Zodi Plays: Tactics Ogre The Knight of Lodis (Crime Island Adventure)

[DataNinja]

...okay, that mirror animation is pretty neat.

Man, that took awhile. That Cleric was clearly of a god of Spite.

Spoiler: Army

Show

Unit	Kills
Gaston	14
Deneb	10
DataNinja	8
Blue	2
Celestine	7
Trobby	4
Vecna	11
Ivanna	2
Glycinia	0
Terepat	1
Orson	1
Deme	1
Friendly Fire: 4	Whoops, An Object Got In The Way: 10

[Ninja_Prawn]

Random encounters are...a frustrating and kind of terrible mechanic honestly?

Ah, now I understand why you don't like FFT. They're especially pointless here though, since you've got training mode for level grinding.

Spoiler: Style Points

Show

Unit	Counter Kills	Power Naps	Shield Bash Kills
Gaston	2	0	0
Allos (retired)	1	0	0
Blue	0	0	1
Celestine	0	3	0
DataNinja	0	0	0
Deme	0	0	0
Deneb	0	0	1
Flauros (retired)	0	0	0
Glycinia	0	0	0
Ivanna	0	0	0
Kamui (retired)	0	0	0
Thelma (retired)	0	0	0
Terepat	0	0	0
Trobby	0	0	0
Vecna (formerly Leon)	0	0	0

[LansXero]

Ah, now I understand why you don't like FFT. They're especially pointless here though, since you've got training mode for level grinding.

Spoiler: Style Points

Show

Unit	Counter Kills	Power Naps	Shield Bash Kills
Gaston	2	0	0
Allos (retired)	1	0	0
Blue	0	0	1
Celestine	0	3	0
DataNinja	0	0	0
Deme	0	0	0
Deneb	0	0	1
Flauros (retired)	0	0	0
Glycinia	0	0	0
Ivanna	0	0	0
Kamui (retired)	0	0	0
Thelma (retired)	0	0	0
Terepat	0	0	0
Trobby	0	0	0
Vecna (formerly Leon)	0	0	0

Not quite. Often times you'd find better recruits in random encounters than at the shop; it can also provide useful equipment and well, training is very, very dull. Plus, you get the negative emblem if you only ever level up in training, so you've got to look out for that as well.

[Anteros]

Ah, now I understand why you don't like FFT. They're especially pointless here though, since you've got training mode for level grinding.

Spoiler: Style Points

Show

Unit	Counter Kills	Power Naps	Shield Bash Kills
Gaston	2	0	0
Allos (retired)	1	0	0
Blue	0	0	1
Celestine	0	3	0
DataNinja	0	0	0
Deme	0	0	0
Deneb	0	0	1
Flauros (retired)	0	0	0
Glycinia	0	0	0
Ivanna	0	0	0
Kamui (retired)	0	0	0
Thelma (retired)	0	0	0
Terepat	0	0	0
Trobby	0	0	0
Vecna (formerly Leon)	0	0	0

Sure, but training is even more boring than random encounters.

[tyckspoon]

Sure, but training is even more boring than random encounters.

FFT's random encounters aren't for training? (glances at four randos standing in a corner spamming Accumulate while one Knight Speed-breaks the last actual enemy until they only take one turn for every ten your team gets) .. yeah, building up new characters is a lot more tolerable if you can use the JP-glitch in the original versions..

[Ninja_Prawn]

Maybe you misread my tone there... I like FFT and happily spend hours doing nothing but random encounters. The training mode in Knight of Lodis is interesting, but if you're going to have a training mode available like that, you should probably cut the random encounters from the game.

[LansXero]

Maybe you misread my tone there... I like FFT and happily spend hours doing nothing but random encounters. The training mode in Knight of Lodis is interesting, but if you're going to have a training mode available like that, you should probably cut the random encounters from the game.

But if you enjoy the game instead of wanting to get over with it, not having random encounters would be very, very lame. And games arent designed for people who dislike them.

Also, did Zodi get quest mode yet?

[jindra34]

Yes LansXeno Zodi has unlocked at least 1 quest in quest mode. The issue is that the first quest has level 15 enemies and not sure how well team Zodi can handle that. At six members.

