Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
What's up with me and Touhou fangame LP's? Oh well...
Sengoku Gensokyo is another doujin game based off of the Touhou Project series, like my past completed LPs. This time, though, it's a conquest simulation game! Set in the fantasy melting pot of Gensokyo, we'll join main characters Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame as they attempt to take over the land as part of a mysterious competition. For those who followed my past LPs, please understand that this isn't a continuation of the plot I used from before, as this game's original story is strong enough to stand on its own, and I feel no need to add to it (also, Maribel has nothing to do with the plot).
This will be a screenshot LP with a large amount of audience participation. I'll be handling all the individual decisions in combat, but I'll need you all to make many of the broader choices for the game. This includes deciding what actions to take each turn, which territories to declare war on, who to use in battle, how to spend our resources, and more. We'll be playing on Normal mode, so the game will be more forgiving of mistakes. In other words, don't worry too much about messing up.
I'm hoping for this LP to move at a brisk pace. Each update will probably encompass just a single turn, so I'll try to update daily if possible. Since we're moving quickly, take note that enemies will slowly gain levels with each passing turn, so there is still a slight sense of urgency.
First, let me explain some of the basics for the game: (Spoilered to save space)
Spoiler
There are two important resources in this game: Ouki and Ryumaku (sorry, I don't have a translation for those terms).
Ouki is sort of like our money. It is necessary to heal our units after each turn and purchase equipment. It can also be converted into experience points for powerleveling characters, although this is somewhat expensive. Building up a large supply of Ouki will be necessary for survival in the late game, where relentless enemy counterattacks may ruin us if we run out of Ouki for healing.
Ryumaku represents the capacity our territories have to support us. Each territory we control contributes to our total Ryumaku, and that contribution can be increased by using the Develop action. At the end of each turn, we'll earn Ouki based on our Ryumaku amount. Each unit in our army has a Cost to keep around, and our total Cost should be kept well below our total Ryumaku amount if possible. If Cost ever exceeds our Ryumaku, we'll lose instead of gain Ouki every turn.
Each turn, our army will have a limited number of actions we can take. At the beginning of the game, we can take 2 actions per turn, but that increases to 3 after we control enough territories. Many actions will require a certain number of characters to participate, and each character can only participate in one action per turn. Here are all the things we need to decide on doing each turn:
1) Events
Events are little cutscenes, which come in two types: Chats and Special Events.
Chats are the only actions that require no additional resources, like Ouki or characters used. Their only purpose is to increase the affection score for a character. Once affection reaches a certain level, that character will receive an affection bonus, which will permanently increase a stat by 1 point, which is actually a big deal. Each character can only receive a maximum of 2 affection bonuses. Affection increases as a character is used in battle as well, so Chats aren't required for obtaining affection bonuses. This is usually a last-ditch choice of an action, if you don't have the characters available for other actions.
Special Events are story-related events that will show up under certain conditions. The most common of these are War Declarations, which let us declare war on an army that's currently neutral with us. War must be declared before we can attack another army's territory. Other events will show up based on the story, and some are required to complete the game. All Special Events have an additional cost of characters that must be dispatched. Each event has a quota of either Research or Negotiation points that must be met by the team of characters to be dispatched.
2) Develop
The Develop action lets us upgrade a territory's Ryumaku score. Each Develop action taken will consume 1 of the turn's actions and increase the Ryumaku score of a single territory by 1. In order to Develop a territory, we must also dispatch a team of characters with a total Research score that matches the Research quota necessary to upgrade a territory. This quota increases each time that territory is developed, making it harder and harder to develop as you progress, so sometimes it's best to spread out to work on other territories.
3) Attack
This action lets us launch an assault on a territory. Each territory has a Defense rating, and once a Defense rating is reduced to 0, that territory is conquered by the attacking army. Territories with less than its max Defense rating can also be counterattacked by the occupying army to replenish its Defense rating. We can only go to war against armies that we've already declared war on or have already declared war on us. Up to 5 characters can be used in an assault, and those characters will be unavailable for use in any other action for this turn.
4) Buy Items
This option is available after conquering all of the Forest of Magic territories. Buying items will consume 1 action, but we can purchase as many items as we want in one go with that 1 action. Because of this, it's usually more efficient to purchase multiple items at once when we have amassed a large amount of Ouki. Items come in two flavors: equipment, which can be swapped between characters each turn with no cost, and stat pills, which are 1-time use items that will permanently increase a single stat for a character.
5) Recruit Prisoner
This does NOT consume an action each turn. Whenever an enemy is defeated in battle, there is a chance they will be taken prisoner by us. Most enemy leaders are automatically taken prisoner as part of the story as well. To recruit a prisoner, we must dispatch a number of characters with a total Negotiation score equal to the Negotiation requirement of the prisoner. Once recruited, the prisoner will be available in our army starting the next turn, but will start at 1 HP and will need to be healed back to full health. In a few rare instances, some other requirements must be met to recruit a specific prisoner.
In the interest of space, I'll skip the details of how combat works, since I'll be handling that part of the game. However, let me still explain how to evaluate our characters:
Here's what everything does:
Species - Each character has a specific species: Human, Youkai, Fairy, Ghost, Doll, Magician, and so forth. This usually isn't very important, except for the few instances when special abilities that do extra damage to a particular species comes into play. Take note that Youmu and Keine both count as 2 species.
Level/HP - Leveling up only increases maximum HP. However, this is important because the game's damage formula takes into account the attacker's current HP when attacking. The higher your HP is, the more damage you deal. A character levels up once they have amassed 100 exp points. Exp points can be purchased using Ouki as well.
Melee - This stat determines a character's physical damage, which is used when attacking at close range. This (and every other stat besides HP) is capped at a maximum of 10, although it can still be increased further using equipment.
Ranged - This stat determines a character's ranged damage, which is used when attacking at far range.
Defense - This stat determines how much damage a character receives from attacks at close range.
Wisdom - This stat determines how much damage a character receives from attacks at far range.
Speed - This stat determines how often a character can act in battle.
Research - This stat is used to Develop territories, conduct reconnaissance on enemy armies, and fulfill certain Special Events.
Negotiation - This stat is used to declare war, recruit prisoners, and fulfill certain Special Events.
Cost - This is how much Ryumaku it requires to keep the character on your payroll. A character's Cost will slowly increase as their stats and level increases.
Special - Each character has a special ability for use in combat. Every unique Touhou character has their own signature ability, while generic units draw from a pool of shared special abilities. Generic units may learn new abilities as they level up. Abilities can be either static abilities that are always in effect, or activated abilities that have additional costs when selected in battle.
Aside from that, it should be noted that certain characters will receive either a bonus or penalty to their stats when fielded in battle alongside other specific characters. For example, Keine will receive a stat bonus when fighting alongside Akyu or Mokou, but will become weaker when working with Rumia. Seeing these characters on the enemy's side instead will have the opposite effect. These will usually make sense if you know the backgrounds for the characters, so keep that in mind. It's not hard to guess anyway; the game drops enough hints with its oodles of cutscenes.
The last thing you must know is that whenever a character dies in battle, there's a small chance that they will die permanently. Well, maybe not die, but they'll leave our army permanently. This applies to both generic and unique units. If this happens to Reimu and Marisa, it's an instant Game Over. I'll try to avoid this ever happening, but I can't guarentee anything!
I think that's enough for now. I might add more details on combat if it becomes necessary later. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'll try to continue explaining all options as we go.
Here is the latest info on our army's status, updated daily: (Day 84)
Reimu - Very balanced stats, can fill pretty much any role.
Special: Hakurei Descendant, ignores racial effects and some special abilities of enemies in battle.
