Let's Battle Ogres! (Ogre Battle 64)

This is the end, everyone. Let's get to it.

It’s a Hard Life: What the Chaos Frame Really Is

Way back at the end of June, when this LP was just learning how to walk, I explained how the Chaos Frame worked (convenient link if you need a refresher). I did not, however, explain what it is. I told you about alignment, and all of the four hundred billion things that can change it. I did not, however, explain what it is. It’s time you all know what it is that we’ve wrought over the past few months.

Alignment is similar to D&D in that your characters are either Neutral, Lawful, or Chaotic. But in Ogre Battle, alignment refers specifically to the value that specific character places on human life. Lawful characters are noble and self sacrificing etc., Chaotic characters are selfish brutes, and Neutral characters are…whatever.

If you’ll remember, alignment relates to the morale of a certain town. If you have an alignment that matches a town’s morale, then you “liberate” them. If your alignment doesn’t match, then you “capture” it. This affects your Chaos Frame. Remember?

Now, to most of you, this didn’t seem like a big deal. It probably still doesn’t. This is just this RPG’s subsystem and these are the random terms it assigns to these things. What’s the big deal?

In March of the Black Queen, the Chaos Frame had a different name: the Reputation Gauge. That’s what the Chaos Frame is. It’s a numerical representation of what the public thinks of the PANTS Platoon and their actions. It’s a number that represents the kind of leader Goofus has been.

A town with low morale doesn’t want some fancy schmancy Paladins coming in and start preaching noble ideals about self sacrifice etc. At the same time, a rich town doesn’t want a bunch of filthy Berserkers coming in and spouting revolutionary nonsense.

Yet this is precisely what we’ve been doing. Some towns have welcomed us as liberators, but most have seen us as bloodthirsty conquerors or out-of-touch nobility. Even though Goofus has been trying his hardest to combat the forces of the corrupt nobles, Lodis, and the netherworld, he’s been ignoring the people’s needs.

At this point in the game, our Chaos Frame is extremely low. The public despises us. The Revolution succeeded, yes…but at what cost? Somewhere along the way Goofus has lost his focus and has been ignoring the public. We joined the Revolution for all the right reasons, but something went wrong along the way. The PANTS Platoon, the flag bearers of the Revolution, have become known as a gang of crazed marauders. We come to your town saying we’re there to help, but instead we’ve only been bringing pain and death with us wherever we go.

This is where the true genius of the CF is. Yes, it’s a huge pain in the ass. Yes, it’s ridiculous. But you know what? So is leading a revolution.

Yeah, you can do it the easy way. You can take your army and take over everything. But that’s not what good leaders do. Good leaders try to win over public opinion and try to limit collateral damage. Goofus has been fighting for all the right reasons, but in his haste, he hasn’t done these things. He hasn’t cared about what happened to the people he’s been fighting for. And they hate him (and us!) for it.

We’re the heroes. We saved the entire world. We should be heading home to a parade. But actions have consequences. We don’t get a parade. We don’t get a hero’s welcome.

Instead, we’re heading into battle one last time.

The Show Must Go On: Aurua Plains



Hugo: I don't know who, but there's an unknown group in our way.
G&G: ...Are they remnants of the Central Division?
Hugo: By the size of the group and their level of organization, I don't think they're mere remnants.
G&G: Then who could they be...?
Hugo: Regardless, we must get ready for battle.



Oh, that's reassuring. Unfortunately, the scout is right. The enemies we're up against on this map are bitch-ass hard. The final boss level was nothing compared to this. We're talking about groups with two Sphinxes. Groups with two Cockatrices. Seraphs, Angel Knights, units with two fully evolved dragons, Pumpkinheads, Vampires...if it's cheap and it's in this game, then it's in this level. On the positive side of things, this map takes place in a small section of the Aurua Plains rather than the entire map, and a few of the units are extremely weak for no apparent reason. But still, this map is really hard; if you let it be.



The plan is simple for this map. Try not to die. Buckle up; things are going to get bumpy!



Alright, we've got a Beast Master with two Sphinxes and a Vampire with four Black Knights. Ugh. They're already getting rough with us. We'll need a unit with a healer to take out the Sphinxes, so that means BJ is up. Goofus and Dio will take the Vampire and head east to the stronghold there. Lichald/BJ/Daisy will head south. Zinc is going to stay behind on this one just in case. I am not taking any chances on a map as ridiculous as this one.



Things have already gotten complicated. A Seraph/Angel Knight unit and Dragoon/Black Knight/Paladin unit are headed our way. At least you guys will get to see a Seraph in action after all.



We took out the Sphinx unit's leader but we won't live long enough to see a second turn at this rate (195 damage? That's a bit excessive, wouldn’t you say?). We're going to have to retreat…but that's okay! The leader is gone, so we can safely ignore this unit for the rest of the level. It's not like we need the exp anymore, right? For this map, this is how you need to think. You need to play super defensively or you won't make it through the onslaught.



Yeah, you show him who's the real Dragoon, Ozzy! That guy didn't even have to do an extremely annoying sidequest for it! Thanks to Lichald's game-breaking-ness the Dragoon went down without even getting a hit in. Ha!



