- Recorded with Gens movie 9f
- Luck manipulation
- Abuses programming errors
Phantasy Star 3 is a little different from the rest of the series, but still a good RPG by itself, featuring 3 generations and 4 possible endings (all similar, but different characters and plot). It's one of my old favorites on the Genesis, so I decided to try it.
This run only took 2 days, but it's actually my second one for this game, as I made a test run (2:46:10) a few months ago and most of the planning was already done. Since Tetrisphere held me back from this for a while, I guess I got motivated to do it once I finally could ...
Luck manipulation
To determine random battles, a step countdown is used: it's reset randomly (16-79) in specific situations (map change, battle start, fullscreen text) and can only be manipulated by waiting before each reset. Because of this, battles can't be avoided completely, but can still be distanced a bit.
However, I get much more control on the battles themselves:
- Waiting before each affects which monsters I get, so I go for the more convenient groups that can be killed easily but still pay off enough.
- Waiting before each turn affects the order. Combined with the above, I can win all regular battles in one turn before any monster can ever attack. In fact, I never take damage except against bosses (can't beat them in one turn)!
- During a turn, pressing buttons to make a move go early (by a few frames) also affects the damage or a monster's action. Other than optimizing damage and sometimes killing in less turns, this is mostly useful against bosses, to make sure they never use techniques or kill a near dead character when the rest of the turn was otherwise fine.
- There's no critical hits or misses.
For most of the 1st generation, monster groups were manipulated to favorize those giving more meseta (gold), so I could get better equipment (which was still very limited). Otherwise, where I didn't need to fight or no monster was worth it, I only tried to avoid ambushes (monsters going first).
The stat gains on level up are also random and can be manipulated (but I get less control on multi level ups since they're all done at once). I went for full attack power first, then overall stats (HP, speed and defense, the rest can be ignored), since that's all I really need to make fights easier.
I also sometimes had to get townspeople out of the way, by waiting a few frames before they showed up on screen.
Summary
1st generation: Rhys
- I get Mieu as soon as possible, before even buying equipment, so I can get both characters ready at once for the first dungeon.
- On the way to Lena, I sacrifice Mieu's second claw so I can buy 2 Steel Knives for Rhys, as I need them more than anything for the fight against Lyle.
- I stop leveling once I get Lena. Gaining a few more levels and better weapons isn't worth the extra time, as I'd only need them for the boss at the end of the generation and they'd mean nothing later in the game.
- Backtracking to the weather control is unavoidable, the second part can't be done the first time.
2nd generation: Nial
Nial's quest here is rather unusual. Before doing anything, I use an escapipe to go back to Cille where Rhys finished. Sure enough, the king is still there waiting for a rematch, while Maia decided brown was better than blue. Once the king is defeated, the 1st generation ends again ... leading to the 3rd generation!
This is actually (and obviously) a glitch, as Nial's real quest is about as long as Rhys's and makes much more sense, not to mention he's not supposed to ever go back to Cille or the world it's in. It doesn't work for Ayn (the alternate 2nd generation), since he already starts in Cille and everything is different, so there really isn't a choice here.
3rd generation: Aron
Again, I get Aron because Adan wouldn't be able to get the Areo Parts: some of the things I skipped with Nial will have to be done here, like getting the Sub Parts and Laya's Pendant.
- I enter, exit and re-enter the dungeon for the Areo Parts, to fix the escapipe glitch (still in effect). Otherwise, using an escapipe would lead me back to Cille (once again), where I'd be stuck.
- The long walk around a few worlds just to get Laya and Laya's Pendant can't be avoided, but at least the Areo Parts help speeding it up a bit.
- Orakio's Sword must be gotten before Miun's Claw, which in turn must come before I go to Sage Isle (for Siren's Shot and learning about "Nei"), which again forces some backtracking.
- Even more backtracking as I have to visit Skyhaven twice ... once for the Aqua Parts (required for Orakio's Sword and Sage Isle), and again for the Nei weapons (after getting the legendary weapons).
- Even with a full set of Nei weapons (the best ones in the game), Mieu and Kara still need a second weapon to complete, so I get a Planar Claw and Planar Slicer for them. This cost 97800, but there's enough worth of items from chests on the way that I didn't have to fight at all.
- I got to Lashute (final dungeon) with everyone still under Level 10! Being so underleveled, while having all the best weapons and finally having the chance to fight monsters that give a lot more EXP, obviously means it's time for some serious leveling before I reach the last 2 bosses.
- Luck manipulation really does a good job at making Dark Force seem easy (I won with minimal healing), when he'd normally be doing 1 hit kills or wiping the entire party in 3 turns ...
adelikat: Unfamiliar RPG's are often hard to judge. It is hard to tell what is going on. The key for me is the quality of luck manipulation, which looks grade A in this run.
Accepting.