[VX Ace] The Laughing Isles

[Lurker]

Can somebody pleas for the love of god tell me where this mythical cabin is?

Because I cropped every last tile of walk-able space in the game, and still I can't find it.

The only cabin I know about is the cabin North of the first town.

 

[Cryptic71]

The only cabin I know about is the cabin North of the first town.

Yeah, I know about that cabin.

But people keep talking about some kind of Zombie, or Fairy thing that you fight in some mysterious cabin in the middle of scenic nowhere.

That is the cabin I'm looking for.

 

[Chrome]

Dude, second floor of the cabin. Look at the things on the ground of that room, before you enter the zombie room.

There is an thing in the floor that is different from the other things. It's the same, but it's different.

It's not that hard, give a good look.

Wow. That was obvious. Painfully obvious. >.<

 

[Lurker]

Yeah, I know about that cabin.

But people keep talking about some kind of Zombie, or Fairy thing that you fight in some mysterious cabin in the middle of scenic nowhere.

That is the cabin I'm looking for.

For those events, you have check previous places when the game instructs you to. So you have to try the cabin again later.

 

[Cryptic71]

For those events, you have check previous places when the game instructs you to. So you have to try the cabin again later.

But... But... I can't go back to those areas. Or ANY areas for that matter.

My game told me that I had to stop playing as soon as I got to the Inn at Kootchie (<-spelling?) Kingdom.

The first time the game told me that I needed to go check for changes.. It was at the start of the mandatory quest that led me to the Escape Tunnel.

Once I got out of that, I couldn't go back at all. All I could do was walk into the inn.

Then the game just said "Wait for episode 2:lol"

And I'm really confused because everybody is talking about shit which I have deduced must be in episode 2, which I cannot access yet. :cry

 

[AnimeWatcher1]

Wow. That was obvious. Painfully obvious. >.<

Hahaha. Do not worry, it took some people several hints, headaches, and hours before they finally got it (and to the end, it was worth seeing them squirm 😀).

But... But... I can't go back to those areas. Or ANY areas for that matter.

My game told me that I had to stop playing as soon as I got to the Inn at Kootchie (<-spelling?) Kingdom.

The first time the game told me that I needed to go check for changes.. It was at the start of the mandatory quest that led me to the Escape Tunnel.

Once I got out of that, I couldn't go back at all. All I could do was walk into the inn.

Then the game just said "Wait for episode 2:lol"

And I'm really confused because everybody is talking about shit which I have deduced must be in episode 2, which I cannot access yet. :cry

What's that? Missables!?

Yes, sleeping to continue the game is mandatory. It, however, is NOT forced upon you. You can go about your business and do whatever you want before you sleep in the bed, including leaving the town.

In other words, you missed out on things you could do before all hell broke loose in town. After you sleep, you continue the story (which prevents you from leaving town. Had you been here earlier, you'd be able to play a broken version that actually let you leave town and mess up the event lol)

You'll have to either load an earlier save, or start a new game. Expect a lot of things like this throughout my game (missables). Actions you do can change what you'll see in the future. Events you miss can be gone forever. The game will feature multiple endings, after all.

Oh yes, and Whisper Cave is the name of what some people call the Oni cave. When you walk in, you'll get the name on your screen (several environments actually show you what the place is called).

 

[Cryptic71]

Yes, sleeping to continue the game is mandatory. It, however, is NOT forced upon you. You can go about your business and do whatever you want before you sleep in the bed, including leaving the town.

In other words, you missed out on things you could do before all hell broke loose in town. After you sleep, you continue the story (which prevents you from leaving town. Had you been here earlier, you'd be able to play a broken version that actually let you leave town and mess up the event lol)

You'll have to either load an earlier save, or start a new game. Expect a lot of things like this throughout my game (missables). Actions you do can change what you'll see in the future. Events you miss can be gone forever. The game will feature multiple endings, after all.

