Neo Angelique playlog pt. 4
Oct. 17th, 2011 03:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
indigozealWell, I thought things would pick up once J.D. was added to the party, but the Magic of Sweets seems to be eluding us.
I started off on the wrong foot: before the mission, Rayne talks about how he's Farian born and bred, a rather strong hint that You Are Supposed to Take Rayne to Farian. When I loaded up the game, though, I'd forgotten about this conversation and instead reasoned that since we were going to be recruiting a new party member, having the head of the Aube Hunters present would be a better choice. I was reminded of my folly on the road there, when Ange & Nyx were stopped by an automobile carrying two members of Artifact with whom I imagine Rayne was supposed to have a fateful encounter. You can also visit the organization's Institute while in Farian, another big signpost that I'd made the wrong choice. Still, I'd reasoned that I was going to play it as natural as I could this first playthrough, so I didn't reload.
Ange & Nyx stopped at a local cafe in Farian to recoup their energy, and while Nyx went to go get some refreshments, Ervin (who tags along on every single one of these missions) started making a fuss under the table, Ange went to see, and thus the J.D. intro began. Here, though, J.D.'s not initially on the move from a Thanatos attack; he's dodging an angry father whose daughter has been involved with J.D. in some unclear circumstances. The girl claims J.D. was only "helping her," but Dad dismisses her as just a blinded by a crush, and while J.D. was probably just on his usual beat up Thanatos/"your beautiful smile is enough thanks for me" routine, we never get clarification on the matter, and it's odd to introduce J.D. with the typical "rogue on the run from angry father" scenario. His subsequent talk and actions characterize him as a smooth operator, too, unrelenting and untoward rather than genuinely, overwhelmingly sweet; I think the manga and anime do the character better.
In addition, I think I botched the mission that brought the Aube Hunters to Farian in the first place, concerning a man who though he'd seen an angel at a nearby lake and wanted us to go get some proof for his disbelieving friends. Before the investigation, Nyx asks Ange if she believes in angels. Well, Ange is a cheerful girl, but angels didn't descend to earth to save her parents from an untimely, violent end, so I thought it might be more interesting characterwise to have her answer "I have my doubts." This prompted, oddly, a positive response from Nyx (who thinks Ange's worldview levelheaded), but when the obligatory Thanatos was defeated...no evidence of the angel was forthcoming, and the duo decided to head back to the man empty-handed. Thinking that an Angelique game would never end a mission without a reassurance of the value of faith and hope and miracles, I reset and this time answered the question in the affirmative. This, however, only earned me Nyx's disapproval and ended the same way, with the Aube Hunters returning with empty pockets. Also, the mission was marked as a slightly harder one, yet there was only one simple Thanatos battle, so I think this was another repercussion of bringing the wrong partner.
I henceforth did some patrols with J.D., but his running commentary on the sights got tiresome fairly quickly. Go to Farian: look at the smiles on the faces of the bustling crowd! Go to Reese: Angelique, look at the statue's smile! Yeah, your schtick is becoming tired, buddy.
I am, however, beginning to see that (as my botched trip to Farian illustrates) the primary game mechanic is having the right partner at the right time to open up new routes. Nyx now suggests after every completed mission that, as a "reward," he and Ange go relax at someplace scenic; it took a while for me to clue in that, hey, these were dates, duhhhhhh. Having Nyx with Ange also unlocks new locations and topics-of-conversation keywords that the others don't, and while I don't think my compatibility rating with him was higher than with, say, Rayne, things were fluctuating too often in this period of personnel upheaval to be certain.
Anyhow, I pressed on long enough just to pick up Hyuga - depositing Guy Smiley back at the ranch and bringing Rayne out for fresh air - but that was kind of a bust, too. At least Hyuga gets some dignity here - Ange's led by Carlisle's spirit to his sleeping form instead of walking in on him bathing. (Also, Hyuga's theme is my favorite music so far: light & woodsy flute in a stirring, chivalric tone, the chilled hippie cousin to Frog's theme from Chrono Trigger.) To his credit, he clues in immediately that something's up with Ange, with her (eye-rolling) "only female Purifier" deal and, of all things, her name (it must be the future; they've broken the code). Afterward, though, Hyuga was kind of a giant jerk. I'm not an Aube Hunter, I don't want your invitation; I'm just tagging along with you to protect her. I'm not giving you information on the Queen; you'll have to talk to the head of the Order. Who, by the way, is far more psychically gifted than any of you. Yeah, I think you're gonna sit at the kid's table for a while, buddy.
