Lia's BK tweets archive - 2022-12-25: Seginus graphics shenanigans, new dialog in Duhr, Matar Highlands, sidequests, saving Gena

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:24 PM · Dec 25, 2022 Permalink

As promised, shenanigans time! We know how Guillo looks, we know how Seginus looks, but what of the other two? By the magic of graphics debuggers I shall lift the sepia veil and find out!

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:26 PM · Dec 25, 2022 Permalink

And the answer is… “the same as Seginus” and “wow that’s a lot of yellow and moss green”. Mystery solved

Flashback scene without the sepia filter, showing all four godcraft puppets and the Children of the Earth in full colour.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:29 PM · Dec 25, 2022 Permalink

While poking around Seginus-the-place the map layout suddenly felt weird, though. So I enabled texture dumping to get the backgrounds (here, mask textures) and stitch them together.
And indeed, it’s kinda the same as the silhouette on the ground!

Composite of the map backgrounds that form the Seginus area. They vaguely add up to the same Seginus silhouette that was on the ground.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:36 PM · Dec 25, 2022 Permalink

Now let’s go talk to everyone see if there’s any new dialog

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:18 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

The answer is yes, and it’s mostly ominous.

Villager 1: “I noticed Krumly walking out while muttering something angrily to himself.”

Villager 1: “I’m not sure where he was headed, but he seemed rather desperate.”

Villager 2: “The Taintclouds are a dark color today. It’s an ill omen. Something no good is bound to happen.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:21 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

Or downright weird and maybe insulting. Are they mocking Sagi’s face?
To be fair that group is established as being very drunk and still asking for more booze

Villager: “Uhyaahaha! Look at you! That mask is great! What a hoot!”

Villager: “Uhyaaha! D-don’t point that thing at me! It hurts, I can’t, breathe!”

Milly: “What is it? Are you down from getting laughed at, Sagi?”

Milly: “Don’t let it get to you. I actually rather like the way you look.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:24 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

More village chatter. “Passed into hiding” is a weird turn of phrase.
Also tying up loose ends that truly did not need tying

Villager: “A new Great Kamroh has risen to fill the void after the last Great Kamroh passed into hiding.”

Villager: “The times are changing. Perhaps the winds outside this village will begin to blow in toward even us.”

Warp engineer: “According to my projections, it’ll take at least another 20 years to perfect the warp…”

Sitting child: “As soon as I learn how to warp, I’m going to hide my treasure in a reeeally hard place to reach!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:25 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

This one is more subtle. Koh is the name of Mizuti’s father.

The Amazing Kay: “Our new neighbor should be moving in any day now, so I’m cleaning up around here.”

The Amazing Kay: “Koh, was it? Or maybe Noh? Some weird name like that.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:27 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

Obviously the animation style and lack of close-up mean that this does not actually explain anything. Well done, videogame

Villager: “Is it really that strange to see people eating with a mask on? You’re really staring intently…”

Sagi: “So this is how these people eat their meals…”

Sagi: “They don’t have any trouble with it at all. I never would have imagined.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:29 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

And the Bed Facts x Food Facts crossover ends in TRAGEDY

Worried villager: “I wonder which ingredient was bad? I’m glad my kids hadn’t started eating yet…”

Villager lying on the ground: “Aahahahaha! I-It hurts! Th-The mushrooms!!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:30 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

For reference:

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:31 AM · Oct 30, 2022 Go

Put a pin in that one.

Villager: “The rice will be ready in a bit. Today, we’re having boiled eggs and a mushroom quiche.”

Villager: “Hmm? Don’t worry, I’m not just using any old mushrooms I find lying around.”

Villager: “A friend of mine in Gemma gave me some the other day.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:31 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

Krumly is nowhere to be found, so that’s it for Duhr.

Sfida Attendant: “What’s the matter? You all seem a little down…”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:43 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

I can’t recall if that dialog about Alfard was in there last time. Doesn’t sound great. Future me’s problem!

Wacho: “Anything else you wanted to know about?”
List of options: “Gena’s condition”, “Nekkar”, “Duhr”, “The situation in Diadem”, “The situation in Sadal Suud”, “The situation in Anuenue”, “Activity in the Empire” (selected), “Wacho’s latest dirt”, “Nothing, really”

Wacho: “Everybody’s moving to this huge ship they’re calling Tarazed.”

Wacho: “But you have to throw away your wings to move. That’s just wrong!”