Oh yes, and Whisper Cave is the name of what some people call the Oni cave. When you walk in, you'll get the name on your screen (several environments actually show you what the place is called).

Wait.. Shit changes. BEFORE you sleep? I.E. Before time passes?

Dafuq?

Oh well, who cares, It's fantasy after all. Okay, I'll load one of my 15 saves and see which one works for me, then check for new shit.

 

[Chrome]

Aha! After finding the spider girl (And completing everything in the game so far! 😀) I can say that my original guess as to who the mage girl is was...
Ahem.

I love her already <3

 

[AnimeWatcher1]

Wait.. Shit changes. BEFORE you sleep? I.E. Before time passes?

Dafuq?

Oh well, who cares, It's fantasy after all. Okay, I'll load one of my 15 saves and see which one works for me, then check for new shit.

Atta boy! Never give up! That's what makes us true gamers - if we miss something, we GOT to find out what it was!

I did the same. The opponents are dangerous, and grinding only gives you about 4-6 statpoints (while a good item might give you 12), so... I grinded for three levels, but the fights weren't really less dangerous, so I just ran through the caves to the endboss.
I have the same opinion, as long as all classes have a similiar escaping chance it doesn't hurt the game.

Well now this is interesting. Are you guys saying you had a hard time with the random encounters...but the boss was easy? Sense making...hurting brain...think I has the dumb!

Actually dalfgan, 4 - 6 points is HUGE. Every point can mean the difference between hitting something for damage and the enemy being immune to your attacks. Just like how every point of defense makes the Paladin untouchable to LOLwutdamage? :stickout

Don't forget you're getting increases to several stats AND HP(and MP) with each level up. You don't have all these default stats of 100+, so the increase might seem "small". The thing is, each point gives a HUGE bonus because everything is so compressed in power. If you had a power scale of 1 - 50, at level 10 with, say, 20, you'd be pretty damn powerful.

Aha! After finding the spider girl (And completing everything in the game so far! 😀) I can say that my original guess as to who the mage girl is was...
Ahem.

I love her already <3

...?

No no, please, tell me all about who you now think the Mage is lol.

 

[Lurker]

I elaborated on random encounters a little more in a post I made on page 96. Another aspect is that we have limited resources to get through the dungeon. The bed works fine, but when you're actually trying to make your way through it, you can't take sizable damage each encounter, unless you really stock up. So it's a lot better to just run away. As a random encounter, two zombies and a toe nibbler is pretty tough and the weak to tickling could even get you killed, but as a boss it'd be easy.

Edit: Come to think of it, the boss isn't even that far beyond a random encounter. It's sorta comparable to an average to slightly easier (if you leave one of the skeletons) encounter that just lasts a little longer. I guess they have less health too, so you can get rid of the scarier monsters more easily. I guess if your class has good agility, you probably wouldn't even have to worry about the few attacks that can make random encounters scary.

 

[AnimeWatcher1]

I elaborated on random encounters a little more in a post I made on page 96. Another aspect is that we have limited resources to get through the dungeon. The bed works fine, but when you're actually trying to make your way through it, you can't take sizable damage each encounter, unless you really stock up. So it's a lot better to just run away. As a random encounter, two zombies and a toe nibbler is pretty tough and the weak to tickling could even get you killed, but as a boss it'd be easy.

Huh, I completely missed that post. From the sound of it, you're a Ranger. So actually you are on the squishy side of things (not as much as Mage or Rogue, but still kindof squishy). So yea, I can see that.

I keep forgetting I mentioned how things were going to be tougher now and you'd start seeing your class weaknesses. So guess I pretty much did it right :lol

Perhaps that should also be a lesson learned - make sure you've got a decent amount of restorative items. You never know what I'm gonna throw at you and it's always good to have an ample supply (unless you had, like, 20+ and the undead destroyed all that). Still, at least undead have a universal weakness. Each is super ticklish on their feet so you'll always know what to go for when fighting one.