Rayne Engrish Watch: "Rakkii" (lucky) and one other word that was in common enough usage not to include. Actually, I shouldn't be including "rakkii" either, should I?
.
I started off on the wrong foot: before the mission, Rayne talks about how he's Farian born and bred, a rather strong hint that You Are Supposed to Take Rayne to Farian. When I loaded up the game, though, I'd forgotten about this conversation and instead reasoned that since we were going to be recruiting a new party member, having the head of the Aube Hunters present would be a better choice. I was reminded of my folly on the road there, when Ange & Nyx were stopped by an automobile carrying two members of Artifact with whom I imagine Rayne was supposed to have a fateful encounter. You can also visit the organization's Institute while in Farian, another big signpost that I'd made the wrong choice. Still, I'd reasoned that I was going to play it as natural as I could this first playthrough, so I didn't reload.
Ange & Nyx stopped at a local cafe in Farian to recoup their energy, and while Nyx went to go get some refreshments, Ervin (who tags along on every single one of these missions) started making a fuss under the table, Ange went to see, and thus the J.D. intro began. Here, though, J.D.'s not initially on the move from a Thanatos attack; he's dodging an angry father whose daughter has been involved with J.D. in some unclear circumstances. The girl claims J.D. was only "helping her," but Dad dismisses her as just a blinded by a crush, and while J.D. was probably just on his usual beat up Thanatos/"your beautiful smile is enough thanks for me" routine, we never get clarification on the matter, and it's odd to introduce J.D. with the typical "rogue on the run from angry father" scenario. His subsequent talk and actions characterize him as a smooth operator, too, unrelenting and untoward rather than genuinely, overwhelmingly sweet; I think the manga and anime do the character better.
In addition, I think I botched the mission that brought the Aube Hunters to Farian in the first place, concerning a man who though he'd seen an angel at a nearby lake and wanted us to go get some proof for his disbelieving friends. Before the investigation, Nyx asks Ange if she believes in angels. Well, Ange is a cheerful girl, but angels didn't descend to earth to save her parents from an untimely, violent end, so I thought it might be more interesting characterwise to have her answer "I have my doubts." This prompted, oddly, a positive response from Nyx (who thinks Ange's worldview levelheaded), but when the obligatory Thanatos was defeated...no evidence of the angel was forthcoming, and the duo decided to head back to the man empty-handed. Thinking that an Angelique game would never end a mission without a reassurance of the value of faith and hope and miracles, I reset and this time answered the question in the affirmative. This, however, only earned me Nyx's disapproval and ended the same way, with the Aube Hunters returning with empty pockets. Also, the mission was marked as a slightly harder one, yet there was only one simple Thanatos battle, so I think this was another repercussion of bringing the wrong partner.
I henceforth did some patrols with J.D., but his running commentary on the sights got tiresome fairly quickly. Go to Farian: look at the smiles on the faces of the bustling crowd! Go to Reese: Angelique, look at the statue's smile! Yeah, your schtick is becoming tired, buddy.
I am, however, beginning to see that (as my botched trip to Farian illustrates) the primary game mechanic is having the right partner at the right time to open up new routes. Nyx now suggests after every completed mission that, as a "reward," he and Ange go relax at someplace scenic; it took a while for me to clue in that, hey, these were dates, duhhhhhh. Having Nyx with Ange also unlocks new locations and topics-of-conversation keywords that the others don't, and while I don't think my compatibility rating with him was higher than with, say, Rayne, things were fluctuating too often in this period of personnel upheaval to be certain.
Anyhow, I pressed on long enough just to pick up Hyuga - depositing Guy Smiley back at the ranch and bringing Rayne out for fresh air - but that was kind of a bust, too. At least Hyuga gets some dignity here - Ange's led by Carlisle's spirit to his sleeping form instead of walking in on him bathing. (Also, Hyuga's theme is my favorite music so far: light & woodsy flute in a stirring, chivalric tone, the chilled hippie cousin to Frog's theme from Chrono Trigger.) To his credit, he clues in immediately that something's up with Ange, with her (eye-rolling) "only female Purifier" deal and, of all things, her name (it must be the future; they've broken the code). Afterward, though, Hyuga was kind of a giant jerk. I'm not an Aube Hunter, I don't want your invitation; I'm just tagging along with you to protect her. I'm not giving you information on the Queen; you'll have to talk to the head of the Order. Who, by the way, is far more psychically gifted than any of you. Yeah, I think you're gonna sit at the kid's table for a while, buddy.
Rayne Engrish Watch: "Rakkii" (lucky) and one other word that was in common enough usage not to include. Actually, I shouldn't be including "rakkii" either, should I?
.
