Rune Factory 4

[Skyblade]

Well, I beat it. 4 Sweet Potatoes (my new favorite food), along with Chaos Shields (upgraded with a Pretty Carapace, 2 Insect Carapace, and Ghost Hoods to give them 100% to Paralysis/Poison/Seal) and Ruby Rings (50% Fire Damage Resistance) on both myself and Forte got me through with relatively little problem. It did require too much food, in my opinion, and it took too long, but I did it. I got up to the boss, unlocked the teleport point, and then went home or I wouldn't have made it back before 1:00 AM (and if you don't sleep before 1:00, you get no sleep skill boost). And that was starting from the first teleport point, not even the beginning of the dungeon.

Also, skipping rooms is a bad idea, Neo. Several of those rooms you just run through have items in them. After the first save point, go up and to the left. You'll be in a long room with a monster generator at the end. Past that is a heat room filled with Fire Elementals. As long as you're in there, you'll take about 5 HP damage a second, but that's really nothing. Kill all the Fire Elementals, and a chest will spawn containing a magic spell (I think it's the one which shoots Wind Crescents, but I'm not sure.). There are rooms like this in the sub-dungeon of the forest too, and that's only one of the ones in the Fire Cave.

[NeoCracker]

I just got the Items later, no need to get them immediately.

[Skyblade]

I just got the Items later, no need to get them immediately.

Which is why you didn't find Gold before the first ending. One of those chests has two Gold and two Silver in it.

Although I skipped most of them first time through as well. But when I did finally outfit myself properly for the Fire Maze and actually complete it, I was able to get them all. And don't forget the secret switch in the Forest Cave that you can only unlock if you have an NPC with you.

There's also the western ice maze, which can be explored before then, but I'm not sure what's in it, it's a little too high a level for me at this point (those beetles are jerks to take on with physical weapons at a low level). But you may be able to find Gold there as well.

Plot wise, did any of the twists grab you? As soon as Doug mentioned his history, I immediately jumped to the conclusionthat the Sechs Empire did it. I haven't gone past the first ending though, so I'm curious to see what will happen and if we'll finally get to take on the big bad who has been a pain in our rear the entire series.

Also, have you found the mini-dungeons? There are a couple out there. The cave with the Mammodoodles (great way to get Fodder without having to plant it), or the cave with the Dragon Skeleton from RF3 (which has a weird plant item as a reward that I haven't found a use for yet).

The Prince Orders definitely open up to get more options. Adding new shops (unfortunately no new full-character NPCs), expanding your farm (at least three times, probably more) or your room, inviting Barret and Raven to come over every day, even nationalizing the baths to make the baths free from then on (for a measly 35 THOUSAND Prince Points).

I'm really liking the events, which seem to have taken the place of the personal quests. I'm not sure I like the structure of them, due to their random nature and the fact you can't choose which you want to do or follow, but the events themselves are pretty awesome. Some of them are hilarious, and some are just exceptionally well written (Illuminata's stolen seeds is a great one, and part of it really took me by surprise).

I have to say that I really don't like the idea of Amber as a romance choice. She's just too young.


Oh, and I heard that this game features New Game+ (at least the Japanese version did). Kind of. Actually, it's an Order (available in any New Game as soon as you finish the Prologue), that carries over certain things. Like your stats, skills, items, money, shipping history, farm status (not the crops themselves, just the soil quality and number of extra fields/rooms/barns unlocked), and NPC status and equipment.

The things that do not carry-over are mostly scenario-related: story progress, villager LP/FP, revealed areas in maps, all of the orders (except, presumably, the upgrade ones, like extra fields), and, unfortunately, your recipes. That's right, you'll have to learn them all over again. Boo hoo.

[NeoCracker]

I beat the game a little while agoe (Well, not quite beat, I'm pretty sure there is going to be one more dungeon. ).

Took a break to play some Platinum, but got back into it the past couple days, grinding out some of the requests and jacking up my skills.

And there was a time Pico talked Dolce into making a smurfing terrible Squid pun. That's a thing. XD

Edit: Yeah, Pico is kind of a rapist.

Though she's inept at it, so it makes her a fun rapist!

...She also threatened to murder me. O_O

[Skyblade]

I beat the game a little while agoe (Well, not quite beat, I'm pretty sure there is going to be one more dungeon. ).

From what I've heard, there are three endings, not two. So you might have more still to go.

Took a break to play some Platinum, but got back into it the past couple days, grinding out some of the requests and jacking up my skills.

I haven't actually gone past the first ending. My Blacksmithing is around 75. I've explored all of Maya Path, and started exploring the Sechs Imperial Territory (where I believe I can find some Gold, yay!).

The randomness of the events really, really sucks. Each bachelor/bachelorette has two events required to marry them. And they're random. Whether an event even triggers is random, and then which event triggers is also random (although, again, some seem to have friendship requirements, so that might affect it). Some people are saying it's taken multiple years of dating to get married because the events needed just won't trigger.

[NeoCracker]

Still slowly grinding out the plot and materials, and I just did an event. It may need Dolce high up since it involves her, but the bulk of it is Meg and happens at the Obsidian Mansion.


...AND OH GOD THAT WAS SO SAD AND BEAUTIFUL!