...unless it isn't. DUN DUN DUN!

At least it sounds like the undead were a challenge (well, except for a certain class I'm guessing 😛). I've even heard warriors having trouble with Specters. Unfortunately, the difficulty is only going to ramp up if you decide to keep going solo - but thankfully, you can partner up (for a certain amount of time) with a monster girl while you test out her abilities and personality. So you can use that to help fight some of the 2+ party member content and level yourself to a reasonable level.

 

[Lurker]

I usually have a good supply of restorative items. But thanks to escaping, I still have them. =D

 

[Chrome]

...?

No no, please, tell me all about who you now think the Mage is lol.

I think that rather than the girl at the end of the game, it's the girl the spider girl was tickling. I edited this a bunch of times because you made me second guess myself xD

 

[Lurker]

I think that rather than the girl at the end of the game, it's the girl the spider girl was tickling. I edited this a bunch of times because you made me second guess myself xD

Hmm, aren't the party members supposed to be monster girls though?

 

[DaDebble]

I see I missed something because I didn't go back after I got the notification that 'news event have arisen'. I always thought it was something for a future update and that it had to do with storylines progressing (and the alraune came to mind and after I saw nothing changed there I moved on).

Started a new run as a mage and it's definitely a harder class to play as than the paladin, at least at lower levels; but rogue was also a harder class. If your sleep spell fails, you're in a heap of trouble (damned octopus with her paralysis attack, causing me to take four hits in a row, when she was at low health). Luck is a factor, more so than skill when playing as the mage at low level. Flaming Feet is an awesome spell, however.

 

[DaDebble]

I wonder what happens when Nadya's naughtiness increases. Might make a secondary save with maximal naughtiness.

By the way, I've found the harpy woman, the hidden beach (and the bathing suit which surprisingly offers lots of protection aside from looking sexy as hell) and the zombie thief. 😉

EDIT: Oh, and I've also found a hidden Life Up in the Whisper Cave. Certainly comes in handy for a low HP class as the mage.
EDIT2: Wait, that 'sacrificial fly' is just the 'scared ticklefly' who got ganged up by two fledgling harpies isn't it? That one is old news to me. 😛 However, I'm only moving on to the escape tunnel once I'm a little more sure I've found everything.
EDIT3: I've just found the 'ancestral fly'. Nice. Curious what will happen. 😉
EDIT4: I've watched all possible outcomes of the 'ancestral fly' encounter. I must say, worth it. I've also met the notorious 'twig snake'. I think I'm ready to move on now. 🙂

 

[Lurker]

I think AnimeWatcher said you need naughtiness to move past those scary looking mountains. So naughtiness might go so far as to give you an entirely different path, which would be pretty awesome.

 

[DaDebble]

I think AnimeWatcher said you need naughtiness to move past those scary looking mountains. So naughtiness might go so far as to give you an entirely different path, which would be pretty awesome.

Interesting indeed. I also wonder whether you get benefits for having maximal naughtiness, or that you can balance it out ideally. I'm putting my gambles on maximal naughtiness, if only for the great scenes it rewards you with. 😛 That also means two different runs (one where I'm a saint and one where I'm a devlin).

Good run: Mage
Evil run: Ranger (I guess you Nadya as a 'monster hunter' here 😉)

There is also one unresolved question here. I wonder whether it's possible to catch that fleeting fawn (maybe with lots of agility). 🙂

BTW, the conversations with the female guard in the starting village are hilarious, especially when you come back after a certain event.

 

[Lurker]

The fawn gives you, oh what was it . . . maybe like 60 exp and 100 shards? I sorta forget, but it wasn't much more than like two regular encounters, if that. You can do it / occasionally do it with high enough agility.

 

[mxx15]

I think AnimeWatcher said you need naughtiness to move past those scary looking mountains. So naughtiness might go so far as to give you an entirely different path, which would be pretty awesome.

