your technique strengths to decide which one is most important (and mostly important).

I noticed that. It took me three tries to cure poison using the Anti technique the only time I tried it.

Edited July 19, 2021 by jeremiahjt
Spelling

[oceanfrr]

^{That one brings alot of memories. I remember also playing Wizardry it had a similar format.}

[ChildOfCv]

On 7/16/2021 at 9:35 PM, jeremiahjt said:

I noticed that. It took me three tries to cure poison using tbe Anti technique the only time I tried it.

BTW, some armors in the game cast rever when used as an item.  They can also be used outside of battle.

 

Some armors cast gires, but only in battle.

[BawesomeBurf]

On 7/16/2021 at 1:54 PM, jeremiahjt said:

 

One thing I noticed immediately, this game poisons you a lot more than the previous game.  I think I used more Anitdotes in the first hour or two than I did for the entire play through of Phantasy Star II.

Yeah, poison is super annoying and happens way too often at the start. It's especially irritating due to the Anti failure rate and how little Meseta you earn.

[+jeremiahjt]

Alright, I started this back up. Luckily I remembered pretty well were I left off so I picked it up pretty quick. I bought all the best equipment to be found in Rysel. Then I stumbled into a secret dungeon entrance. I did find a map for this one also, but I found the entrance on my own.

 

I made it to a new desert land and I am still fighting Chirpers! I found the town of Hazatak, which is populated by cyborgs. It sounds like a cyborg named Wren will be my next companion.

 

If you are wondering why I stopped playing, the reason is twofold. One, it is harder to find time for longer gaming sessions during the school year. And two, I started playing the Phantasy Star games during a break from The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind on the Xbox. I started playing Morrowind again so I put a hiatus on Phantasy Star. I still have not finished Morrowind, but I plan on at least finishing Phantasy Star III before going back to Morrowind.

[+jeremiahjt]

I found Wren and added him to my party.  Then I took him the Control Tower to fix the weather in Aquatica.  Along the way I met back up with Lyle, who I had already met, but completely forgot about.  I had to go look up that he was the one who gave me the Sapphire, which I also forgot about.  The Control Tower was pretty easy, but again I used a map.

 

I tried to get a wandering cyborg named Miun to join me, but it looks like I need Orakio's sword first.  I read the strategy guide up to where I was between two play sessions.  After I came back I headed back to Rysel like Lyle suggested, but once I got there I remembered the guide said make sure you talk to everybody in Hazatak after finishing the Control Tower.  I thought about resetting the game right there, but figured heading back would make for some good grinding.  Back in Hazatak I learned about the Moon Tear and the Moon Stone that I will need to use that other machine in the Control Tower.  Good thing I went back for the story progression from the cyborgs.

 

So next I get to head back to Rysel to presumably get a boat.  I will probably explore everything again to see if the changing weather opened anything else up.

 

I ran into some monster designs I am not a fan of.  The Giants are strange, as are the Hopliz and the giant head known as Grinder.  I am also having even more trouble with the techniques than in Phantasy Star II.  The amount of technique points that the characters get is so low that I feel like I should never use techniques in battle.  In addition the names are still wonky.  Some I remember from Phantasy Star II, but others I either cannot remember what they do or they are new.

[ChildOfCv]

14 hours ago, jeremiahjt said:

I ran into some monster designs I am not a fan of.  The Giants are strange, as are the Hopliz and the giant head known as Grinder.  I am also having even more trouble with the techniques than in Phantasy Star II.  The amount of technique points that the characters get is so low that I feel like I should never use techniques in battle.  In addition the names are still wonky.  Some I remember from Phantasy Star II, but others I either cannot remember what they do or they are new.

I made sure to equip as many attack-all weapons as I could.  And remember that some people can equip two of them.

[+jeremiahjt]

4 hours ago, ChildOfCv said:

I made sure to equip as many attack-all weapons as I could.  And remember that some people can equip two of them.

I do not have any characters with needlers right now. It is nice having two more attackers in the party though. Wren with his Hunting Shot does nice damage and now that I upgraded Lyle from one Staff to two Hunting Staves (Staffs?), he is doing decent damage now too.

[NE146]

I initially ragged on PS3 again here.. but then I started watching vids of it on youtube and lol all of a sudden I want to try it again.  

Edited April 15, 2022 by NE146

[+jeremiahjt]

Well I have done quite a bit in the last couple of days. I got the boat and headed to Agoe, which there is not much there.  I went to Shusoran and fought through monsters until finding Lena and discovering a secret about a comrade.  Lyle is a Layan, and prince of Shusoran.  I fought him one on one and defeated him.  For my prize, he rejoined my party and Lena, who helped me escape the dungeon at the beginning, joined my party.

 

I really thought that the Orakian hatred of Layans was going to be misplaced.  I figured it would be some big misunderstanding or Dark Force himself had come back and corrupted them.  That is not how it played out.  The monsters roaming the countryside apparently belong to and are controlled by the Layans.  Those filthy Layans deserve death.

 

After getting Lena, I now had the Moon Tear and Moon Stone.  I was told to take them to the Satellite Control System so the satellite could pull an entire moon back into orbit.  That is some powerful stuff.  I did it and there is a nice cutscene of the moons coming together.  I went ahead and outfitted everybody, including Lena, with the very best equipment money can buy up to Shusoran.  The Ceramic Shot in Wren's hand is an excellent weapon.  Lena with two Ceramic Needlers also does acceptable damage in fight too.  I also started using the Techniques more, at least the melee ones, and have a much better understanding of them now.

