Question about KH1

[Grendal]

I've never actually dwelved into this series, so I generally know nothing about it. However, I was sort of curious about something after having played through the first area of KH a while back. When you first start the game and get to choose a path, what sort of outcome does this actually have on the game itself? I remember being given a shield instead of a keyblade, but never played long enough to get off the island, so I don't know if a keyblade would have become available to me later on...

So, assuming that I played on with the "shield path," where would it lead me? Would I be able to beat villians up with my almighty shield?

[Fonzie]

You'd have a higher defense throughout the game. Also, whichever you selected the story/game events wouldn't of changed.

[Grendal]

Well, I was thinking that the idea (or challenge, rather) of using a shield throughout the entire game might make it interesting. I wonder if someone could take out some of those powerful arena bosses with just a shield...

[Larahl]

Goofy is using a shield.

[Clawsze]

Well, I was thinking that the idea (or challenge, rather) of using a shield throughout the entire game might make it interesting. I wonder if someone could take out some of those powerful arena bosses with just a shield...

You do use a keyblade all the time (SPOILER)except in destiny island and Hollow Bastion for a short time

[Tavrobel]

Choosing the Shield will affect how many equipment and item slots you get, more than the other two paths, and raises your Defense maximum through leveling significantly. Also, when you level, the abilities that you learn are different in sequence compared to the other paths; in this case, they will be oriented towards making sure that you survive. Discarding this path will decrease your items and equipment slots by one. To balance this path, Goofy should be used offensively.

In Awakening, you will use a Shield to attack, which does nothing except alter your attack animations, arc, and radius of attack. Overall and total damage not affected; all finishing moves or passively altered moves (abilites that change moves) are not affected. Again, this means that only your base attack animations are affected. If for example, you obtain an ability that changes your first attack swing against an airborne enemy, that attack is always the same across all of the paths. At all other points in the game where a Wooden Sword is not used, you will use a Keyblade.

Choosing the Sword path increases HP through leveling, and Strength through leveling (this is the normal path). Choosing the Magic Path will result in the most possible MP. On the Magic Path, Donald should be used offensive physically, as Sora will deal the most damage using Magic.

Now that I've finished that, it should be noted that in the long run, as in, perfect file type games, the Defender Path is the best path to use, while one should discard the Magic. Why this is so, is because of the significant boost allowed to you by the extra equipment slot, when compared the Attacker Path (Sword). Not only can your stats be raised to maximum through artifical means, your HP and MP are static. When the Attacker and Magic paths are used, the maximum bonuses of these paths are ~90 HP and ~8 MP, assuming the Defender path is unused in your decisions (75/7, Sword discarded; 80/6, Magic discarded). However, when you have four Crystal Crowns, not only do you get a +24 HP bonus, but you also get an extra +4 MP. Yeehaw.

[Grendal]

That's interesting. So you never get to use your shield as a weapon later on in the game?

[Tavrobel]

No, not ever, never is it so, no, nein, *insert foreign language version of no*.

Yes. You do not use a Shield. You do not pass Go. You do not collect $200.

*insert some newfangled version to say "no"*

[Grendal]

Aww, shucks.

KH does look pretty interesting, though. So, you do have control over how your allies develop? Like, could you have everybody train purely as melee-fighters if you wanted?

[Tavrobel]

Customized control over the AI and equipment. That is about it.

[Clawsze]

Pretty much you tell them how to act in battle etc...