Do you need to make evil decisions 100%, or would it allow you to proceed with let's say 70% naughtiness? Also, is there a way to tell if you're more evil than good?

 

[AnimeWatcher1]

I think that rather than the girl at the end of the game, it's the girl the spider girl was tickling. I edited this a bunch of times because you made me second guess myself xD

Well well well. I guess you'll just have to wait until part 2 comes out to see who is right and who is shocked :scared

Okay, I did a bit experimenting after that post, here are the results (for the people who are lazy, just read the summary at the end)


Class: Paladin
Level: 5
HP: 194, MP: 89, ATK: 13, DEF: 22, MAT: 16, MDF: 17, AGI: 9, LUK: 9

How encounters went (only fought once against every encounter, so I might have been lucky/unlucky):

2 Playful Zombie
- I deal 26 Damage with Foot Tickling
- they deal 28 damage (*2) + weakening + poison + confusion (can result in death without any chance to react). That's at least 56 damage per round, and I can only heal 44-50 per round.
- got killed after getting confused with ~120 hp left

1 Playful Zombie
- I need about 8 rounds with Foot Tickling to beat her
- in that time I get 60-90 damage I guess, maybe even more if she uses poison/confusion attacks. That are at least two heals equally to 20 mana to get full health.

1 Toe Nibbler
- 37 damage with Foot Tickling, needing 3 rounds
- she deals 70 damage with this toe-nibbling-attack, otherwise ~25. That are about two heals equally to 20 mana to get full health.

1 Specter
- I deal 25-30 damage with Foot Tickling, needs 3 rounds to beat her
- She deals 22 damage per round, costing me 44 hp equally to 10 mana

Specter + Rib Grabber
- at least 40 damage per round, poison, balance loss, ...
- got killed (after using two heals and maybe 8 rounds)
(tried this fight a second time, got killed after using 6 heals... doesn't seem winnable without using items)


Encounter-Counter from bed to trails: 6
I guess you can add 2 to get to the shovel, another 2 to get back to the trails. After the trails to the endboss maybe another 2, that are 12 encounters in total (more if you think about exploring and getting lost and fighting the spider, but let's say the player goes back to the bed and restores after that).

So if you avoid the deadly encounters (2 monsters at the same time), that may leave you with 10 encounters. If you need roughly 20 mana after a fight to get to full health again, then you need about 200 mana. Since my pool was 89, that are two Tasty Waters (or less with a combination of Potions) and maybe an Antidiote.


So, in summary: If you play perfect (and with that I mean going the direct way of the main quest, fleeing of monster groups with two or more monsters and only use foot tickling), you need two Tasty Waters and an Antidiote to get through as a level 5 Paladin, even if you fight against the appearing monsters.
That seems okay. Actually it felt a lot harder without knowing the labyrinth, because you never know how much longer you are running through this maze and what dangers lie ahead. And of course one does not simply go the direct way xD

L-lookit all dat data.

Oh goodness it's delish. Excellent work dal, stuff like this is greatly appreciated. I find it amusing that fights were "deadly encounters" when it was 1 vs 2. I didn't see things like the Specter x 2 there. Were they not so bad? What of the 2 rare encounters (I mean, 1 was easy, but what did you think of the other?)

I'll take a look at the poison. Perhaps lowering the chance if it felt too high in terms of being applied. I've already got the DoT on it lower than even the default poison had by a good bit. Perhaps also the "off balance" moves of the undead too. I'm not looking to make this easy-mode though. The Escape Tunnels should definitely have felt challenging (especially since so many talked about how easy most other fights were).

My next question would have to be does anyone find themselves consuming items at all? It seems like people only consume one or two tops in a large portion of their playthrough. That's actually not so good, because it undervalues restorative items. Of course, classes that have healing I'm perfectly fine with having their heals be somewhat of a subsitute, but they need to run out of mana and (unless they want to run back to a restore point) need to use some MP restoring items.