Marisa - Strong and fast ranged attacker, but is weak when at close range.
Special: Master Spark, an expensive but powerful multi-target ranged attack. Takes 1 round to charge up, and Marisa can no longer act for the remainder of the battle afterwards.
Souichirou (generic human male) - Very high combat stats except for his paper-thin defense.
Special: Youkai Hunter, unit deals extra damage to Youkai enemies.
Izo - Deserted/Deceased, Day 31
Ayu (generic human female) - Decent ranged stats, terrible melee power. Good research and negotiation scores for her cost.
Special: Full Power Charge, a single high-power melee attack. The user is stunned afterwards.
Souun - Dismissed, Day 58
Wriggle - Balanced stats, though not as good as Reimu's. Attack power is only average, but poison's damage is not negligible.
Special: Eternal Night Hermit, randomly poisons an enemy with each attack. Poisoned units will take damage for every action they make.
Fumi Doll - Dismissed, Day 64
String Doll - Deserted/Deceased, Day 31
Alice - Excellent stats with no major weaknesses, great ability if fighting alongside dolls.
Special: Doll Manipulation, increases the stats of doll allies.
Shanghai - Great melee stats, but poor at far range.
Special: Dolls War, a special melee attack that does good damage and may lower the target's speed.
Hourai - Dismissed, Day 72
Mayu - Dismissed, Day 61
Shikieiki - Exceptional RNG, WIS, and NEG scores. Ability is a bit unreliable, but her ranged offense alone is fantastic.
Special: Yama's Judgment, may stun and/or debuff one target.
Sousuke - Dismissed, Day 64
Akyu - Poor in battle, but has a very high NEG score.
Special: Chronicles, reduces a target's DEF and WIS.
Keine - Exceptional DEF and WIS scores, making her an excellent tank.
Special: History Concealer, stuns self and increases party's DEF.
Aya - Very fast and hits hard at range, but can be fragile, especially at close range.
Special: Wind God's Fan, a melee attack that moves the target to Far range.
Alice Doll - Dismissed, Day 66
Rosedia - Dismissed, Day 72
Medicine - Average stats, but punishes those who attack at close range.
Special: Suzuran Poison, debuffs enemies who use melee attacks on her.
Yuuka - Enormous MEL and RNG attack stats, with decent defenses to boot. A monster on the battlefield, kind of useless when off.
Special: Violent Blooming, raises offensive stats for all party members.
Cirno - Average stats, but can potentially mass debuff enemy speed.
Special: Perfect Freeze, damages enemies at random and lowers enemy speed.
Remilia - A strong and fast attacker, and great at recruiting enemies.
Special: String of Fate, increases the chances of recruiting defeated foes.
Flandre - Hits very hard, but has paper-thin defenses.
Special: Eye of Materiality, halves a target's defense and may OHKO.
Sakuya - Very balanced stats for filling almost any role.
Special: Time Manipulation, randomly rearranges the turn order.
Patchouli - Exceptional at ranged battles, but slow and terrible at close range.
Special: Royal Flare, an extremely powerful multi-target spell that must be charged and drains Patchouli's HP.
Meiling - Great at close range battles, is somewhat of a tank.
Special: Chi Meditation, heals own HP and buffs own stats.
Mokou - Good close-range fighter, awesome ability.
Special: Resurrection, restores HP back to full when first KO'd in battle.
Eirin - Well-rounded stats, but plays a better role as a powerful healer.
Special: Eirin's Medicine, fully heals an ally but debuffs their stats.
Kaguya - Solid balanced stats, although her ability isn't quite that useful.
Special: Instant Eternity, randomly lowers the enemy's battle counter.
Suika - Monstrous attack power, with a strong ability to match.
Special: Pandemonium, attacks random targets 2-4 times.
Yukari - High and balanced stats, and can mess with enemies with her special for no additional cost.
Special: Yakumo Frays, randomly debuffs enemy stats when attacking.
Ran - Balanced stats with an emphasis on close-range combat.
Special: Dakini's Possession, raises all of Ran's stats.
Items:
Spoiler
Kirisame Shop
Items for sale:
(2500 Ouki) Magic Crystal - Equipment, increases RNG by 2 and Cost by 1.
(2500 Ouki) Protective charm - Equipment, increases DEF by 2 and decreases SPD by 1.
(3500 Ouki) Hurricane Wing - Equipment, increases SPD by 2 at the cost of DEF.
(2500 Ouki) Sacred Book - Equipment, increases WIS by 2 and decreases SPD by 1.
(4000 Ouki) Barrier Stone - Increases max HP by 100.
(4500 Ouki) Agility Pill - Consumable, permanently raises a character's Speed by 1.
(4500 Ouki) Strength Pill - Consumable, permanently raises a character's Melee attack by 1.
(4500 Ouki) Danmaku Pill - Consumable, permanently raises a character's Ranged attack by 1.
(2000 Ouki) Curiosity Pill - Consumable, permanently raises a character's Research by 1.
(2000 Ouki) Eloquence Pill - Consumable, permanently raises a character's Negotiation by 1.
I will update this section whenever new stock arrives (usually after defeating another army).
**********
I am pleased to announce that this Let's Play is complete!
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo - Prologue
Spoiler
The Hakurei Shrine.
A shrine located away from the Human Village, flanked by rows of trees, visited mostly by non-humans. From there, one could survey all of Gensokyo, enjoying the beauty of the four seasons. However, due to the long trek to the shrine from the village, and the rumours of youkai constantly gathering at the shrine, it became a place where normal humans did not dare to tread. Thus, the humans who did visit the shrine tended to be those even more dangerous than youkai. The head of the shrine who has to deal with them must have quite a difficult job...
Yet, thanks to the aforementioned head who is perhaps the most dangerous of them all, the shrine today was once again the scene of a peaceful, warm and friendly environment. Today, like every other day, was yet another enjoyable occasion in the life of Reimu Hakurei.
~ The End.
The Hakurei Shrine. Surrounded by young trees, spreading their beautiful green feathers to the floor. The shrine maiden bearing the Hakurei name stood under their shadows, skillfully sweeping the leaves away.
Reimu: Mmm~~hmm hmm, mmmm~~...Well, this should do it. The real thing is going to start soon, though.
She stood in front of the leaves she swept, and sighed. The pile of green was a mere molehill now, but in two months, that molehill would become a mountain. The real thing...the season of falling of leaves was not far away.
When the temperature is high, the leaves barely fall, and as the temperature gets lower, the amount of leaves to sweep increases. The world is quite convenient.
???: That'd be called the "Law of Conservation of Momentum".
A bright and cheerful voice matching the atmosphere emerged from the area around Reimu.
What's that suppose to mean?
It means ya sweat the same amount no matter the season.
The person walked straight towards Reimu, her footsteps reverberating lightly. It was a magician in black clothes...Marisa Kirisame. She had a broom in one hand, and a fearless grin on her face. The girl could take to the skies using her trademark broom. She did not actually need the broom to fly, but due to her belief that "witches always use brooms to fly", she was never seen flying without one.
Oh, my sweat is actually a very precious thing and should be appreciated, you know.
Methinks that has a deeper meanin' than you're givin' it.
Do you know why I sweep the fallen leaves everyday? This is a Shinto ritual. The swish of the broom is a dance for the gods, the leaves are offerings...and the sweat is the necter of the gods. The gods become satisfied upon viewing such a ritual. They will then bless us with an abundant harvest.
Hey, I didn't know that. I thought you were just bein' your usual carefree self, but you're actually workin' hard, huh? That's pretty surprising.
You think? I'm quite surprised too.
Ehh?
I'm surprised that you so easily believed what I came up with on the spot.