 

After getting back and through Shusoran, the sand bar appears and leads you to Cille.  The price of the equipment in Cille is astronomical.  I could not afford anything.  After grinding for a while I barely had enough for the cheapest armor, so I said forget it. Time to just head to Cille Castle.  The Cille dungeon had some difficult enemies, but I think I was a little over leveled with everybody but Lena.

 

Once into the castle I made my way to the King of Cille and started the fight without remembering to heal up first.  I had to have Mieu cast GiRes every single turn.  In the end the battle was not too tough and I defeated the King.  He then gave me a choice of who to marry, Maia or Lena.  I did not realize that Lena, apparently the Princess of Satera, was even a love interest.  I chose Maia, renounced the Throne of Landen, and became the King of Cille.

 

Fast forward a decade and a half or so and now I control Ayn as the Orakians are attacking with their cyborgs.  Rhys gave me Mieu and Wren, and told me to go find Satellite.  I guess that is a town.  It looks like Mieu and Wren have the exact same equipment and are at the same level they had at the end of Rhys's quest and Ayn has the exact amount of meseta the Rhys had.  I guess it is now time to go fight those Orakian dogs and their cyborgs.

 

One thing I found quite amusing is all the Layans saying they could not kill Rhys or the Orakians because Laya forbid it as her last words.  I guess creating monsters and sending them to kill Orakians is a okay though.

 

Edited April 18, 2022 by jeremiahjt
Grammar

[newtmonkey]

@jeremiahjt

It's been fun to read your thoughts on the PS series as you've been working through it!  Even though I'm a huge fan of RPGs, I've only completed PS1 (10+ years ago).  I really enjoyed that one... I remember when I first started playing it, my wife and I had just moved and were temporarily staying with her parents and had no access to the Internet.  I had to play the game almost totally on my own, but if I REALLY got stuck I'd travel to the local library and wait for an open slot.  It reminded me of playing games as a kid and just having to figure things out on my own.

 

After I completed PS1 I considered playing PS2, but was turned off by its brutal reputation.  I should have ignored that, because I've recently started playing PS2 and I love it!  It's much, much more difficult than PS1, but (so far) it's a satisfying difficulty.

[+jeremiahjt]

I have led Ayn, Mieu, and Wren around Aquatica a little bit. This is neither here nor there, but does anybody ever actually say Aquatica in the game? The cyborg enemies look pretty good so far and some of them can pack quite a punch.

 

Cille, Shusoran, Agoe, and Rysel all seem to sell the exact same stuff they did 20 years ago.  In Shusoran, a now one-eyed Lyle is being pressed hard by the cyborgs. He has his daughter Thea with him, presumably a future party member or maybe even a love interest.

 

I thought there would be some tension with Layans in Agoe, but nobody there knows anything about the attacking cyborgs. Once into Rysel you are told to head back to Cille by way of a royal messenger. After heading back both Shusoran and Cille are deserted except for one brave or crazy man in Cille. He tells you everybody left for Aridia, not Hazatak, except for him. I guess I am off to the connecting dungeon now.

 

With everybody gone in Shusoran I decided to head down those stairs behind the now-missing shopkeeper. I figured it would take me to the one area of the Shusoran dungeon I could not get to before. I could not see anything in that area, but figured something had to be there. Well I was right on where it led, but wrong on something being there.

 

I did not upgrade any of my equipment in Cille before the fall, I hope I do not regret that later as I did have enough for the Force Peotector for Wren.

Edited May 3, 2022 by jeremiahjt
Spelling

[ChildOfCv]

I haven't seen any part of the game to be out of reach due to a decision to delay weapons upgrades, and a lot of times you can find at least one of the more expensive items as treasures.  It's just the final grind to upgrade before fighting the end boss that gets a bit tedious.

[+jeremiahjt]

I have made it to Aridia and into Hazatak.  The cyborgs told me that Satellite can be reached from the eastern world, but I need the Power Topaz first.  I am guessing by the eastern world, they do not mean Aquatica.  When I use the Monitor, there is a fourth world I have not been to yet that shows up, so I assume that will be the eastern world.  I am also told that the Power Topaz belongs to Lena's daughter, and that she lives in Landen.

 

The cyborgs also told me that the Layans fled west to a cave.  It was not hard to figure out that it was the same cave Lyle was in before.  In the cave, you find Rhys, Maia, and a severely injured Lyle, but no Thea.  Lyle tells you that Thea has been kidnapped and taken to the east.  He also gives you a chest that contains the Dragon's Tear, which is the key to the eastern world.

 

Where to now?  I am pretty sure I need to rescue Thea before I search for Lena's daughter.   I think probably the cave I could not enter before on the eastern side of Aridia will now be open to me and lead me to the eastern world and to Thea.

 

One thing I find funny is that all that is left of the Layans is three members of the royalty, three guards, a woman, and I think a child.  I get attacked every five steps by cyborgs in this cave, but the child and the woman are just hanging out by themselves with all these cyborg running around.  It might have been hard to do this, but they should have made the cave, or at least a section of it, free from enemies.  Like the Layans had cleared out the cyborgs to rest peacefully.

[+jeremiahjt]

2 hours ago, ChildOfCv said:

I haven't seen any part of the game to be out of reach due to a decision to delay weapons upgrades, and a lot of times you can find at least one of the more expensive items as treasures.  It's just the final grind to upgrade before fighting the end boss that gets a bit tedious.

What I was worried about is that those particular weapons and armor would not be available any where else and I would have to do same major meseta grinding to get the piece of equipment next in line.  So far I have been to all the towns I went to with Rhys, except for the towns in Landen, and they have all sold the exact same equipment.  Hopefully when I get to this eastern world I can purchase some new equipment.  I bought Ayn the Royal Boots in Rysel, but there has not been any upgrades since Cille fell except for the boots.