I wonder what happens when Nadya's naughtiness increases. Might make a secondary save with maximal naughtiness.

By the way, I've found the harpy woman, the hidden beach (and the bathing suit which surprisingly offers lots of protection aside from looking sexy as hell) and the zombie thief. 😉

EDIT: Oh, and I've also found a hidden Life Up in the Whisper Cave. Certainly comes in handy for a low HP class as the mage.
EDIT2: Wait, that 'sacrificial fly' is just the 'scared ticklefly' who got ganged up by two fledgling harpies isn't it? That one is old news to me. 😛 However, I'm only moving on to the escape tunnel once I'm a little more sure I've found everything.
EDIT3: I've just found the 'ancestral fly'. Nice. Curious what will happen. 😉
EDIT4: I've watched all possible outcomes of the 'ancestral fly' encounter. I must say, worth it. I've also met the notorious 'twig snake'. I think I'm ready to move on now. 🙂

I do believe the "sacrificial fly" is what some people called the Ancestral Fly. Probably the closest they could come to remembering what she was. Congrats on finding a hidden item and location, btw! 🙂 Oh, and the rare encounter in the forest! Keep watch for twig snakes though. You only found a tame one :stickout

BTW, the conversations with the female guard in the starting village are hilarious, especially when you come back after a certain event.

Heeeyyy somebody found it! Good job lol. Expect more like that in the future if you meet the criteria! Also happy to hear you've made more than one character. Glad to hear you're curious to see as many different avenues as you can. Gotta be prepared after all haha.

I think AnimeWatcher said you need naughtiness to move past those scary looking mountains. So naughtiness might go so far as to give you an entirely different path, which would be pretty awesome.

Yeppers! Lurker has it right. Naughtiness will cause future events to have options and changes including an alternate path in the story. Naughtiness often also has a cause and effect (just like NOT having naughtiness, since so far you don't gain naughty points if you spare stuff).

Do you need to make evil decisions 100%, or would it allow you to proceed with let's say 70% naughtiness? Also, is there a way to tell if you're more evil than good?

Naughty points decide if you even get the CHANCE to get on the Dark path. You'll need a certain amount, and if you're full fledged naughty expect some things for being such a naughty tickler. There is currently no way to tell, but I will put in NPC's that will allow you to check your status in the future (similar to Fortuneteller NPC's give you clues on relationships or such in other games).

 

[Carnivore]

Ok, I'm way behind on writing up my thoughts on chapter 2. A combination of laziness and business. But this morning, I got the mojo in me! I apologize if some of my notes are from an old version of the game and no longer applicable. Ok, organizing notes… reticulating splines…

Item One: Jesus, that frog. I tried tackling that frog numerous times. As a warrior, ranger, paladin, even once as a cleric (and realized that was just pointless) all with no success. I usually get the frog to speak around 10-20 hp. The battle is especially frustrating as it can only take place in a point in the game where Nadya is incapable of using any tactics. No squandering of potions, or rationing of abilities. Nothing. I have to say, this is poor gameplay design, AW. If we need to rely on a dice roll, it'd be much better to simply have a "you have 5% to land the first hit. First hit wins."

Seriously, though. That fight should be done through a dialogue tree a la Lady Venus mid-point in ToG. That'd give the player some autonomy while preserving the likelihood of bad ends. And, frankly, give us more juicy dialogue. I know you're focused on the herculean task of moving forward and not backward, Screamer. But I think the Frog battle is worth revisiting. Despite wanting the victory scene and item, I said screw it, this isn't fun at all.

Alright, that unpleasant item out of the way, on to the fun stuff…
-naughtiness increased by 1? Is that new? Do I have a karma system now? It only seems to show up in negative (I haven't seen a nice point yet, and my Warrior Nadya is quite the nice one, fat slime girl aside) Hmm, a reason to roll an evil Ranger.