...You sure have faith in your fate after death, huh?
With a tiny grin, she shrugged her shoulders. Her words may have sounded unhappy, but their conversations were always for the enjoyment and wit, so the subject never really mattered to either of them.
So, what are you here for today?
Ya shouldn't need to ask, eh?
It's just a customary greeting. It must be nice to be so free everyday.
Hey, I'm not exactly free, ya know. I'm busy tryin' to find ways to spend all my free time.
I've got a sudden craving for some fish with thyme, actually. Want to come along with me?
I guess that's one of the better ways to kill some. I know a certain maid who's really good at recipes with thyme in 'em, too.
You don't say.
The girls spent all the free time they had enjoying life as they knew it. But while the usual day was carefree, some unusual days would pop up, where the usual suspects would cause uproars. And those with strength in Gensokyo would proceed to handle the situation horribly. This time, the incident all began from the plan of a certain youkai...
???: I'll make that wish come true~.
Hm? Whozzat?
The voice came from behind Marisa, roughly at the hall of worship. But there was no one there. Only the echo of the voice and its words remained.
I am the god of the Hakurei Shrine~. If you wish for me to solve your problems of free time, procure some dishes with thyme as your offering to me~.
That's a pretty cheap-minded god.
...*sigh*
Reimu took out a familiar needle as she sighed. It was an anti-demon needle, used for youkai extermination. With a flick of the wrist, the needle flew in a seemingly aimless direction.
Ouuuuuuch!
The dull sound of the needle piercing something in the air was accompanied by a cry of pain that echoed throughout the grounds. Eventually, a crack showed itself in the sky, and a shadow emerged from the gap. it was the border-manipulating youkai of enormous power, Yukari Yakumo.
Yukari: How violent...you could've ruined my clothes, you know...ow ow...
She plucked out the needle from behind with an unpleasant frown. The needle seemed to have pierced the top of her clothes, but as she removed it, no traces of any damage could be seen.
Since when did you become the main god of the shrine?
My, why not? I'm always watching over you from the moment you wake up, till the moment you sleep after all.
Don't say such creepy things. Why don't you go and get your own food yourself, or get your henchmen to get you some instead of asking me?
They're not my henchmen, they're shikigami~. Anyway, leaving the eating part aside, you all were wondering how to spend your free time, no?
Well yeah, somethin' like that.
So here~, I've got something that'll fix that problem in no time~!
You sound like a door-to-door salesman.
Well then, do at least listen to my sales pitch fully. You over there, don't you think the spellcard rules in Gensokyo right now is lacking a little something?
Hm, well, I...
Right, there you go~. Especially in your case, since I'm sure you're sore about always losing to Reimu, right?
Shaddup, I've won a few of those!
So here's a new proposal for you! If you can't win one-on-one, then why not try fighting in large group battles!?
The smile on Yukari's face kept growing bigger as she went on. However, the two were well aware that something fishy was always hidden behind her smiles, and looked at her suspiciously.
What? I thought those rules out carefully, yet some people still aren't satisfied?
Oh, they're very happy. In fact, that excellent agreement has worked out wonderfully. But you see...no matter how tasty a dish is, if you eat it every single day, what would you think of it then?
Yeah, I like my miso to be different everyday.
If you want it to be different, then stop leeching off me and go make your own.
And that's why I came up with a new set of rules, tailored for team battles!
Yukari puffed up her chest in pride as she spoke. She then seemingly stopped talking, but instead was waiting for questions about her rules before continuing on.
Team battles? Is that like having one person from each team fight another, then the winner stays and the loser is removed from battle?
Of course not, that wouldn't be any different from the current spellcard rules. I'm talking about everyone fighting each otehr at the same time.
It was true that the spellcard rules were created with one-on-one fights in mind, as Yukari said. It was youkai nature to seek one-on-one battles, so team battles were never taken into consideration. Yukari's new rules went somethning like this:
1. Choose a leader, and the team becomes an army.
2. Anyone, human, youkai, or otherwise, can participate.
3. Armies will have territories to be contested over.
And so on...Basically, it could be thought of as a typical strategy game of conquering areas. As soon as Yukari ended her briefing, she was immediately bombarded with questions.
What do you mean by leader?
Just as it says, really. It'll be the person who leads the group. If the leader retreats from the game, that army has lost~.
Anyone can participate? So these unreliable fairies 'round here would work too?
I see no problem, as long as they can fight and have someone to lead them. I'm sure there are people who may be weak individually, but strong in a team.
By territories, do you mean something like my shrine?
Indeed. I've prepared a map that divides the areas of Gensokyo into territories. You can look at it later.
The fact that she even prepared a map for it showed how motivated she was. It didn't seem like she would take no for an answer. But there was still one major problem.
You said you wanted to get all of Gensokyo involved, but what about those who don't want to get involved, or don't have any interest in this?
It was a natural question given the circumstances, but Yukari's smile only grew wider as she prepared to answer it.
of course, there will be those who oppose it. That's why I included something very important as well...The last army left standing will have any wish they have granted. This will also encourage the defeated to co-operate with their conquerors.
Oho...Now that sounds interesin'.
Marisa's interest perked up at Yukari's words. She was doubtlessly thinking of all the things she woudl wish for in her mind. It was far too early to count chickens before they hatched, but thus was her nature.
Everyone loves festivals and parties, so with this incentive, I'm sure everyone will participate. Well? Interesting, isn't it?Y You'll do it, right?
Yukari grinned as if she already knew what the answer was going to be. Reimu seemed to be considering it still, but Marisa had already fallen in love with the idea.
I'll do it. I've got a ton of things I want.
You should save that talk for if you actually win.
I ain't gonna lose in anything I do. 'Sides, with you and me together, there ain't nothin' that we need to be afraid of.
Wait a second, when did this turn into you forming a group with me?
Hey Yukari, I can join up with anyone I want, right?
Yes, feel free to do as you please.
There we go. Let's do our best, hey!
I'll put you two down as the Hakurei team. Now then, I should start informing other places who would like to join as well. Ahh, so busy!
Wha? Hey, Yukari, wait!
Reimu's cries were in vain, as Yukari disappeared into a gap. A calming silence returned to the area. All that remained was Marisa smiling to herself, and Reimu with her hand outstretched into thin air.
That Yukari...she's usually so lazy about things, yet she's pumped for this somehow...geez, so annoying.
We ain't had anything major happen for awhile, so this kinda things sounds great, doncha think? It'll be a tasty way to kill some time.
And hopefully we'll be the last ones standing, huh?
And so, the territorial conquest war that would sweep Gensokyo up in its momentum began. Can the two of them really emerge victorious?
I suppose you won't let me purposely lose to get it over with quickly, huh?
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo - Day 1
Spoiler
The Hakurei Shrine.
Reimu was sweeping the area just like the day before, but in a worse mood thanks to Yukari's whimsical ways. But as she thought about it longer, this could be considered an "artifical" incident from Yukari, so it would be the Hakurei shrine maiden's job to resolve it. It would become one of her normal duties of sorts. And so, she began briefing with the other person she grouped with, Marisa.
Reimu: ...So, what do we do now?
Marisa: Hmm...I guess we should go attack somewhere?
And where would that "somewhere" be?
On Yukari's map, Gensokyo had been divided into 23 areas. Along with Reimu and co's Hakurei Shrine, there were many others like the SDM, Hakugyokurou, Eientei, and so on.
...Do ya think these guys'll join in?
Marisa started to point at several different places on the map.
You think I can answer you? Though I suppose knowing them, they'd jump at the chance.