[LaZodiac]

...okay, that mirror animation is pretty neat.

Man, that took awhile. That Cleric was clearly of a god of Spite.

Spoiler: Army

Show

Unit	Kills
Gaston	14
Deneb	10
DataNinja	8
Blue	2
Celestine	7
Trobby	4
Vecna	11
Ivanna	2
Glycinia	0
Terepat	1
Orson	1
Deme	1
Friendly Fire: 4	Whoops, An Object Got In The Way: 10

The coolest thing about the Mirror is that it changes depending on what element is using it. The big image that pops up is a Mode 7-y playing around of the Elemental symbol!

Ah, now I understand why you don't like FFT. They're especially pointless here though, since you've got training mode for level grinding.

Spoiler: Style Points

Show

Unit	Counter Kills	Power Naps	Shield Bash Kills
Gaston	2	0	0
Allos (retired)	1	0	0
Blue	0	0	1
Celestine	0	3	0
DataNinja	0	0	0
Deme	0	0	0
Deneb	0	0	1
Flauros (retired)	0	0	0
Glycinia	0	0	0
Ivanna	0	0	0
Kamui (retired)	0	0	0
Thelma (retired)	0	0	0
Terepat	0	0	0
Trobby	0	0	0
Vecna (formerly Leon)	0	0	0

To clarify this point, I don't mind random encounters. That was me specifically saying that Knight of Lodis' random encounters are a bit...not super great, due to how the pay out for them is not all that good.

I dislike FFT for different reasons

But if you enjoy the game instead of wanting to get over with it, not having random encounters would be very, very lame. And games arent designed for people who dislike them.

Also, did Zodi get quest mode yet?

Yes LansXeno Zodi has unlocked at least 1 quest in quest mode. The issue is that the first quest has level 15 enemies and not sure how well team Zodi can handle that. At six members.

Concerning Quest Mode, I'll actually be doing a video about that Soon (tm). Likely will accompany Friday's video as a bonus thing, just to show it off and stuff. I don't intend to show all of Quest Mode off on screen since it's not that exciting and doesn't contribute to any proper kill counts...though I will be using it, and trying not to OVER use it (possibly). I'll give more details about it when I post the bonus video though.

[LansXero]

Yes LansXeno Zodi has unlocked at least 1 quest in quest mode. The issue is that the first quest has level 15 enemies and not sure how well team Zodi can handle that. At six members.

Level is an issue, but for whatever reason I remember running it with only 5. Do you get bonuses for having fewer people? I remember there being bonuses for speedy clearing.

[DataNinja]

The coolest thing about the Mirror is that it changes depending on what element is using it. The big image that pops up is a Mode 7-y playing around of the Elemental symbol!

Yeah, I saw that. It's neat, and a cool attention to detail! Could have just had one generic one.

Though, I was wondering during the mission we got Terepat why we'd not just... tamed a purple dragon in the first place.

Quest Mode […] doesn't contribute to any proper kill counts...

Duly noted.

[LaZodiac]

Let's have a taste of something...really good.

A Taste Of: Dandara

Video Length: 15:22

A beautiful Metroidvania with an amazing style and the unique feature of you not actually being able to walk. All you do is jump and shoot, and gravity has no real hold on you. It's...really fascinating and unique and I love it. This game is beautiful, and really interesting, and I should honestly have played more of it by now but I haven't due to various reasons. I don't have much else to say otherwise, this is a game that speaks for itself.

[DataNinja]

Huh. That's a unique little concept. And, yeah, very stylish and flowing. I imagine no actual walking'd take a bit to get used to, but it seems rather well designed, interface-wise, to help with that.

[LaZodiac]

Huh. That's a unique little concept. And, yeah, very stylish and flowing. I imagine no actual walking'd take a bit to get used to, but it seems rather well designed, interface-wise, to help with that.

I feel like a lot of people slept on Dandara entirely since I've heard no one talk about it at all. A shame, that.

[tyckspoon]

I feel like a lot of people slept on Dandara entirely since I've heard no one talk about it at all. A shame, that.