Oh, speaking of alt classes: Is anyone finding the Pally fun? I found her high defense battle style plodding, and reminiscent of the same character in ToG. But maybe once abilities kick in life is better. I do not have a good solution to that problem. And maybe its just me, but those turtle battles wear on me.

-In the Lockstocked inn, I can walk inside the walls! And not to sneak around and tickle the hostess, either. They react normally. I'm just, y'know, creeping around inside the walls. Nothing unusual. You can enter them from the rooms, at the row the hostess is at.

-When a red oni beats you (quiet, I underestimated the little buggers), they "jas her fingers into Nadya's armpits"

-Does waiting for the "next day" for the alraune and Jacob mean after the centaur attack? I can't do anything before then. I tried heading over there right before the night scene at the General's castle, but they're still waiting. I feel like I'm doing that one wrong, or should just axe the Alraune just for closure. Yet another job for Naughty Ranger Nadya.

-specters… ew. I do not wanna tickle that. I guess that's kind of the point. At least those playful zombies look fun. And playful.

-I want to re-iterate my desire for a "tent" that follows Nadya around, rather than relying on the bed at the beginning of the cave. I get why its weird for her to lug around sleeping supplies… but its ok, cuz VIDYA GAEMS. The practical result is I grind right outside bed until I get the desired level, then run from every single encounter (and there's a ton) for the rest of the dungeon. That's not optimal. At least, Nadya should run into a "Zero encounter rate" accessory. Stumble upon the one ring or something.

-spider victory scene: N[1] add her other hand… (should be Nadya adds)
-Necro Game Over: N[1] sees the necromancess casting something

-god damn that necro intro scene. I like it, but… I'm just hammering the z key at the 4th battle. Don't know how to fix that issue either, but sometimes repeating intro scenes can be a pain.

…Ok. Overall, I'm really happy with this chapter, AW. You've done another stellar job. Loved the spider girl encounter, as well as the small interaction between Nadya and that Egyptian death goddess. Man I want to meet up with her again. And I am chopping at the bit to meet more companions, and even pair up with one. C'mon Tula, join up with me already! Although I doubt a Tula-Warrior combo is the best thing possible. But I can tell AW is going the extra mile on her dialogue, and I'd love to see it with the next character introduced. I know, I know, long way off.

And I just want you to know I criticize because I love, AW. I've got high standards for this game because it's already shown a lot. I'm sorry I haven't been active in this thread, being all up in this zeitgeist more.

 

[AnimeWatcher1]

Item One: Jesus, that frog. I tried tackling that frog numerous times. As a warrior, ranger, paladin, even once as a cleric (and realized that was just pointless) all with no success. I usually get the frog to speak around 10-20 hp. The battle is especially frustrating as it can only take place in a point in the game where Nadya is incapable of using any tactics. No squandering of potions, or rationing of abilities. Nothing. I have to say, this is poor gameplay design, AW. If we need to rely on a dice roll, it'd be much better to simply have a "you have 5% to land the first hit. First hit wins."

Seriously, though. That fight should be done through a dialogue tree a la Lady Venus mid-point in ToG. That'd give the player some autonomy while preserving the likelihood of bad ends. And, frankly, give us more juicy dialogue. I know you're focused on the herculean task of moving forward and not backward, Screamer. But I think the Frog battle is worth revisiting. Despite wanting the victory scene and item, I said screw it, this isn't fun at all.

Goodness, that felt like an ass-chewing. Might want to check out the latest version, especially since you mentioned Cleric. Last I heard, when it was finally discovered the Cleric was broken, they potentially became the best class to beat the frog after I fixed them. I might take another look at it, but considering how powerful the item is... This isn't ToG's White Feather; this isn't you walking over to a bush, hitting Z and winning the game. It's close, but not exact.
I know, I know, saying such probably enrages people, but that's just how it is. I do find it strange that everyone else has won that fight (unless nobody said they just couldn't win) except you. Very odd. You've gotten quite a streak of bad luck, my friend.