The Scarlet Devil Mansion's Remilia Scarlet. Hakugyokurou's Yuyuko Saigyouji. Eientei's Kaguya Houraisan. All of them had started incidents in Gensokyo's past. If Reimu's group wanted to be the winners, they would have to overcome extremely large obstacles in their way.
They're pretty far, so they won't be an immediate problem...but they ain't gonna be avoidable. We gotta prepare for them by swallowing up nearby armies.
...You're sounding like some kind of strategies now.
Can't say I look like one though. 'Sides, you ain't good with that kinda stuff, right?
Uh huh. I don't like thinking about such troublesome matters. I'll leave the finer details to you.
Ha ha, you can rely on me, young master.
...Anyway, what should we do now? These instructions don't really give any clues about that.
Reimu slapped the several sheets of paper she was holding in disgust. It was the instructions for the game that she received from Yukari, but though it went on and on, it never seemed to get to the point.
I guess hearing from the woman herself would be the fastest way to go about it...You're there, aren't you?
She seemingly called out to nothing at all. A second later, a crack appeared in the atmosphere, and Yukari popped out of the gap.
Yukari: I believe I was called.
Trying to act innocent? I know you've been around for a while now.
Oops, you spotted me? Ah well. As I said, I'm always watching you from the moment you get up, till...hey, put that needle away.
If you were watching, then I assume you know what I called you here for.
Yes yes~, so what exactly don't you know about?
(Tutorial skipped)
Well...actually, forget about it.
My, you know what to do without asking? Will you really be all right? If you don't ask now, you'll never find out, you know.
So stubborn!
I said put that needle away~!
Yukari hurriedly returned through the gap before Reimu could do what she wanted to. Her voice rang out from the gap with one final line.
Do your best~!
Reimu fired the needle towards the gap in anger, but the gap closed immediately, and the needle simply flew through the sky.
...Somehow, it feels like she has ya at her fingertips. Are ya really okay with sendin' her away though?
I bet it'll work out anyway...No, I'll make sure it works out. According to this map, she'll be participating, so I'll finally deal with her fair and square!
Hoo boy.
Reimu curled hand into a fist, and punched the sky with it. Well, as long as she's motivated somehow...or so the carefree Marisa thought as she watched the irritated Reimu.
Hakurei Shrine
Defense: 250/250
Cost to Develop: 9 RES
We currently have 6 members in our army: Reimu, Marisa, and 4 randomly generated generic units.
Reimu - Very balanced stats, can fill pretty much any role right now.
Special: Hakurei Descendant, ignores racial effects and some special abilities of enemies in battle.
Marisa - Strong and fast ranged attacker, but is weak when at close range.
Special: Master Spark, an expensive but powerful multi-target ranged attack. Takes 1 round to charge up, and Marisa can no longer act for the remainder of the battle afterwards.
Souichirou (generic human male) - Very high combat stats except for his paper-thin defense.
Special: Youkai Hunter, unit deals extra damage to Youkai enemies.
Izou (generic human male) - Good durability and melee scores, but poor at dealing far-range damage.
Special: Full Power Shot, a single high-power ranged attack. The user is stunned afterwards.
Ayu (generic human female) - Decent ranged stats, terrible melee power. Good research and negotiation scores for her cost.
Special: Full Power Charge, a single high-power melee attack. The user is stunned afterwards.
Souun (generic human female) - Decent at a distance, but terrible at close range. High speed for a generic unit.
Special: (None)
**********
We got kind of shafted on our generic units' special abilities aside from the one with Youkai Hunter, but otherwise their stats aren't too bad. Souichirou in particular is very impressive.
Right now, we don't have many options aside from developing our territory. Don't worry; things will pick up soon, so I'll try to blaze through the first few turns as fast as possible.
Skipped the tutorial, because I got tired of typing and it's pretty much all just combat-related stuff that I get to handle anyway. Don't have many choices on what to do at the moment, but at least we get to see our randomly-generated army in the meantime.
Next section will be up later tonight, we'll try to quickly breeze through the early turns that have little for us to do.
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
Wow. This game is... really pretty. As an artist, I'm impressed. If I were to make a game, I would want the menus and maps to look just like that. Though the characters would all be by the same artist. Not that any of the artists are bad (I envy their skills and resources...), but it seems a tad... inconsistent? Anyway, I'll definitely be watching this with interest. And searching for the game to download and play myself~!
@Arbane: I agree. There needs to be a Touhou doujin game along the lines of Disgaea, Fire Emblem, or Advance Wars~. Or even better: an RTS game like Command and Conquer. I spent my childhood playing CnC titles like Red Alert and Tiberium Sun, so it would be like a blast of awesomeness from the past~...
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo - Day 2
Spoiler
With no other options, I spent our 2 actions on Developing the Hakurei Shrine, raising our Ryumaku by 2. This concludes our turn.
**********
At the path between the Human Village and the shrine, many youkai appeared frequently, hoping to obstruct humans traveling the path. It wasn't a big deal to strong humans, but a life and death issue for the weak. This danger decreased the amount of worshippers to the shrine, so the Hakurei shrine maiden attempted to fight that by punishing any youkai she saw on the path. But youkai weren't renowned for learning from the experience. And one of those youkai, Wriggle Nightbug, happened upon a scrap of paper along the path. Her eyes practically lit up upon reading it.
Now completely enthralled, she read each and every word carefully and excitedly. So much so that she didn't even notice a voice calling out to her.
???: Hey, what's that you found?
Wriggle: The time has finally come for all the oppressed bugs to stand up, regain their honour and rise up the social ladder...
...You there?
Right now, upon seeing an insect, humans have no other thought but to kill it...but even an insect will turn just like a worm.
Heeeey.
This is the chance for bugs to stand up and be counted! Heh heh heh...they'll see, they'll all see...
Boo!
Wahhhh!?
Wriggle jumped as someone suddenly shouted into her ear. She fell on her rump, then looked up at the perpetrator...and found the night-sparrow youkai Mystia Lorelei looking down at her.
Mystia: Geez, you didn't have to get -that- frightened.
That was scary in two different ways.
What was the other way?
I'm not tasty, don't eat me~!
What kind of per...youkai do you think I am? I've already eaten, so my stomach's full.
Waaaah!
Anyway, what were you getting all enthusiastic about?
Huh? Ah, um...Well, here. Read this.
Wriggle stood up as she spoke, and handed the piece of paper she was reading so seriously over to Mystia.
Hmm...Read it for me.
...You can't read?
I can't read.
Geez..."Gensokyo War Battle 1; Humans, youkai, fairies, and others all welcome to participate. The winning group will have their wishes come true."
What's that suppose to be?
The paper was, of course, Yukari's advertisement to get people to join her game. Mystia had no idea what its significance was, but Wriggle was heated up at the idea, balling her hand up into a fist.
In other words, anyone can attack the humans without being blamed. It's a chance to show that meddling shrine maiden from the shrine a real lesson! And then we'll be the last group remaining, the oppressed bugs will rise in social status, and humans will once again know the power of bugs!
Ohh, I don't really know what's going on, but it all sounds really passionate!
So...I don't really like to rely on you for anything, but I'll definitely be dead meat alone...Want to team up with me?
If you give me a lot of bugs to eat, then I'll think about it.
Don't eat them~!
I'm kidding. Eel is tastier than bugs anyway.
That's still...Wahhhh!
Anyway, I'm not doing anything in particular, and I've been punished by that shrine maiden before too, so I'll help you out.
Really!? Let's work well together, then!
Wriggle shook Mystia's hand up and down with vigor. Her motivation was more than enough for the both of them.
...So, do you know any trees with lots of bugs? Tasty-looking bugs, that is.
Eek...
"Youkai Army" has been formed.
