Lia's BK tweets archive - 2023-02-05: Coliseum championship and advanced battles

Lia @liareplaysbk · 03:39 PM · Feb 05, 2023 Permalink

Did some GameFAQs poking and it turns out the condition for the special prize is… Coliseum progression, not main story progression, so boring battles it is!

Lia @liareplaysbk · 03:40 PM · Feb 05, 2023 Permalink

I’m also doing as much mixing / upgrading / trading as is manageable. Won’t get full Gathering since that requires a full field guide, but I’ll get most of the way there!
… I need to mix a third Celestial Tree

Lia @liareplaysbk · 07:11 PM · Feb 05, 2023 Permalink

I NEED TO MIX A FOURTH CELESTIAL TREE

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:11 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

Okay but before that particular hell, I did say it was Coliseum time. Rank 5 is nothing special, so…

Registration Lady: “Congratulations! You’ve qualified for the championship battle.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:14 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

Except for a final round against a chimera - arlequin - cyborg dragon combo that did get a bit tense, that was nothing special either.
Cue cutscene hammering home how poorly some of this has aged graphics-wise. BKO is imo worse in that regard because it moves the camera more!

The party walking forward through a gate and into the arena.

Ark: “Yes, his name shall certainly echo throughout the Coliseum halls for all eternity!”

Ark, as fireworks go off overhead: “Ladies and gentlemen, our new hero… Conqueror of the Coliseum… Sagi!!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:16 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

We get a cut to a very, very happy Elle. Good thing champions don’t come around too often because surely none of Diadem could sleep!
Those bits are actually voiced, which helps immensely

Elle: “Fireworks! They’re setting off the fireworks!”

Elle: “That means Sagi finally trashed those suckers and won!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:18 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

Unlike the congrats speech which doesn’t even get music. The entire Coliseum just reeks of “ran out of prod time / budget” to me

Registration Lady: “Mr. Sagi! I’m at a loss for words…”

Registration Lady: “I think this is the happiest day of my career here at the registration desk! Congratulations!”

Registration Lady: “You’ll now be able to select among battle sets that were never available before.”

White text over blurred background: “Sagi achieved champion status!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:23 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

Finally we can access the champion’s room! Which is recycled from Mintaka homes again. Also there’s a guy there who looks like a generic soldier despite announcing himself as a researcher.
… and his research sounds like a very bad idea

Man: “A crowd like this… does it mean you won the championship battle?!”

Man: “Oh, yes, right. I’m a researcher here at the Coliseum. I study monsters.”

Man: “I’m trying to engineer a new hybrid monster from data taken from a host of existing species.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:26 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

He’s actually our stop for four sidequests in one! He wants all the quest magnus from bosses we’ve been gathering, so let’s finally free up those four slots

Old Bio-Researcher: “In a word, [red text] if you find a part of the body of a rare monster, bring it here to me [end red text].”

Old Bio-Researcher: “If you do, I’ll make it so that you can fight them any time you like.”

Sagi: “Did we have anything we could hand over?”
Quest magnus UI opened and focused on Holoholobird’s Plume.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:28 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

Each one gets a bit of flavor text, nothing to write home about. It unlocks the battles and for now that is that

Old Bio-Researcher: “Why, it’s a tail feather from the monstrous, jungle-dwelling Holoholobird! Invaluable!”

Old Bio-Researcher: “Why, it’s the silk from the cocoon of the Sandfeeder, said to inhabit the valleys of the ancient world.”

Old Bio-Researcher: “Why, it’s the skull of the Lord of the Lava Caves, said to have dwelled in Alfard eons ago. Invaluable!”

Old Bio-Researcher: “Why, it’s the sturdy horn of the Black Dragon, unchallenged lord of the ancient skies! Invaluable!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:32 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

And then there’s a metric fuckton of new flavor text in the Coliseum itself. Have a sampling!
It’s kinda weird how Milly and Guillo barely exist TBH

Ark: “You’re aces, Sagiiiiii! I LOVE YOU!”

Coliseum entrant 1: “You’ve moved on to a place I could never reach while I was just sitting here on my ass drinking…”

Coliseum entrant 2: “This Sagi entrant is something else! The breadth and beauty of his techniques! His unique comrades!”

Child: “Well, I managed to sneak in all right, but where do I go from here to meet the Champion, I wonder?”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:34 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

The main hall has new decoration. Not one, not two, but SIX golden statues of Sagi in various poses!

Inspection text: “This statue of the Champion shows him standing with wings of the heart unfurled.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:36 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

The statues descriptions aren’t interesting but the party reactions are pretty fun

Milly: “Sagi, just look at you showing off!”

Sagi: “Me?! I had nothing to do with this!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:39 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

With obvious Milly-Guillo spat

Sagi: “They really should have toned these down. It’s embarrassing…”

Milly: “It wouldn’t have killed them to make a statue of me, too! Right, Guillo?”