The Seraph is headed towards Goofus, but that's fine. He can take it. That Dragon Master has a Hydra and a Quetzalcoatl with it, so that might be a pain...but it's nothing that Dio and Goofus can't handle together. I can't stress enough that this map can be extremely hard if you let it be. And we're not going to give it that chance.

Hey, when you level it up enough, this thing is DEVASTATING. Trust me. Goofus and the gang took a beating, but the unit went down in one encounter. We still don't know who we're up against, though…



I'm glad that worked, because having to deal with four Pumpkinheads would've been really annoying.



We’ve got two strongholds under control. Dio took the eastern stronghold, but his entire back row got Petrified (damn Cockatrices!) in the process. It's not a big deal since Dio/Goofus will be heading south anyway and there's a shop that sells Anti-Petrifying stuff there. But still, it's a tad annoying.

BJ took the southern stronghold with ease. After resting and buying some supplies, it's time to head to the enemy HQ and see just who we're up against! Who the hell would be doing something like this to us anyway?



N-no...no, that can't be right! Destin!?



Gilbert: But I see now that single-heartedness can, at times, create tragedy. It's foolish to use faulty reasoning to cover a mistake, but not trying to think things through is equally foolish. You can't blame your youth for your ignorance!!



Thankfully for us, these fights work as boss battles. If you beat the leader, you win. Gilbert left himself open, so this is an easy win for us.





It makes sense if you played the first one.

Also, hey; check out the Sphinx's rack! What is up, baby? Wanna come over and work some of your magic later?



That'd be awesome if this wasn't, you know, the last level. Dicks.



Debonair: knightly duty. For the sake of justice, I won't hesitate to raise my sword against anyone!

Similarly to Gilbert, the one-two-three punch of Ozzy/Lichald/Luigi takes Debonair out.

You don't mind being beaten, except for the fact that you were beaten. That doesn’t make an…ah, screw it. Nothing in this game makes any sense.



Saradin: Now, is that true? Did you not use strength alone to get here? Do you deny that? That you chose the easy path? With your potential, I expected more from you...

In case you hadn't figured it out, this is the part of the game where the developers bitch at you for being such a bitchy bitch.



Ogre Battle Fun Fact: Rashidi was the one who trained Saradin in the art of wizardness. Saradin realized he was bad news bears and eventually took arms against him. But here's that wascally wabbit rearing his ugly head again!



Aisha: One of your strengths should be an ability to open your heart, to show concern for those around you...it's such a pity...you were only able to care for yourselves...

Aisha's unit is probably the toughest of the Zenobians; two Seraphs and two Angel Knights. Unfortunately for her, we have a heaping helping of Waffles with us.





Yet another March of the Black Queen reference.



This is it. This is our last battle.

Goodbye, Badguy and Mario. You stuck with it through the good times and the bad.

Goodbye, Deneb. You changed classes a billion times, but you did it with style.

Goodbye, Europea. You're super hot (call me!).

Goodbye, Daisy. You were a pain in the ass to make into a Princess (on a related note, fuck you Old Man).

Goodbye, Maxwell. Our understanding of electromagnetic fields wouldn't be the same without you (Mike gets it).

Goodbye, Lichald. Thanks for breaking the game and generally speaking ruining everyone’s shit for me. You were easily my most dependable character, and I appreciate that.

Goodbye, everyone. Goodbye, PANTS Platoon. It's been a hell of a ride.





Destin: Reflect on what you've done. Were you not absorbed in fighting...in winning battles? Did you stop to think of others? Didn't you think you'd have to make sacrifices? Results are important, but results alone aren't good enough. That's no different than those who exercise power over the weak.

Aaaaahhhhhh. So that's what the subtitle means. Gotcha. I guess we weren't lordly enough?

G&G: You're telling me...that my actions...my decisions were wrong...?

Translation: Hey, I'm the player! I paid for this game and I want to play it however I want! Screw you, Atlus!

Destin: They weren't wrong, but they weren't right either.

Translation: Hey, I’m Atlus! Yeah, that's fine...but you don't get the good ending because you didn't do the super ridiculous stuff. So, no. Screw you.

Destin: As long as you believe in the rule of might, I cannot let you return to Latium!



I'm sorry it had to end like this, Destin. In another LP, you could've been in my Platoon. But now, you’re choking down some bitter Pancakes.











Somewhere in the world, someone is playing March of the Black Queen. And somewhere in the world, they just got a Game Over.

Narrative: Winnea, Capital of Palatinus



Soldier: Where do you think you're going? You don't belong here.
G&G: What are you saying?! I'm just...
Soldier: You don't realize the situation you're in?! Well, I guess not...you're only concerned with winning battles, nothing else. ...isn't that right, you who walk with the darkness!?
G&G: W...what?!
Soldier: This kingdom needs Sir Frederick.



Soldier: For the revolution...for the kingdom...you must understand.
G&G: ...so. You're saying that I'm the enemy.
Soldier: You still don't get it!? You're no different from the netherworlders! Did you think your might would rule for you!? We don't need people like you. Remember the suffering of the innocent!