**********
Reimu was sweeping at the shrine as usual. She didn't actually have to clean up the leaves and dust, but habits can be a strange thing. Besides, she couldn't relax unless she had a broom in her hands.
Marisa: Ya sure work hard at that everyday.
Reimu: I didn't do it yesterday, and I got so restless. Putting Yukari's thing aside, it just doesn't feel right not to do this every day.
Reimu leaned onto the broom as she spoke, putting most of her weight onto it. The broom started to bend under the stress.
Watch out, your broom's gonna break.
I'll just borrow yours then.
My broom's a special type, ya know. I ain't gonna lend it to no one for sweepin'.
My, and you think my broom isn't special either? It's a divine tool of the Hakurei Shrine, powered by miraculous virtues.
...As she said that, she waved her broom around as if it was a halberd. Perhaps being hit by it would've given the victim the grace of God, but given how painful it looked, Marisa wasn't going to test it.
Oh, what are you here for today? Another strategy meeting?
Yeah, well, it's ain't really somethin' to hold a meetin' for, but...Someone else 'sides us has formed an army.
Ehh?
Reimu replied in shock. It may have been a game that was suppose to involve all of Gensokyo, but up till now, Reimu's army had been the only team that was formed.
There's a path that links here and the Human Village, right? Their stronghold is right there. Ya should be able to guess who it is by now.
Actually, nope.
...Right, fine. Anyway, it's a buncha youkai...Seems like Wriggle and Mystia gathered 'em.
That Yukari...When she said she'd get everyone involved, she really meant everyone.
They kept shoutin' 'bout gettin' revenge on the shrine maiden at the shrine...They're really bitter 'bout something. Do you have any idea what it is?
Not particularly. I just discipline them whenever I see them.
...That'll do it.
What? It's pretty much their fault that I never get any worshipers coming here, so it's my right to punish them.
Not like I care, but they're definitely all fired up 'bout this. If ya leave 'em alone, I'm sure they're gonna "declare war" on us sooner or later.
We can do that too, can't we?
Yep, or so the rules say. Though we can't yet, apparently.
I wonder why...Anyway, this seems like an excellent chance, so let's give them some thorough punishment when the time comes.
Hakurei Shrine
Defense: 250/250
Cost to Develop: 15 RES
No changes to territories or characters were made.
We have enough resources to Develop our single territory only once, so that leaves us with one free action. We still can't declare war yet, as the Youkai Army's territory's won't show up until tomorrow for some reason. We can spend our action on a chat instead to raise affection levels. Just pick a character (Reimu is never an option; I guess she's the one talking).
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
I really must thank you for doing all of these LPs. I never could complete Touhou Labrynth, and would never play Touhoumon, and even though I am going to play this one, I generally enjoy what you do with them, and may not have ever heard of them if it wasn't for your LPs.
So, with that said what is the benefits to chatting just raising a a stat, and since you complted it, is it worth it to raise the stat of a generic or would it just be better to chat up Marisa?
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
I've got this one too, and if memory serves, you can develop a territory even if you don't have enough to bring it to the next level. The development you do get done is carried over to the next time you develop it. So that's an option as well.
But if you feel like chatting, then ya gotta go with Marisa, da ze!
__________________
Patchouli Knowledge avatar courtesy of the skillful Prime32.
"Everyone feels benevolent if nothing happens to be annoying him at the moment."
--C. S. Lewis
"The first person to prove that cow's milk is drinkable was very, very thirsty."
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rolaran
I've got this one too, and if memory serves, you can develop a territory even if you don't have enough to bring it to the next level. The development you do get done is carried over to the next time you develop it. So that's an option as well.
You know, I never noticed that despite playing through this game one and a half times already. Thanks for pointing that out!
Okay, new choices: we can spend an action on development and another on chatting, or dump whatever we have left over as a down payment to our next development. Take note that any "extra" research points will not carry over if we go over the quota, but any "insufficient" amounts of research points will still deduct from the current quota for development.
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
I'd go with develop. Development ties up character/s for that turn, correct? So if we develop now, we can finish it up next turn with less characters than it would otherwise take, so we have more people available to crack heads with. I assume the 15 Res was the 1st upgrade, so 16/??? for the next one then?
I assume chatting doesn't take up anyone's action/turn? Depends somewhat on how large a portion of the next upgrade our Res would yeild us, and how significant a boost chatting gives. How wold chatting compare to equipment/stat pills?
Anything >50% would probably be worth it. But thats just me, i overanalyze for fun .
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
No problem, I really like it when people get excited over things like this.
The Research quota required to develop a territory goes up by 3 with each successful development. Since the current quota is 15, if we meet it and tried to develop again, we'll shave off 16 from the next quota of 18, leaving a mere 2 RES left to go.
I'm not really sure exactly how much affection Chats give. But there's really no hurry, as any character we'd be using for a long time will probably get enough from battles to ever need the Chat bonus. Using Chats at this point is really just to get us those stat bonuses faster; in the long run, it doesn't matter either way.
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
Talk with Marisa because firepower. Though she actually gets outclassed later in sheer dakka terms (why hello there Aya/Shikieki).
Also, I started with Souichirou as well. Pure awesome, I tell you. His damage output at this stage is kinda scary. And in case you didn't notice, if you put him at range, he's actually very hard to kill. 7 wisdom and all.
Lastly, it's ryu-myaku. Literally "dragon vein". Basically means a magical leyline, more or less. How this gives money is beyond me.
Ouki is Japanese for "we tried to come up with a vaguely Chinese-sounding word with obscure kanji that means precisely nothing". Just thought I'd chip in
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
Linear investments for linear gains, huh? How hard would it be to boost Res and is there a stat cap? If money can buy xp, and xp can be used to boost Res, which develops moar moneys... playing banker would make for a dull LP, though .
Still, having a couple of research-monkeys to instantly develop captured ground without a massive investment of manpower could be nice. People developing land aren't available to defend it, i assume?
The money-thingy actually is rather sensible. Currency is a rather flexible concept, afterall. Ouki is produced by ley-lines, so it's assumably some kind of distilled magic. If it's portable enough, it's just as good as currency as precious metals/squirrel skins were historically. Might not even be a case of buing stuff as much as making it from distilled magic.
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
I suppose that makes sense. Don't bother boosting RES, though. It's really, really unnecessary, especially since you'll almost always have new places that can be developed for 9~12 RES, maybe even less.
As for defense, that's different. When one of your territories gets attacked (or when enemies launch a counterattack, which reverses the progress you made on taking over that area - yes taking an area requires a few fights - if they win), you pick a team of characters to fight. Maximum of 5. Who you use for research (which, by the way, is exploration in the Japanese version) doesn't matter for defense more than anything else does. If you use anyone in a battle or for research, they can't get in another battle until the start of your next turn.
Yes this is precisely as problematic as it sounds.
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
So we have to divide our people between Res and grabbing turf, but everyone is available for kicking invaders off our lawn? Or do you mean that the division is Attack/Res/Defense?
Looking at the map, grabbing the two adjacent terrirories before pushing onward to the Forest of Magic seems to be the best option to me. We would only have to contend with the Village and the Forest, whilst going for the village first would leave us in the unenviable position of having 5 other factions to deal with, correct?
Also, since the shopping option comes available from the Forest, capturing that and then hunkering down for a bit to pile up Ouki and buy stuff seems like a reasonable plan. Though again maybe a bit slow-paced for LP.
Keep in mind that i have yet to actually install this game , so i'm going entirely on what i can gather from this thread.
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
Not... not quite.
You can use anyone for anything. It's just that once someone has been used for anything on that turn, they won't be available for use until the start of your next turn. Basically, you can use them for whatever purpose, but only once a turn.