Wacho: “Hah, well, none of US are gonna move. We’d never see Gena’s wings again!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:46 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

Time to go back to the past and get that magical heart-fixing plant!
Also if we can time-travel why is time linear and fixed in the past, how does that make any sense

World map for the past, with Sagi positioned top and center on The Matar Highlands.

A lush area of golden dirt path, turquoise waterways and plentiful greenery. Title card: “The Matar Highlands”.

Milly: “It looks like the earth here isn’t tainted yet. Let’s hurry and get the heartenbrace.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:51 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

Today’s annoying minor puzzle mechanic is that if we get caught out in the rain, we’re sent back to the start. Take shelter under things to avoid problems (so of course they put monsters there on the other screens).

Caretaker of Matar: “The highlands’ intermittent [red text] heartfall rain [end red text] can crush a man’s heart. You must be careful.”

Caretaker of Matar: “[blue text] Lotus leaves [end blue text], like the one we’re under now, and tunnels both offer shelter from the [red text] heartfall rain [end red text].”

Caretaker of Matar: “For some reason, you’re also safe inside of save flowers. Other than that… Ahh, yes.”

Caretaker of Matar: “It’s helpful to plant [blue text] lotus leaves [end blue text] in areas with soft ground! More shelter always helps.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:53 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

YES OKAY SAGI I GET IT

Sagi: “There’s a huge rock here. It looks heavy, but we could probably push it if we tried.”

Sagi: “Do you think the fallen rock will dam up the river?”

Sagi: “This huge rock has dammed up the river. I don’t think we can move it now.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:56 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

The lotus leaves we can plant need to be picked up all the way to one side. Find soft ground and they pop up instantly: a bit goofy, but convenient.

Sagi, under a thicket of giant lotus leaves: “It looks like we can draw the magna essence of [blue text] Lotus Leaf [end blue text]. How about it, Lia?”

Sagi, standing on a conspicuous patch of warm brown soil: “The ground here is especially soft. It looks like you could plant something here if you wanted to…”

Sagi invoking a magnus above a different patch of soft soil.

Sagi now standing under a giant lotus leaf that grew in the same spot.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:59 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

I was a bit stumped by this, because I’d already dammed the river. Turns out the rain only fills the lake if you’re there to see it…

Sagi standing in front of a near-empty lake with two waterlilies floating at the bottom.

Caretaker of Matar: “Oh, that’s right! I nearly forgot. You can’t get past the lake back there if the water level is too low.”

Caretaker of Matar: “You’ll be able to cross if you block the river with a rock or something, and wait for it to fill up.”

The lake filling up. Sagi: “Wow… That rock is keeping the water from draining. Look how fast the water level’s rising!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:01 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

… AND you need to wait two cycles for it to be full enough. The animation is neat, the waiting less so!

The lake, filling some more as the rain pours down.

Sagi now standing in front of the full lake, a wing icon above his head.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:02 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

Also in this area: Sedna parts as random drops and the return of our good friend the Nightmare Hell Turtle from the Greater Celestial River

Battle Results screen, showing a bunch of numbers but mostly the Sedna Well magnus as a reward.

Two enemies, looking like slightly dopey creepy turtles with solid black eyes.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:04 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

Enough dawdling, let’s get some heartenb- WHAT THE HELL IS THAT

Milly: “There! That plant that’s shining—you think that’s heartenbrace?”

Guillo: “It seems that way. But isn’t anyone going to mention the big purple monster in front of it?”

A big purple monster clearly heavily inspired by tardigrades.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:07 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

It has a move called “Ovulate” (ew) which starts a countdown on the target (uh oh) that goes VERY FAST at least in easy mode (oh no) and insta-kills you with “Hatch” when it reaches zero. No, nope, no thank you, good thing the chalice clears the status, GOOD RIDDANCE

Sagi: “OK! Let’s pick some heartenbrace and head home.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:10 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

More of the things crawl in and/or drop from the sky. Nope. Nope. Noooooope.
Guillo, I admire your sacrifice but this seems ill-fated, we’re completely surrounded by giant purple tardigrades here.

Guillo: “Wait… It would appear the purple monster has some purple friends.”

Milly, the group facing at least four tardigrades: “H-Hey! How are we supposed to handle this many?!”

Guillo: “Sagi, you and the wench pick some heartenbrace and run. I’ll take care of things here.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:12 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

At which point the White Dragon comes out of nowhere, roasts all of them and fuck off as quickly as it got there. Sure, why not!

The White Dragon hovering above the party and the tardigrades.