Hmm. This may end up being the second game I pick up off one of your threads. First was Momodora (well.. admittedly, that was part of a Humble Monthly bundle, but your playthrough was the main reason I installed it.)

[Qwertystop]

I find myself strongly reminded of Owlboy. Two different RPG-platformers that make some pretty major changes to the core of what a platformer is.

[LaZodiac]

Oh hey what if I did more Lodis Knight.

Zodi Plays: Tactics Ogre The Knight of Lodis [13] Beach Episode

Video Length: 40:45

Today, we finally reach Solea without any random encounters barring our path forward! Gaston confronts Eleanor...only to find that she's bleeding. It seems the father of this small church of hers has beat her for some unknown failure. She brushes it off, and Gaston seemingly does as well? It's unclear. Regardless, she asks Gaston how talking with Cybil went...and we get the hilariously wrong line of "she's a reasonable person" which...makes no bloody sense in this path where we're literally only helping her due to our life debt to her that Gaston decided we have. However, before things really get to a head, Eleanor figures we're using her to get mermaid knowledge and runs off...only for Cybil to enter and mention that the White Fang has arrived. Uh oh.

Karcist, a powerful dragoon followed by two archers and four entire dragons! This is our next fight, and it's honestly a pretty scary fight! We uh...can't take Terepat with us on this one, so it looks like we'll need to rely on regular human meat for once. Items of note on this map include Karcist's Fafnir sword, which is a great anti-dragon weapon, the Dragon Eyes bracelet attached to the ice dragon that prevents all status ailments, and the Sherwood Hat Brenda has. It's another two legendary pieces of equipment! That'll be worth endangering the lives of our army to contend with.

Speaking of contending with, this map is of courser a protection one. Keep Eleanor safe and sound! Thankfully, Eleanor is a SMART AI, unlike other AIs we may have met in this or other games. She'll run away from danger, and even leap into the ocean to avoid it. Smart girl, I like her. There's not much else to say about the fight itself, I actually handle it pretty well if I do say so myself? I'm not the best at tactics, but I've learned from some of my earlier mistakes. In a couple quick (by this game's standards) turns, we finally manage to bring down all the loot pinata's and stab Karcist to death, with a minimal amount of blood lost. Eleanor tells us some mermaid facts in exchange for saving her, but then asks us if she can join, which we obviously say yes for. A slight error on my part here; she doesn't become a non character if you say no, she forces herself into your army to join you, but only as a person who follows you around like Cybil currently is, not like an actual playable character.

With that said and done, I hope you all enjoyed. I'll see you all next time...which is to say, right below the break because we've got emblems to talk about, AND a bonus video.

------

Emblem wise, there's little to really discuss. Thanks to Karcist, we get to see the Dragon Scales emblem!

Dragon Scales: Kill five dragons, and you get this. It lets chaotic men become Dragoons (because for some reason murdering five dragons is a chaotic action) and also gives you an aura that makes dragons have a -1 morale bonus. It also makes your ability to persuade both dragons AND random beasts lower by 50%, so you won't be talking any octopi to your side if you're slathered in dragon blood.

Now then, bonus video time!

------

Zodi Plays: Tactics Ogre The Knight of Lodis [#B2] Chronicles

Video Length: 6 minutes hahaha this is what happens when you focus fire someone.

No commentary on this one, mostly because it doesn't matter per our stats and also is just me doing a quick run of the first Chronicles in Quest Mode. I've been a little sick this whole week so just have not had the desire to throw words at this, at least with my speaking voice. I'll certainly write about it though!

In certain story missions, you find books known as Chronologies. These books are tomes of lore that point you towards specific locations where you can hunt for legendary treasure, and that is expressed via Quest mode. I've heard Quest mode lets you get emblems, but otherwise doesn't count stats and as such should not be counted for our kill counters. You also don't get any EXP during this mode at all, and all enemies are preset at a specific level. The leader unit of each map you get sent to (one per Chronology) is always a specific unit with specific abilities and equipment, but everyone else is entirely randomized! It's actually pretty interesting. When starting a Quest, you can choose whether the fight will be destroy the leader, or destroy all enemies, and you can even set a turn limit for yourself!