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
So exactly like i though it goes, except i fail at explaining myself .
Should have put in a '/turn' at some point i guess.
Still, if anyone who does Res on a given turn cannot defend before the next turn rolls around, either large amounts of manpower or Res-specialists seem necessary, depending on how aggressively the AI acts. Does upkeep depend on quality, quantity or both?
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
Quote:
Originally Posted by IncoherentEssay
Still, if anyone who does Res on a given turn cannot defend before the next turn rolls around, either large amounts of manpower or Res-specialists seem necessary, depending on how aggressively the AI acts. Does upkeep depend on quality, quantity or both?
You get upkeep per unit, with the actual cost depending on the unit.
Also, the AI's attacks are easy to fend off. Mostly. It's not really all that aggressive, though there are two or three times in the game when it gets a bit tricky.
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo - Day 3
Spoiler
I decided to go with the incomplete development, as I've never done it before. Thanks for the suggestion, Rolaran!
We spend our 2 actions on one complete development of the Hakurei Shrine, and one incomplete development, fulfilling 16 of the 18 RES quota for the next development step.
**********
Wriggle and Mystia had formed the "Youkai Army", and accepted Yukari's invitation to the war game...but now that they had joined in the fray, they had no idea what they were suppose to do next.
Mystia: ...Anyway, I called all my friends and other youkai, and they're willing to help out.
Wriggle: Yeah, that's nice.
Wriggle appeared to be thinking deeply. Mystia started to get angry over Wriggle supposedly ignoring her.
Hey, are you listening to me?
Eh? Ah, sorry...I was thinking about something...
About what?
Ah, well...
Wriggle turned to face Mystia with the most serious expression she had ever seen on her face. Just a glance at the seriousness of her attitude made Mystia unconsciously straighten her back.
H-Hey...is it really that important?
Wriggle silently nodded. Her stare continued to pierce Mystia like daggers, making her extremely nervous.
Truthfully...
...Yeah?
.........I don't think we can go any further unless we decide it now.
D-Decide? Decide what?
How could you forget something so important...I'm talking about who the leader will be. Let's decide it now.
The grand sound of someone falling over could be heard for miles.
Hm? What's wrong?
You really...Don't make such a stupid thing sound so important! I was bracing myself for something really bad, then you come up with that!?
What!? It isn't stupid at all! It's extremely important!
Mystia's face was bright red from her exasperation. Wriggle began to talk passionately as she looked Mystia right in the eye.
Each youkai may be a pitifully weak insect, but if they all work together, they become an invincible army! But they need someone to lead them! We can't win against the shrine maiden one-on-one, but with everyone's cooperation and if we decide a leader, there won't be anyone who can match us!
...And how will we decide who the leader is?
There's no need for anything special for that. I'm the only one who can do it after all.
Wriggle proudly pointed at herself, but Mystia wasn't convinced.
After all that talk about how important a leader is, you're just selfishly trying to make yourself the leader!
Selfish? I'm the one she contacted, I'm the one who brought it up to you, so obviously, I sould be the leader.
So what! I'm the one who got lots of people to join this army! You can't do anything by yourself.
Oh no you didn't!
Yeah, I went there!
Their foreheads clashed as they glared at each other. Both didn't care about a falling out this early in the army's life, and neither looked like yielding an inch...until Wriggle suddenly withdrew her head.
...Hmph, fine. If you're going to be like that, then let's decide this with a fair and impartial round of rock-paper-scissors.
Rock-paper-scissors...? Fine, I accept!
No arguments whoever wins, right?
Right!
They both turned away, backs facing each other, as they tried to predict what each other would do. Rock-paper-scissors allows one to attempt to predict the opponent's move by their character, but such things are never foolproof. She'll definitely use rock, so I'll do paper...No, she might use reverse psychology, so scissors...Wait, she might use reverse-reverse psychology, so...Such thoughts swirled in the heads of the two competitors.
Alright, I'm ready!
Okay, let's do this. Rock! Paper! SCISSORS!
..................How could I lose~~~?
This makes me the leader. No complaints, right?
...Fine, since you want to be it so much.
Mystia clearly wasn't satisfied, but she had lost the battle and her pride wouldn't let her grumble too much, so she accepted her defeat.
Alright, let's work together!
Wriggle extended her hand towards Mystia, who had her back turned to Wriggle. She gave Wriggle a sideways glance...then stuck her tongue out.
...Now she knows the power of bugs.
Night-Blind Road placed under control of the Youkai Army.
Faintly Dark Path placed under control of the Youkai Army.
**********
She was referring to the Youkai Army formed by Wriggle and Mystia just the other day.
Marisa: Ahh, they've set up their base at the forest road between here and the village.
Reimu: *sigh* They're getting in my way again...
The map revealed that Hakurei Shrine was connected to the "Night-Blind Road" that continued to the Human Village, and the "Faintly Dark Path" that went to the Magic Forest. These were the Youkai Army's territories.
...So in short, we have to take them out before we can go anywhere else.
Yep yep. And they're itchin' for a fight against ya as well.
Marisa's words darkened Reimu's mood considerably. Why were they so insistent on going for her? That was a question that she couldn't answer herself.
Ya look like someone just raided the donation box.
...It's nothing. Let's just beat them up and move on to the next army.
Do ya think it'll be that easy? Seems they've got a buncha youkai with 'em too.
They're still youkai I've punished before. No matter how many of them gather together, they're still no match for me. They'll be flattened.
...Well, with you around, we'll be okay I s'pose. Alright then, let's eat!
You know, if you keep coming over for food so much, you should at least make something every now and then.
The best food in the world is a bowl of miso soup made by someone else.
Reimu simply shrugged her shoulders at Marisa's nonchalance and went back inside the shrine. She had to prepare her own food even if Marisa wasn't here, so the amount of work was more or less the same anyway.
I'll go set the table! The miso soup ain't ready yet~? Ah, I want mine light brown please!
Hakurei Shrine
Defense: 250/250
Cost to Develop: 2 RES (Additional Development costs 21 RES)
Enemy Territories:
Night-Blind Road
Owner: Youkai Army
General: Mystia Lorelei
Defense: 160/160
Faintly Dark Path
Owner: Youkai Army
General: Wriggle Nightbug (leader)
Defense: 175/175
Special Events Available:
Declare War: Youkai Army
5 NEG is required to declare war.
No changes to characters were made.
**********
We now have another decision to make: we can either take the initiative and declare war first, or sit tight and continue developing while waiting for them to declare war on their own. The first choice will let us capture enemy territories sooner, but the latter may save us an action, as declaring war takes one action.
When attacking a territory, a successful battle will decrease the defense of a territory by 50-100 points, depending on the margin of victory accomplished by the attackers. Defense cannot be restored if the occupying army wins when the invading army is defeated; only by counterattacking on their own turn can they restore the lost defense points.
So our choices are:
A) Declare war, then attack a territory (pick which one).
B) Declare war, then finish developing our territory.
C) Do not declare war, and develop twice.
D) If you still want to chat, just replace one of the above actions with it.
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
Tough choice actually, but i'd go with (C), leaves us either Reimu, Souichirou or Ayu idle and up for defense. Can we rely on Wriggle/Mystia to DoW us? And if so, could our sole defender handle it?
We can't lose the shrine in a single attack if i understood correctly, so it's pretty safe to see if we can avoid wasting an action on DoW.
We can still go on the offensive ourselves on the next turn. Doing so now would kinda waste the partial Res from last turn (it doesn't go anywhere, but the point of choosing it over chat was getting to double up on Res later.).
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
It depends... do you get a tactical advantage by declaring war, rather than being declared upon? If not, I'd work on developing and let the bug and bird declare war at their own peril. If it does, however, I'd get the jump on them. Do whatever gives you the biggest advantage!