A column of fire roasting the tardigrades.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:14 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

None of this makes any seeeeeeense

Milly: “It’s so beautiful. Just like they described it at the School of Magic!”

Milly: “Do you think it did that to save us?”

Guillo: “Who knows, start running—maybe you’ll catch up in time to ask it.”

Sagi: “I bet it was trying to help us. It sure felt that way to me.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:17 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

Deus ex machina or not, we’ve got our flowers, time to go back to the present

Milly: “Well, either way we can go home now. Let’s pick the heartenbrace and head back.”

Inspection text: “Small white flowers with heart-shaped leaves are shimmering brightly.”

Textbox: “Obtained the magna essence [blue text] Heartenbrace [end blue text]!”

Quest Magnus screen, focused on Heartenbrace: “A staple of people’s diet a thousand years ago, which was said to make their hearts more powerful. It really does work; partaking of heartenbrace strengthens the bond between two hearts.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:24 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

First stop: Greater Mintaka, this kid’s been waiting a while.

Sagi: “We need to find a way to restore her heart…”
Quest Magnus UI, focused on Heartenbrace

Girl Who Lost Her Heart: “This flower’s… pretty.”

Psychosomatics Expert: “Ohh! She’s come back to us!”

Girl Who Found Her Heart: “Hi, mister. Thanks for helping me.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:26 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

And next, Gena, which kicks us right into a flashback. Looks like Sagi was stolen/rescued from the lab!

Sagi: “Mom, I’m home.”
Quest Magnus UI, focused on Heartenbrace.

Researcher: “The woman’s loose! She has the test subject! Stop her! Don’t let her escape!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:29 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

I still don’t get what’s so special about Gena’s wings that people nag about seeing them so much, AND telling kids not to cry this often is not healthy, dangit

Gena: “Are you crying again? What am I going to do with you…”

Sagi: “Show me your wings! Please, Mom? Show me!”

Gena: “Oh, all right. But this is the last time if you don’t stop crying!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:31 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

Nope, not getting it

Guillo, to Sagi standing atop the Briarclock: “Sagi! Are you still up there? Gena’s worried sick. Get down!”

Guillo: “If you want to see Gena’s wings, just tell her.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:32 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

It really feels like it’s trying to make some kind of point, but it’s not one bit clear to me

Sagi: “Yeah. I’m not a little kid anymore.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:34 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

And the last bit would have been shortly before the game’s start, since it’s Sagi and his definitely normal paramachina leaving for the Empire.

Guillo: “Are you sure about this? We won’t be able to return for a while.”

Sagi: “The money’s good, and they don’t care where I’m from.”

Sagi: “They’re looking for grunts—but if I get picked for the Dark Service, I’ll make even more.”

Sagi: “It’s the least I can do for Mom…”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:39 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

(It’s also interesting that a fascist Empire does not care about the bloodline of its grunts, isn’t it?)
Anyway, Gena’s awake! This whole scene is made a bit silly by her head being hidden by the bunk bed!

Gena: “I’m so lucky I have this many people to be grateful for.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:41 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

I have? A hint would be appreciated because I’m actually a bit at a loss about what comes next. There’s Wiseman ass to kick but surely the matters in Alfard should be heating up?

Doc: “The worst may be behind her, but Gena still needs to recuperate.”

Doc: “Sagi, I hope you’ll settle down and look after your mother for a while.”

Gena: “I can see it in your eyes. You found what it is you want to do.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:43 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

Game, I know the character / player knowledge gap is your entire schtick but I could really use more clarity here.
Also bless those kids, they’re great

Wacho: “Don’t worry. Me and Tik will take care of Gena!”

Sagi: “OK… thanks! I’m gonna go, then, Mom.”

Gena: “All right. Promise me you’ll do this for yourself, Sagi.”

Sagi: “I promise. But I’m still gonna come back home when it’s done.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:45 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

And finally, minute dialogue changes in Sheratan.

Child: “I ran 100 laps around the well, and Gena woke up!!”

Child: “Now I’m gonna do it again and wish for world peace!”

Villager: “I’ll bet they think the reason Gena recovered was because of their running.”

Villager: “Children’s sincerity is so beautiful. I mean, not as beautiful as my muscles, but close.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:46 AM · Dec 26, 2022 Permalink

Next: legit no clue. It feels like the final stretch is getting really close, but the field guide is still just at 77%. Gonna clean up some more sidequests and check everything everywhere again I suppose.