But why would you do that, you ask? Well, if you succeed at beating the map within the turn requirement you set out for yourself, you get rewards. The amount of Goth you get, plus the loot table you roll on for items you are rewarded, is determined by the victory condition and turns you've allotted to do it in. If you do "defeat all enemies" you get three rolls for treasure, but of course the fight is that much harder, and there are even special achievements in Quest Mode that we'll get later. Later maps also have higher rankings of treasure, but for now the Numida Chronology is chock full of gear that uh...I'll be honest, I definitely spent SOME AMOUNT OF TIME on getting. All of it was off screen except for this run which I'm showing mostly to show how Quest mode works, and to show how...absolutely brutally quick you can end a map if you focus entirely on the objective.

And that's basically all I have to see regarding quest mode. I may at a later date try to get VS mode working so I can fight like...myself or a friend just to show that off (as well because there are emblems attached to it that are just objectively good to have) but otherwise, that's all I really need to show in Quest mode. That said if you'd like to see at least one run through of each map in Quest mode, once we get them, I'm more than happy to do so as bonus videos. How does that sound? Tell me and I'll do it!

[jindra34]

I'm just going to point out Zodi LUCT's (First) alignment choice is much more of a choice. Because this one is which reason do you want to tell Cybill off on. Also she listens and goes 'whatever, just keep your promise boy' on either path. She is very much a results driven girl.
One tip to anyone in the future playing this map: Bunch up, it keeps Karst closer to his dragons causing them to get debuffed. Also getting Gaston to be chaotic is a CHORE. Speaking of endings Zodi, do you intend to show the really bad ending?


Yeah basic rules for Quest mode: Choose kill everything, it gets more rewards and generally better rewards.

[LaZodiac]

I'm just going to point out Zodi LUCT's (First) alignment choice is much more of a choice. Because this one is which reason do you want to tell Cybill off on. Also she listens and goes 'whatever, just keep your promise boy' on either path. She is very much a results driven girl.
One tip to anyone in the future playing this map: Bunch up, it keeps Karst closer to his dragons causing them to get debuffed. Also getting Gaston to be chaotic is a CHORE. Speaking of endings Zodi, do you intend to show the really bad ending?


Yeah basic rules for Quest mode: Choose kill everything, it gets more rewards and generally better rewards.

Yeah, I've seen Let Us Cling, I know . And getting Gaston to Chaotic isn't that big an issue if you know how (and really we only need him at neutral, not chaotic, it's the Dragon Scales that is difficult). I will also probably show off the worst ending since it's entirely possible to get in the scope of this run, yeah.

You don't actually get better rewards for "kill everyone"! Killing only the leader and being under 1 - 7 turns gets you up to what the document I'm using lists as loot table F, whereas killing all enemies gets you two rolls from table G and one from table H. The Goth amounts vary of course, but ultimately the only reason you'd want to do "kill everyone" is to get bulk items, the better stuff will always be on "Kill leader".

[DataNinja]

Not much to comment on besides "yay, smart NPC".

Also, Gaston is the one on the team with the highest kill count, not Vecna. (He is second highest, though. Was one (now two) above DataNinja and Deneb.)

Spoiler: Army

Show

Unit	Kills
Gaston	15
Deneb	10
DataNinja	10
Blue	2
Celestine	7
Trobby	5
Vecna	12
Ivanna	3
Glycinia	0
Terepat	1
Orson	1
Deme	1
Friendly Fire: 4	Whoops, An Object Got In The Way: 12

Well then... Yes, focus firing the boss sure is a thing.

[tyckspoon]

Well then... Yes, focus firing the boss sure is a thing.

Also a great demonstration of flaws in the AI priorities. "Oh crap, there's an enemy near me. Let's get as far away from it as possible!" *Runs toward the whole enemy team* "Yes this is clearly a safer spot."

[DataNinja]

Also a great demonstration of flaws in the AI priorities. "Oh crap, there's an enemy near me. Let's get as far away from it as possible!" *Runs toward the whole enemy team* "Yes this is clearly a safer spot."

Look, everyone knows that the safest place for a ninja to be is behind you!

[Ninja_Prawn]

If you can't see them, that means they aren't there!