Alright, that unpleasant item out of the way, on to the fun stuff…
-naughtiness increased by 1? Is that new? Do I have a karma system now? It only seems to show up in negative (I haven't seen a nice point yet, and my Warrior Nadya is quite the nice one, fat slime girl aside) Hmm, a reason to roll an evil Ranger.

Oh, speaking of alt classes: Is anyone finding the Pally fun? I found her high defense battle style plodding, and reminiscent of the same character in ToG. But maybe once abilities kick in life is better. I do not have a good solution to that problem. And maybe its just me, but those turtle battles wear on me.

-In the Lockstocked inn, I can walk inside the walls! And not to sneak around and tickle the hostess, either. They react normally. I'm just, y'know, creeping around inside the walls. Nothing unusual. You can enter them from the rooms, at the row the hostess is at.

-When a red oni beats you (quiet, I underestimated the little buggers), they "jas her fingers into Nadya's armpits"

-Does waiting for the "next day" for the alraune and Jacob mean after the centaur attack? I can't do anything before then. I tried heading over there right before the night scene at the General's castle, but they're still waiting. I feel like I'm doing that one wrong, or should just axe the Alraune just for closure. Yet another job for Naughty Ranger Nadya.

-specters… ew. I do not wanna tickle that. I guess that's kind of the point. At least those playful zombies look fun. And playful.

-I want to re-iterate my desire for a "tent" that follows Nadya around, rather than relying on the bed at the beginning of the cave. I get why its weird for her to lug around sleeping supplies… but its ok, cuz VIDYA GAEMS. The practical result is I grind right outside bed until I get the desired level, then run from every single encounter (and there's a ton) for the rest of the dungeon. That's not optimal. At least, Nadya should run into a "Zero encounter rate" accessory. Stumble upon the one ring or something.

-spider victory scene: N[1] add her other hand… (should be Nadya adds)
-Necro Game Over: N[1] sees the necromancess casting something

-god damn that necro intro scene. I like it, but… I'm just hammering the z key at the 4th battle. Don't know how to fix that issue either, but sometimes repeating intro scenes can be a pain.

THAT was the fun stuff? Goodness :blink Seemed like nothing but complaints and glitches. I've got a lovely bed o' nails I'm sure you'd enjoy lol.

Yes, Naughtiness is somewhat of a "Karma" system. No, there is no Pure points. The pure things are sparing/not-torturing/not killing things. And before I hear complaining, you'll get your own rewards for that. It's essentially pushing Nadya from Light (the path you start the game on) to Dark by doing more naughty things.

The next day for Jacob and Penina is indeed after the centaurs. If you were to just go and "axe" her just because you didn' see results by staying in the nearest inn, you should so deserve that Naughty point lol.

The no-encounter rate has been brought up recently, and I've gone and made an item for it for the game. I haven't implemented it yet, but maybe I'll throw it in Lockstockd Tickles.
Lugging around a Tent, however, isn't something I'm looking at right now. It defeats the boss recovers, defeats using any items or healing spells outside of battle and managing your hp/mp (and items too in a way), removes any sense of danger because...well...who cares if you get low since you can just fully restore yourself when you escape, and makes any re-usable recovery zones unnecessary.
The only way I see tents working at this moment is if they were stupidly expensive. I'm not saying the item is off the table, but for the moment it isn't on my mind.

I do thank you for pointing out the glitches. The inn has at least been fixed, though the spelling errors probably not, so thanks in particular for pinpointing those!

And thanks for your feedback on the monsters :lol Oh I've got some fun ones for you come the next part. At least you were totally ok with "attractive" undead.