Are you serious? Did we just get possibly killed? Lame!

Yes, you read that right. Because we weren't there to help out, Palatinus was destroyed. I was hoping to show some pictures of the ending credits, but my emulator screwed up the backgrounds massively. The music is semi-moving though; trust me.

Like all good games, there's a bit after the credits. The background is a bit screwed up since this scene actually takes place in a forest, but whatever.



K-Kerikov!? That's right! He slipped away and we never heard anything from him after! So this is where he's been!

Kerikov: Oh, this isn't the last they've heard of me. I'll take this secret to Lodis and...huh? That woman...





…that woman was preggers! Way to go, Yumil!



Ummm...

Like I said in the spoiler tag of one of my first posts: a baby totally kills a guy.









Looks like Rashidi is back. That's right; he somehow planned the entirety of Ogre Battle 64, just so Yumil could screw his daughter and have himself be reincarnated into the body of his daughter’s son.

That’s fucking gross.

The whole "trying to start a second Ogre Battle" thing was a ruse. This was the real plan all along. Now he's in the body of a demigod (since he's Yumil's kid), and there's no way anyone can stop him from starting the second Ogre Battle, like, for reals yo.

Of course, if you'd never played MotBQ, you would know none of this. So if you were like me when I was 14, right now you were really, really, really, really, really, REALLY confused.



Really? 24? That's not so bad considering I wasn't even trying. Hell, just 10 more points and we would've gotten the "okay" ending. Oops!

Let's see...1322 days...that's almost four years. Geez. Talk about a long revolution!

Alternate Reality

But obviously, it didn’t have to end this way. If you get the “okay” or “best” ending, there are individual character endings as well (if you have the right combination of characters, that is). The main ending also changes a bit depending on whether or not you had Destin join your battalion or not. The “okay” ending has…

…you know what? You’ll just have to find out for yourself! I’ve given you all the tools you need to get the “okay” and “best” endings if you so desire. This is a job for another LP and/or something you need to discover for yourself.

A Kind Of Magic

Thanks for reading Let’s Battle Ogres, everyone. It’s been extremely time-intensive, but I’m very thankful that you were all so supportive. For a while I started getting disenchanted…but then everyone started chiming in about how much they liked it. That was the fuel that kept me going.

In my initial draft of the first post, I planned a more reader-fueled approach. I was going to have you, the reader, decide EVERY decision regarding which map to choose, how to organize our units, which option to pick in a conversation etc. I eventually opted against this approach (if only to not-gimp our units). But in that initial draft, the original version of that quote was: This LP is mine just as much as it is yours.

I changed that line to reflect the slightly different direction I was taking this LP. But in the end, I was right. This really wasn't just my LP. Thanks for everything, everyone.

Bravo! This was really interesting and readable throughout, and I was always looking forward to the next installment.

Thanks a bunch for putting in the time and effort required to finish it.

Yaaay! It was a long journey (4 years!!!) but well worth it. Ending's pretty cool. Now we really need some MotBQ LP action! But you can go do your music game. I suck at that kind of game so I appreciate someone doing the hard part for me.

I only played through this game once, back when it came out (so like a decade ago). I remember my ending; Low CF but I had some of the Zenobians, so that whole last map never happened. Imagine going straight from "we just saved the world! We're heroes! Hooray!" to "Yeah, you're totally evil. We're gonna kill you now, kthxdie!" without any of that preaching in between. I was totally confused.

I've been silently watching the whole time, so I just wanna say I really enjoyed it all the way! Thanks for putting so much time and effort into this!

Good stuff, Alixsar. It's been a fun ride.

(To spoil the Lawful ending a tiny bit, Magnus names his kid Aeneas. That's not right.)

Wow, that was really fun! Thanks for putting in all that effort! and wow the bad ending really makes you feel like you suck. Too bad the March of the Black Queen stuff makes little sense though >_>.

And congrats on Lichald, who was only called such to make fun of Saradin! Funny how that turned out...

And so it ends. Thanks for the amazing LP, Alixsar!

Its too bad the emulator didnt always agree with what you wanted to show.

Ill be waiting for your next LP alex!

I concur with the above remarks concerning your awesomeness. While I have been silent, I have been an avid reader.

You are a gentleman and a scholar and thank you for playing this crazy game so that I never have to.

Aw, come on, you tease. (Seriously, I have no N64 and am not particularly inclined to set up N64 emulation, and I'm dying to know what happens here... although I'd happily read an alternate LP ending I'm somehow doubting anyone's actually going to do it.)

Bitching aside, though, excellent LP. Thanks and congrats.

*applause*

I have never managed to get the final showdown. I can't seem to keep my CF that low. Or maybe I didn't know at the time that you have to reject all the Zenobians.

That was epic, my good man. I don't know how eager you are to start your next LP, but don't rush it if you aren't feeling it. Take a break, you've earned it and then some.

I am absolutely looking forward to your play of Ocarina.

I'm...I'm all choked up! You, sir, have set the shown us all the way to do a long-form Let's Play. I'm sorry I ever doubted your ability to make it through such a massive game - let your courage serve as a shining example for all Tyrants in the face of 50-hour RPGs!