Spoiler: Style Points

Show

Unit	Counter Kills	Power Naps	Shield Bash Kills
Gaston	2	0	0
Allos (retired)	1	0	0
Blue	0	0	1
Celestine	0	3	0
DataNinja	1	0	0
Deme	0	0	0
Deneb	0	0	1
Flauros (retired)	0	0	0
Glycinia	0	0	0
Ivanna	1	0	0
Kamui (retired)	0	0	0
Thelma (retired)	0	0	0
Terepat	0	0	0
Trobby	0	0	0
Vecna (formerly Leon)	0	0	0

[LaZodiac]

Not much to comment on besides "yay, smart NPC".

Also, Gaston is the one on the team with the highest kill count, not Vecna. (He is second highest, though. Was one (now two) above DataNinja and Deneb.)

Spoiler: Army

Show

Unit	Kills
Gaston	15
Deneb	10
DataNinja	10
Blue	2
Celestine	7
Trobby	5
Vecna	12
Ivanna	3
Glycinia	0
Terepat	1
Orson	1
Deme	1
Friendly Fire: 4	Whoops, An Object Got In The Way: 12

Well then... Yes, focus firing the boss sure is a thing.

...right, yes. I got that wrong >_>

[LaZodiac]

Onwards, to further and further tactics!

Zodi Plays: Tactics Ogre The Knight of Lodis [14] Volcanicity

Video Length: 45:39

Starting us off today, we take a look at the results of all the off screen Quest grinding I did. I made...some use of Quest mode, to acquire funds to buy some more spells for the party and to get some shoes for Gaston that let him walk on water. We also got a fair share of items as well, mainly just armour but we did get a powerful fire element spear for Trobby. Ironically this spear is something you can get in the map we're going to, but I forgot to actually pick it up during the map (I'll pick it up during training). Now, unfortunately, Quest mode DOES count the kills and time spent in it, at least mechanically, so me not showing them off is...unfortunate, but it's okay! We weren't going to be counting the Quest mode kills in thread anyway, and apparently when you beat the game you get an official kill counter by the game's method of counting, so we can probably update the list from there. But yeah, that is somewhat unfortunate, but ultimately for the best for my purposes.

Incidentally, if you don't...think this is fair, me grinding to get some powerful equipment, I completely understand that. But you've gotta understand that otherwise we'd have basically nothing in terms of gear, since this path really starves you for goth. The A Path give you 1000 and 2000 goth rewards constantly, and B Path gives you...not, that, at all. And that's weird.

Anyway let's talk about the map we're going on today. It's Mt Aquila, the active volcano on Ovis! This is Eleanor's shortcut to the cape where Berevra is, and I mean that...that sure is a shortcut. This isn't the hardest fight in the world, and mostly just lets me show off just how powerful our army has become. Haste spells to increase our movement speed and accuracy, powerful gear that gives us the edge against these monsters and demi-humans, it's actually pretty great. We also spend some time having Celestine read some law books so she goes from Chaotic to Lawful, for important reasons later (she's a patron and wants to be a knight). We also manage to obtain an emblem on Gaston that we quite want; Gibe of the Fallen Angel! This lowers his alignment to Neutral, so now he can be a Dragoon...once we have dragon scales anyway.

Once the map is over, we reach the cape where Berevra is...only to be ambushed by Rictor and Father Hamen. We get some...more than creepy dialogue with the Father, only for Rictor to send him aside so he can reveal that he's been in on the sacred spear quest the entire time! And he even knows it's name, Longicolnis. And, he even knows it's origin...a spear fashioned from the horn of a fallen angel. The lucifer spear, Longicolnis, the GUN OF SATAN. This is actually a REALLY cool reveal, to me. We're not just hunting some strange powerful artifact, we're hunting THE strange powerful artifact. Everything that is happening on war-crime island is for this spear. It's fantastic. Things start to get hectic, but then...mysteriously, Eleanor's necklace causes everyone to fall to their knees! With that opening, Gaston and Eleanor (and presumably the entire rest of our army?) leap off the cape's cliff face into the ocean!