…Ok. Overall, I'm really happy with this chapter, AW. You've done another stellar job. Loved the spider girl encounter, as well as the small interaction between Nadya and that Egyptian death goddess. Man I want to meet up with her again. And I am chopping at the bit to meet more companions, and even pair up with one. C'mon Tula, join up with me already! Although I doubt a Tula-Warrior combo is the best thing possible. But I can tell AW is going the extra mile on her dialogue, and I'd love to see it with the next character introduced. I know, I know, long way off.

And I just want you to know I criticize because I love, AW. I've got high standards for this game because it's already shown a lot. I'm sorry I haven't been active in this thread, being all up in this zeitgeist more.

Ah, now THERE we go. That must have been the fun stuff. :lol

Glad to hear you enjoyed Arachne and the Guardian of Souls. Keep your eyes opened for her (and guess what, she is another missable! So good job on not missing her...even if...yknow...I made the map so you'd want to go that way first before the boss).

I've made mention that while it might not be "optimal" to have the same classes or run around with things like a bunch of squishies, I think people will enjoy the game none the less. Example: You might not have a tank, but you've got CC if you joined up with Muca (the shy mage) as a Mage yourself. Double CC, double high damage. Though...she is significantly weaker than you on the defense front ahaha... but I also made mention that you'll eventually encounter items that could allow for odd builds...such as a tanky Mage (that, of course, focuses on increasing defenses while decreasing their killing power). I think Warriors will like Tula just as much as a squishier class. If nothing else, like her for her personality and potential relationship 😛 You've seen a shocking glimpse of Muca now, but there's still so much more to understand and see.

Also...making Muca's location is a bitch...friggin why am I doing this to myself...maze...traps...all dis crap...friggin...nutcase over here. The things I do for love.

Hey, I'm just happy you still check in here and know my name hahaha. I don't expect anyone to throw their schedules away just to constantly F5 my thread and see if there's any new details. But I want to make my game better and enjoyable; can't be perfect for everyone, but then no game ever will be and that's something I know and can live with. Until I finish the game, thank you for your continued support, bud 🙂

 

[Alexandah]

Hey AW, if you plan on adding a (very) tragic scene in the game, may I suggest using this as the background music for said scenario.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbX_bb7qpGA

 

[Carnivore]

Ok, maybe I was a bit harsh. And I apologize for calling you Screamer. Not that that should be an insult for either of you. You're both making great contributions here. And you're writing is great. I don't think I've had a single encounter where I said "meh, not worth it." And perhaps strongest of all, you've made me want more of so many characters you've introduced. Tula, the Egyptian death goddess, the harpy, that angel I helped out… I want to meet up down the road. That road just hasn't been built yet.

-I understand that an automatic recharge would negate the liquor before Tula and other similar items. So good that a no-encounter item is still on the table. But I think this ties into your other question: Do we use healing items? For me, the answer is YES in certain situation and NEVER! In others.

In a random encounter, I'd rather just lose and start over than waste an item in my inventory. The only time I'd spend those is if I need to charge up right before a boss fight. I'm just going to do the random encounters, then run back to the tent/bed/whatever. Items are not for random encounters, because they just don't drop enough. I'm not spending money to take down the randoms when I can do it for free by running in circles around the sleeping bag.

The practical effect is that for the rest of the level, random encounters are just a hassle to continually run away from. It detracts from the exploration, and feels like it happens very frequently. It probably just feels this way because I spam escape. I'd be much more willing to engage if there weren't heal scarcity, but that devalues items.

But in a boss fight I've definitely used potions, and some of that fruit you get at the beginning. Especially the one that says "attack power up for 3 turns." I'm out of those. But I do still have all the M Attack cherries (a warrior doesn't seem to need that), and I haven't attempted the Merry Melon. I like the idea behind those items, but they're getting a little old. My cherries should probably be tossed at this point. If I got new fruit somehow that was competitive with the amount of damage happening at current levels, then I'd definitely use it. At least, until I get a healer companion. That'd be nice… someday… I won't be alone… and someone will take care of me… maybe?