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo - Day 4
Spoiler
With two votes for sitting tight and developing, that's just what I did. There's no hurry at this point in the game; at worst, our enemies might gain an extra fraction of a level from stalling a bit, which isn't a big deal.
**********
Once again, Wriggle and Mystia gathered to discuss just how to take down that odious Hakurei shrine maiden.
Wriggle: Hey, I just thought of something...
Mystia: Yeah?
Maybe we should try to recruit a few more allies?
Ehh? are you saying the friends I called aren't good enough for you?
That's not what I mean...It's just that, you know, having more allies is always a good thing, don't you think?
That's kinda true, but I don't have that many youkai I can call over...
Hmm...
While battles would no doubt be easier with more youkai to participate, it would be unreasonable to assume that everyone would want to join. The Youkai Army had now reached a difficult point.
We can't really plead those who aren't interested into joining, huh...
Maybe there are some bored youkai who we can force to join in...
We shouldn't use force.
If they listen to my song...
That's essentially the same!
So mean!
...To be perfectly honest, neither of these two were truly smart enough to have a worthwhile discussion. In the end, they wasted time without deciding on anything, until...
Hm?...Hey, what did you just do?
I didn't do anything!
Something was obstructing the sun's rays, casting a shadow on the ground nearby. It unnaturally moved slowly towards them, still surrounded by brightness. A look upwards revealed a similar disc-shaped shadow.
Is that one of those "Unidentified Flying Object" thingies?
Mystia took to the skies and tried to get closer to the shadow. She looked at it from right beside it, realizing that it was a pretty sphere of black rather than a disc, but she couldn't see within at all.
Hey, be careful, getting too close might be dangerous.
Yeah, I'll be careful.
She timidly extended her hand, and it disappeared into the shadows. Her hand met no resistance as it went in, but she couldn't see it anymore. She pulled her hand back out, and it looked the same as ever.
Uwah, this is really weird!
Are you okay?
Yeah, I'm fine. See?
Mystia pushed her hand in and out of the darkness several times, gradually going deeper and deeper, until the point where her elbow was hidden...then her fingers hit something.
Gah!?
She hurriedly pulled her arm out. There was nothing at her fingertips, but the sensation of touching something remained.
What's wrong?
T-There's something inside!
But nobody could see what it was from the outside...The black sphere then stopped its slow movement.
...Huh?
...Mystia was on her guard, when she suddenly heard an inquiring voice.
???: Boo, you all've been so loud for awhile now~.
Wha!? It spoke!?
Who touched me just now...Boo, I don't wanna make it all bright, but...
As she spoke, the sphere of darkness weakened slightly. It eventually weakened enough to see inside, revealing the figure floating at the center of the sphere.
Ehh? Who're you?
You're the one who interrupted me floating around, huh? It felt so good, too...
Uh...You're a youkai?
Yeaaah, my name's Rumia. So what do you want?
Rumia slowly floated downwards onto the ground. It was still a bit hard to see through the darkness surrounding her, but not hard enough to be worth complaining about.
Well, I'm Wriggle. And she's Mystia. We were just investigating why it turned dark all of a sudden, and why a giant cloud of darkness was flying around.
Rumia: Ahh, is that so? Don't worry, I just make it dark so that the sun doesn't make me feel warm. I really don't feel like doing anything when it's hot.
What were you doing inside that darkness, then?
I wasn't doing anything. I couldn't see anything since it was so dark, so I just floated 'round and 'round.
......
Her reply seemed a little strange, but Wriggle's feelers were tingling with excitement.
...Are you free?
Well, I'm sort of busy with being free, kinda...
Wriggle's eyes began to twinkle.
Do you want to play with us, then?
Hey, wait!
Play what?
A war game.
A war game? Against who?
Mostly humans.
Can I eat them?
Um, probably not.
Boo...
C'mon, you're not doing anything anyway, so help us out! We really need your power!
"Need"...Rumia didn't understand why exactly her power was necessary, but she at least knew someone was requesting her help for something, which made her feel a little proud.
Hmm~, I guess it's fine then.
All right! Thanks! Let's work well together from now on!
They exchanged handshakes, leaving Mystia sighing in their wake.
Geez, you're leaving me out of the decisions again.
Aw, c'mon...Anyway Rumia, this is a bit quick, but let's see your power at work. This afternoon sun is really too strong...
Okaaaay.
Wow, so dark!
And so cooling~!
Most youkai prefer the night over broad daylight. The darkness Rumia generated made the area a resting place for these youkai. Thus, the three ofthem forgot their original objective, and relaxed in the darkness.
Rumia has joined the "Youkai Army".
**********
Reimu: Hey Marisa, something's bothering me.
Marisa: Ah? Wuzzat?
Reimu opened up the map for Marisa to see.
I usually handle all my shopping at the village.
Yeah, me too. Though the stuff they sell at the village can't really be used for my magic experiments.
But there's a "Human Village" marked on this map, and the position is roughly the same as the actual village.
Hey, you're right. Though there's no way the Human Village's as big as the map's suggestin'.
I'm not sure what's going on with it now, but if it's marked here, then it should be a territory that someone's controlling, right?
Hm, I haven't heard anyting 'bout that...Well, knowin' Yukari, she probably went to the village too. Though I can't imagine that half-beast joinin' in.
If we assume they're part of this whole "game", then we probably can't go to the village anymore.
It was just as she said, it wouldn't be possible to just show up at an enemy-controlled territory as if nothing's wrong...normally, that is.
Well, I've been goin' back to my house at the forest just fine, so I wouldn't worry too much. Just worry 'bout it if someone actually makes a fuss.
...I suppose so. I'll be going to the village for a bit to do some shopping then. Take care of the shrine for me till I get back.
Get some dark-brown miso this time.
It's because you eat too much that I have to go to the village so often, you know!
Reimu left in a huff, disappearing as a twinkle in the sky. Marisa fell into deep thought as she watched her figure fade away.
Hakurei Shrine
Defense: 250/250
Cost to Develop: 24 RES
Enemy Territories:
Night-Blind Road
Owner: Youkai Army
General: Mystia Lorelei
Defense: 160/160
Faintly Dark Path
Owner: Youkai Army
General: Wriggle Nightbug (leader)
Defense: 175/175
Special Events Available:
Declare War: Youkai Army
5 NEG is required to declare war.
No changes to characters were made.
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The Youkai Army still hasn't declared war yet, but they probably will next turn, since they're out of other cutscenes to do. We can still make the first strike, or continue developing or chatting while waiting for them. If we develop twice, we can only make an additional 6 payment on the next 27 RES quota, so chatting is now a somewhat more appealing option.
Moving along quicky now. In the meantime, I'm amusing myself with the post-game campaign modes, where fun things can happen:
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
Well, double-develop is no longer feasible and chats only hurry up the affection bonus, becoming a bit of a waste in the long run, right?
Does taking out the leader immediately get us their remain territories and members (as prisoners)?
If not, let's go after Mystia. I feel we are a bit undermanned at the moment, and named characters are probably superior to randoms(?). Were pretty much forced to 'waste' an action here, might as well use it on a DoW and go stomp some youkai.
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
It's WAR time! They seem to like Rumia's darkness ability, so if you can control who you take out, try to take her out. Make them suffer, make the battle long and make it humiliating, so that when it ends, they have no spirit to decline joining you.
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo - Day 5
Spoiler
Attack it is! Let's get this show on the road.
Izou is selected to deliver the declaration of war to the Youkai Army.
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Mystia: Heeey, Wriggle! We're in trouble!
Wriggle: What's the big deal? You look like someone was shooting at you with a slingshot.
