- Aim for the fastest completion
- Manipulation of luck
- Take damage to save time
In this final instalment of the Phantasy Star saga, you finally get to fight the root of all evil. Such a quest would normally take tens of hours, but with luck manipulation, it can be reduced to less than two hours
This TAS is my second. Although it is much shorther than BOF 2, PS4 was actually harder. In effect, the AI for this game is utterly unpredictable. During battle, pressing A at the same frame can yield difference results. The number of times I had to restart to find what I was looking for...
Anyway, here are a few tricks to save frames
- Random fights can be totally avoided
- Macros can be used to pre-determine actions. However, they are only useful if they can be used more than once (except for making combination attacks or specific orders, like the psyco-wand macro against Zio). Many people have claimed that targets can be pre-determined when using a macro; I have yet to find evidence for that. When doing healing, the target is usually in the center (see the zio fight)
- When useful, combination attacks use less frames than two individual attacks
- With luck manipulation, there is no need to hunt for treasures. Chaz uses only 3 swords during the whole game; I also shop only twice
- The target in front is most likely to get hit; it can save a few frames
- Having turbo A and B pressed is a (real)-time saver and an in-game saver. Since my characters leve-up during boss fights, they can gain quite a few levels at the time
And now, tricks against the bosses
_Iglannova_
Killing Hahn take a long time, and using macros lets the spawns attack. So I had to enter individual commands each time. For its 2nd for (in Zema), I took advantage of his susecptibility to instant death
_Juza_
The trick is to make him cast foi on Gryz as often as possible (and with less than 16 hp of damage). I have Hahn killed after he casts vision (more dexterity)
_Gy-Laguish_
His fire breath is his weakest attack. With luck manipulation, Rune can withstand two attacks. Finally, to avoid healing, I waited to have Gryz die.
_Zio_
It's the only fight where a macro is used only once. His black energy wave is his weakest attack, and only Rune a withstand it.
_Chaos Sorcerer_
Another boss weak to instant Death
_Dark Force I_
With BLessings, his flare shot is easier to resist
_ xe-la-thoul_
The hardest fight of the game. In order to save time, Rika doesn't cast saner. And since they cast a strong attack when they are attacked collectively, I need to take one down first. With enough damage, Rika can cast disrupt to take the first one down
_Lashiec_
Another hard fight. Although he casts possesion (sleep) every other round, his thunderalbrt attack is very strong. I was able to keep everyone but Chaz alive
_Dark Force II_
Shadow breath is his only weak attack (he also casts veil eye every second round)
_Dark Force III_
A tricky fight. Because of my low level, only his physical attack can be withstood, and by Wren only. Since his sleep attack can be durable, I have to wait for his anti-saner attack
_de-vars_
the physical boss of Rykros. Therefore, Rune is a good scapegoat to withstand the attacks while defending
_sa-lews_
the magical boss of Rykros. However, for some reason, he can withstand physical skills (2x slash, crosscut). He was second in the order; de-vars gave rika a good defence against fire, his weakest attack
_Profound Darkness_
The root of all evil is relatively easy. During his first form, he only attack Rika; he can also attack raja with shadow breath if he defends previously. For the second form, in order to save time (thanks to Fres Feeling for the trick), I had raja cast miracle so Wren can attack more often. Also, Chaz miraculously withstood PD2's attack. It was quite a tour de luck. For the final form, PD3 can be manipulated to cast megid only once. For the rest, it's a switch between a physical attack and evil eye.
adelikat: Good viewer response, accepting for publication.