We then kinda end up at Berevra's house since we were gonna need to swim there anyway. We finally meet the golden scaled mermaid! She tells us where she puts it, and reveals that Eleanor is NOT her daughter at all and is instead just a survivor of one of the many burnt to death towns Lodis left in it's wake. That's good to know. Also somewhat unfortunately, the location of the spear is not here. It's far, far north. So we won't be able to get it just yet.

------

And with that...we finish chapter 1 of the game, and get a cool little interlude into chapter 2. The White Fang troops are no longer a problem, leaving only Gaston's rag tag gang to fight against Rictor's army...though most of his forces left so he could focus on his real goal of finding the spear. Slowly but surely we're building our forces for an eventual confrontation, one that we won't be able to avoid. We'll have to come to blows with Rictor eventually.

But, things are still good. We have an advantage. We know where the spear is, and we have the mysterious Eleanor and her pearl necklace that is clearly more important than it first appears. We get a cute little romantic scene to round us out today, wherein she mentions how awful snow is. I agree. But with that, we're done for today! I hope you all enjoyed, I'll see you all next time.

------

Emblem time! Only the one emblem, but it's a good one.

Gibe of the Fallen Angel: In order to get this, you've gotta be a cleric or priest. Simple enough. Less simple is that then you need to kill three people, outside of training. Thankfully Gaston's learned a lot in the knight and ninja classes, so even as a Cleric Gaston was able to easily slice his enemies into pieces to get this emblem. When you do get it, it lowers your alignment by one step. If you're lawful you're now neutral, and so on.

[jindra34]

So one thing to note about Gibe of the Fallen Angel (which you forgot you acquired early... and kept acting like you needed to get it); kills with spells do not count towards it.
Also Troll AI doing drop shenanigans.
So now we hit the point where Richter gets to put some screen time as standard Lodis military dude. As bad as the agents of the 'Pope' are, they aren't the ones who going burning down villages at the slightest sound of dissent or heresy.

[LaZodiac]

So one thing to note about Gibe of the Fallen Angel (which you forgot you acquired early... and kept acting like you needed to get it); kills with spells do not count towards it.
Also Troll AI doing drop shenanigans.
So now we hit the point where Richter gets to put some screen time as standard Lodis military dude. As bad as the agents of the 'Pope' are, they aren't the ones who going burning down villages at the slightest sound of dissent or heresy.

Naw I remembered I just don't talk good. Also god I forgot to write that it has to be physical attacks, not magic.

To be fair they haven't burnt down villages LATELY...though yeah Lodis has a thing for burning down villages huh.

[Ninja_Prawn]

Incidentally, if you don't...think this is fair, me grinding to get some powerful equipment, I completely understand that.

Nah, grinding is half the fun in these kinds of games!

I tried looking up the meaning of 'gibe', and the only thing that comes up is as an alternative spelling of jibe (which is a verb). Maybe it's a localisation error?

My favourite part of this episode is how at the end of the conversation with Berevra, Gaston is like "oh b-t-dubz, that whole '400-year self-imposed exile thing'? Yeah the mermaids are over it. They just never bothered to tell you. kthxbye!" And she just collapses in a heap! I thought we were done with mermaid-murder, but no!

Spoiler: Style Points

Show

Unit	Counter Kills	Power Naps	Shield Bash Kills
Gaston	3	0	0
Allos (retired)	1	0	0
Blue	0	0	1
Celestine	0	3	0
DataNinja	1	0	0
Deme	1	0	0
Deneb	0	0	1
Flauros (retired)	0	0	0
Glycinia	0	0	0
Ivanna	1	0	0
Kamui (retired)	0	0	0
Thelma (retired)	0	0	0
Terepat	0	0	0
Trobby	0	0	0
Vecna (formerly Leon)	0	0	0

[tyckspoon]

Nah, grinding is half the fun in these kinds of games!

I tried looking up the meaning of 'gibe', and the only thing that comes up is as an alternative spelling of jibe (which is a verb). Maybe it's a localisation error?

Almost certainly an error, but for what I couldn't say. Might be some clarification achieved if somebody knows what the Japanese version of this emblem was called?

[jindra34]

Gibe is actually the right word. It essentially means mockery of the fallen angel.