That shrine maiden from the shrine has done this "war declaration" thingie on us!
Ehhhh!?
All of Wriggle's army started an uproar at the news. There were even those who wanted to launch a first strike on Reimu in revenge.
And I was so banking on declaring war first, then striking quickly in the confusion and beating them up then~!
What are we supposed to do now!? Our foolproof plan's completely destroyed!
A birdbrain and a bugbrain could never make anything foolproof, but there wasn't anyone around to tell them that.
Ugh, there's nothing else we can do...We'll still have to attack the shrine sooner or later. If we panic now, we'll fall into this trap of theirs.
Y-Yeah...Alright everyone, let's get ready for battle!
"Yeah!"
Youkai generally went along with the mood easily...which meant that they get fired up easily, and also get depressed from defeat easily. But Wriggle could think about no more than getting revenge on Reimu.
"Youkai Army" - War has been declared.
**********
Our assault on the Night-Blind Road commences. The enemy is caught off-guard, with only a few stray youkai patrolling the area. our superior numbers shift the tide of battle to our favor, and Marisa delivers the coup de grace with Master Spark.
The Youkai Army's defenses stationed along the Night-Blind Road were halved, and we proceed with no casualties. However, we failed to take any prisoners during our first assault.
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Mystia: Ahh~, darkness is really so relaxing~. I wish the whole day was always dark.
Rumia: I'm a darkness helper~
Rumia's ability to manipulate darkness allowed her to generate darkness to block out the sun, and become a relaxation spot for youkai. Rumia and Mystia were enduring the light and heat in that fashion.
...Hey, there's something I wanted to ask.
Hm? What is it?
Well, this darkness is so strong, I can't even see my hand through it.
Because light couldn't get throught the darkness, it could not reflect off objects, and thus objects could not be seen. While Mystia was inside the darkness she could hear and sense, but not see Rumia or herself.
Yeah~.
Can you see me? Or yourself even?
Nope, I can't see a thing. Cuz it's all dark~.
But when we met, you were flying around all dark like this.
Yeah, I was flying.
If you can't see anything, wouldn't it be dangerous?
Yeah.
It seemed like Rumia should be thinking further, but her figure obviously couldn't be seen, and her tone didn't seem to indicate that she was deep in thought.
Then again~, I think all the other youkai and humans and birds are all scared of me and avoid me, so maybe it's not that dangerous~. Oh yeah, sometimes I hit a tree and it's really painful. Trees can't move after all, ahahaha.
...This girl seems like an idiot...
Ehh? Did you say something?
No I didn't.
Rumia's words were generally a little unsettling, but since her power was extremely useful, it wasn't a big deal to Mystia.
**********
Reimu: There, that's done with.
After returning from the village, Reimu stored away all the food and ingredients she bought with a little sigh. Normally she would stock up for the future, but the current season meant food spoiled quickly. It was at times like these where she wished for the coolness of winter to come again. Of course, when it's winter, she'd then wish for the exact opposite.
Well, all these will be used up quickly anyway.
Marisa: That's cuz ya eat a lot. Ya should learn a bit from me.
I would imagine it's more because I have to prepare helpings for two people every day.
Geez, ya eat two helpings? A real glutton, aren't you?
.........
Reimu shot a deathly glare at Marisa, who had an innocent look on her face.
C'mon, look a li'l happier. I really value your magic after all. Ya should be happy ya have an admirer!
For someone who ups and comes here without permission to eat, you really...And what do you mean by "magic"?
Cooking's a type of magic, doncha think?
Marisa's opinion left Reimu staring at her blankly. Even after taking some time to process it, it still wasn't comprehensible in the slightest.
No one eats raw cabbage or radish outta the box, right? Hm, I better take that back, there might be some weirdos 'round here.
...Well, it is usually cooked first, yes.
Magic is somethin' that comes about when I transform an ordinary forest mushroom into some real powerful sorcery! It's the same as cooking. A buncha normal ingredients, through the many skills we use, changes the taste and form drastically! And this end product brings happiness and good health to those who eat it. If that ain't magic, then what is?
Aha. It sounded like something Marisa thought of on the spot, but she showed that she actually had basis behind her reasoning. And very well said, at that...Even Reimu felt enlightened at her explanation.
That's a pretty interesting viewpoint. But since when does your magic make anyone happy?
...Don't hit where it hurts, yo. Besides...Magic can't ever be fully understood, and it's a long road that a human's lifespan won't last for.
There are two types of magicians: those who were born magicians, and humans who choose to become one. One who becomes a magician is no longer human, which is why Marisa couldn't be called a genuine magician yet.
So, are you going to stop being a human someday?
Reimu's question seemed to be natural based on the flow of the conversation, but Marisa's expression grew heavy for a split second after she heard it. Then, right after, she was back to normal and continue speaking.
I dunno. There's definitely a lot of interestin' things I wanna experience or know about in this world, and I can't do 'em all in the time a human has...But still, I think accomplishin' things as a human with limited time has more meanin' to it. Since a human's life goes by, just like a flash.
And just like your danmaku.
It's good for my danmaku to be flashy. And I definitely ain't gonna stop bein' a human till I beat you.
That's good, you'll be a human forever then.
Them's fightin' words, ya know.
The pure-born magicians, humans who become magicians, magic users who continue to remain human. There are many ways for those to live their lives, and the freedom of choice as to which one they find best. In Marisa's opinion, none of those choices were inherently good or bad...and living on as a human was just fine for her.
Hakurei Shrine
Defense: 250/250
Cost to Develop: 24 RES
Enemy Territories:
Night-Blind Road
Owner: Youkai Army
General: Mystia Lorelei
Defense: 80/160
Faintly Dark Path
Owner: Youkai Army
General: Wriggle Nightbug (leader)
Defense: 175/175
**********
Our last attack brought down the territory's defense to exactly half. Shall we continue pressing the attack, and hope for a capture? If we do, we can chat or spend our last member developing. Don't forget that you can suggest which characters to use for battle/development/events.
The general for a particular territory will always show up when that territory's defense is below 100. They can also randomly show up sooner. Characters that aren't in charge of a territory (such as Rumia) can show up anytime, including counterattacks. Once a territory is captured, if the army is still standing, that territory's leader won't be captured, and will instead start showing up randomly in regular battles until the army is defeated. Once the entire army is defeated, the leader will always be captured, and potentially other characters will as well. Those that escape will become freelance units that may join another enemy army sometime later in the game, thus giving you another opportunity to capture them.
Aside from the army's leader (who is always captured once the army is defeated), captures will occur randomly. There's a small chance that any character whose HP is reduced to 0 during battle will be captured by the victors. This applies to both generic units and freelancers. One significant character that's recruited much later on has an ability that significantly increases capture rates.
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
Continue the hulk-smash routine and grab that territory, I think. As long as Marisa, Reimu and Souichirou are there, I'm not picky about the rest of the team.
Also, I used Master Spark once. Then got disappointed and never used it again. Am I missing something?
Re: Conquering the Fantasy Kitchen Sink - Let's Play Sengoku Gensokyo!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cogwheel
Also, I used Master Spark once. Then got disappointed and never used it again. Am I missing something?
It's all about the timing. If you can get it off without Marisa being damaged beforehand, it stands to take nearly 50% of every enemy's max HP when it goes off. In this battle, for example, it killed both enemies when it fired, doing 100+ to each (the game doesn't track overkill damage, as you know). It has the potential to be an extremely strong weapon. However, use it at the wrong moment, and you basically lose Marisa for the rest of the battle. It's important to know when using it will result in a smashing victory, and when it will just severely drain your battle counter and cause you to lose a member.
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