Guillo: “…I can’t say I’d want to see a picture of a feisty shrew like you.”

Milly: “Hmm? Did you say something, dingbat?”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:41 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

I like how unashamed some NPCs are. What was this one saying last time, again…

Coliseum Publicist: “Magnificent! I knew it was the right choice to put your portrait here!”

Coliseum Publicist: “Just between us, my ratings as Publicist here have been going through the roof since it went up!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:42 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

I knew it! It was absolutely NOT the Publicist’s decision! Oh the hypocrisy, wonderful

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:30 AM · Jan 01, 2023 Go

There was a blank wall and an artist pondering what to paint. The decision has now been taken. Not a Champion’s portrait YET!
(Ignore the discrepancy in the last two images they definitely weren’t taken after Rank 4 nuh uh)

Artist: “It had to be you that I painted, Sagi! No one else would do!”

Coliseum publicist: “Wh-what is the portrait of some random entrant doing here?! It’s not like it’s a Champion’s portrait.”

Sagi: “Whaa?! Wh-why is something like this here?!”

Milly: “Ahaha! I think it looks good, Sagi.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:45 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

The coward who gave us the tags keeps being the worst
(Sagi is still 15 and this is still weird)

Wussy Guy: “Wow, I’m jealous… I’ll bet you get all the chicks…”

Wussy Guy: “I guess it’s too late to switch back now?”

Wussy Guy: “Like… I’d be Champion from now on?”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:55 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

Speaking of which: no, nope, what is wrong with you, BOUNDARIES ANYONE

Coliseum attendee: “I-i-if you wouldn’t mind, would you sign my back?! Please!”

Coliseum maid: “Sagi! Your wish is my command! Want a shoulder rub? Foot massage??”

Sfida Attendant: “Amazing! Congratulations, sir! Now the ladies are going to be all over me, as your private chauffer!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:57 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

Let’s go check on Elle!
… Well this isn’t ominous at all. I’m sure it’s fine.
(My guess is that Elle is very much dying quickly and I only wonder whether it’ll make it on-screen / in-script or not)

Lance: “Sagi, congratulations on winning the championship!”

Lance: “And thank you. I really haven’t the words to describe how grateful I am.”

Lance: “No, forget I said anything. We’ll be watching over you from here. Thank you again, Sagi.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 08:59 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

She’s such a genuinely awful and sweet kid all at once

Sagi: “Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without your support, Elle.”

Elle: “Wh-what are you talking about?! Being charming doesn’t suit you, Sagi, don’t embarrass me…”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:02 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

It’s aaaaaaall posturing.
Also can you imagine how the same plotline would go with Kalas? It’d be glorious

Elle: “No matter what happens to me, I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me, Sagi!”

Elle: “So in return, you can’t forget your first fan.”

Sagi: “I got it. I promise, I’ll never forget about you, Elle.”

Elle: “You know it you cut any corners or lose a match, you’ll have me to answer to!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:27 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

Let’s go try those advanced battles, after checking that one pair of NPC I missed…

Coliseum peddler: “Welcome, welcome! Champion action figures! Champion collector’s plates!”

Coliseum peddler: “Take a look at these! Champion pie! Champion cookies!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:30 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

So the actual condition for the mystery prize is beating “The Wicked Gawd”, which is this thing.
In wholly unrelated news I was wondering whether Coliseum defeats were a hard game over or a special scene and now I have my answer

A weird quadrupedal robot-thing with long hair and a red eye promising lasers, flanked by two defense drones.

Nurse 1, over a black screen: “Hey, Sagi!”

Nurse 2, over a black screen: “Sagi, just how long do you plan on sleeping? Snap out of it!”

Nurse 1, over a black screen: “Still no reply, hmm…”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:32 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

I don’t even know how to cw this but I don’t like it

Nurse 1, over a black screen: “So it’s time to do… THIS!”

Nurse 2, over a black screen: “Wha-wait! You can’t do that!!”

Sagi, lying on the floor between the two nurses: “U-uwaugh?!”

Nurse 1: “Aww, he woke up! That’s no fun at all!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:33 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

We’ll just pretend this scene didn’t happen, I think

Sagi: “Just what was she doing to me back there…?”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:34 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

Unfortunately another advanced battle starts like THIS - yes that’s two cyborg dragons who each have a 300+ damage party-wide AOE - so… time to tweak the deck because I’ve actually hit a wall!

Two Hercules Dragons and a chimera, standing menacing in the arena.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:35 AM · Feb 06, 2023 Permalink

And by tweak the deck I mean fucking off to go do more upgrading, which yielded nothing worth highlighting. I did make a fire-and-bomb deck, we’ll test that.
Next time hopefully today: the last bit of that and rematch with the four big monsters, I guess?