Midnight's just around the corner. Let's Play Persona 3 FES!

So... yeah. 'sup?



I like Persona 3 - I like it a lot. A quick look at the post counts for the Fun Club and active thread will give you an idea as to how much I like the game. But I won't lie, the game isn't without its flaws, and is also a long game, capping at anywhere between 70 and a whopping 130 hours. Odds are this will end up being the longest LP I'll have authored for the forum (maybe even the longest ever), but we're in for the long haul and I'm going to be going the whole way for this.

I guess this'll make this the sixth LP I'll have written for the forum, and I admit, I don't have the best track record as far as content go - I'm not exactly a great writer, especially compared to the talent we've got volunteering for the forum. Still, there's a lot about this game that I really enjoy, and I could probably go on all day about everything about this game that I enjoyed. So even though I might waiver a bit at times, I hope that you'll all keep reading and enjoy the LP nonetheless.

-Table of Contents-
Introduction - About the LP
Part 1 - April 7 - April 18
Part 2 - April 18 - April 25
Part 3 - April 25 - May 2
Part 4 - May 2 - May 8



First off, we've got to name this guy here. Key information: he's an orphan transferring from abroad to Gekkoukon High School and is about to start his junior year at a new school. His arcana is The Fool (0) and his starting persona is Orpheus. Any name is fair game... except PANTS. If I even get a whiff of it or any of its varients (BRIEFS, TROUSERS, etc.) I'll shut down the voting and go with the unofficial default instead. So try and be creative, okay?

Second of all (and arguably the much more important decision of the two), we need to decide on what Social Links we're going to do. As you've probably all heard, the S. Links are Persona 3's key feature, and largely what separates it from the chaff. To keep the explanation short, the general idea is that there are a variety of NPCs that our protagonist can interact with, and the stronger the relationship that he builds as he spends time with them, the stronger he'll become. There are 23 S. Links in total corresponding with each arcana, and each level our hero gains in a Link boosts his ability to fuse personas under the related card.

However, because there are so many S. Links available over the course of the game and because we've only got so much time to spend them with, we can't realistically see every single Link in a single playthrough (at least without playing in an extremely unintuitive and thorough style). So instead we'll narrow down the Links we'll want to see ahead of time to save ourselves the trouble.

So! To keep it simple, vote on the top three or so S. Links that you guys want to see to start off with, and I'll compile a list of which ones get the most support. Once I've got a working list of what everyone wants to see, I'll create a hierarchy and work down from there, focusing on the most voted S. Links available. The voting will end around the time I start the LP for real (roughly around April 25th), so you all have a lot of time to think it over while I finish up the other stuff I've got going.

(Alternatively, I guess you could also ask for me to do a Max Link run, but that would just be mean. You guys aren't mean, are you?)

EDIT: Okay, it's been a week and here are the standings so far:

S. LINK HIERARCHY
Justice - 11
Priestess - 8
Hermit - 8
Aeon - 7
Empress - 6
Strength - 5
Emperor - 4
Lovers - 4
Magician - 3
Temperance - 3
Devil - 3
Star - 2
Hierophant - 1
Chariot - 1
Fortune - 1
Hanged Man - 1
Tower - 1
Moon - 1
Sun - 1

For those of you new to the game or just starting out, here's a shorthand list of all of the S. Links available over the course of the game:

0 - Fool
Social Link: Specialized Extraculicular Execution Squad (SEES)
VIP(s): Yukari Takeba, Junpei Iori, Akihiko Sanada, etc.
Description: A group of students banding together to save the city from the threat of Shadows under the guise of a High School Club. Levels up automatically.

I - Magician
Social Link: Classmate
VIP(s): Kenji Tomochika
Description: A young student with a fetish for older women winds up in a relationship with a teacher at Gekkoukon High that eventually gets found out with disasterous results.

II - Priestess
Social Link: Fuuka Yamagishi
VIP(s): Fuuka Yamagishi
Description: To pay back SEES for helping her get her act together, Fuuka tries to improve as a cook in order to try and thank the group but ends up relying on the MC to help her improve. One of the dating Social Links.

III - Empress
Social Link: Mitsuru Kirijo
VIP(s): Mitsuru Kirijo
Description: Still reeling from the death of her father, Mitsuru winds up wed to a suitor she's not too fond off and finds herself growing more attached to the main character. One of the dating Social Links.

IV - Emperor
Social Link: Student Council
VIP(s): Hidetoshi Odagiri
Description: The Vice-President of the student council is charged with tracking down the student responsible for smoking in the bathroom and begins a messy campaign to track him down.

V - Hierophant
Social Link: Old Couple
VIP(s): Bunchiki & Mitsuko
Description: An old couple working at a used book shop learn of a Persimmon Tree planted by their deceased son and work to try and preserve it in his memory.

VI - Lovers
Social Link: Yukari Takeba
VIP(s): Yukari Takeba
Description: Yukari and the MC grow closer as they work together in SEES, but Yukari's relationship with her mother comes into the fore and the two end up growing even farther apart. One of the dating Social Links.

VII - Chariot
Social Link: Sports Team
VIP(s): Kazushi Miyamoto
Description: He is one of the star members of the athletic club that MC signed up for, and ends up risking his knee as he pushes himself too far to keep a promise to his cousin.

VIII - Justice
Social Link: Treasurer
VIP(s): Chihiro Fushimi
Description: The timid treasure of the student council finds herself embroiled in a massive scandal as the money under her protection winds up missing, and she has to find the money to clear her name. One of the dating Social Links.

IX - Hermit
Social Link: Online Game
VIP(s): Maya
Description: An online game given to MC by Junpei leads to him meeting up with a fellow gamer who needs someone to talk (i.e. rant) to, often with humourous results. Kinda-sort a dating Social Link, though it doesn't actually count.

X - Fortune
Social Link: Culture Club
VIP(s): Keisuke Hiraga
Description: The leader of the culture club is torn between following his own passion in music/art/whatever and the path his father wants him to take and finds himself questioning who he wants to become.

XI - Strength
Social Link: Team Manager
VIP(s): Yuko Nishiwake
Description: The manager of the athletics club MC joined, she finds herself coaching a group of little kids as they train to win a soccer match. One of the dating Social Links.

XII - Hanged Man
Social Link: Girl at the Shrine
VIP(s): Maiko
Description: A little girl at the shrine confides in the MC, telling him of a messy divorce between her parents and how she's caught in the middle of the two. Not exactly for the more cynical people out there.

XIII - Death
Social Link: Mysterious Boy
VIP(s): Pharos
Description: A mysterious boy visits MC over the course of the game and warns him of the events occuring each Full Moon, and may not be exactly who he says he is... Levels up automatically.

XIV - Temperance
Social Link: Transfer Student
VIP(s): Bebe
Description: A transfer student from France who loves the land of Japan for what it is, and works to find a way to show his uncle why he loves the land so much.

XV - Devil
Social Link: Businessman
VIP(s): President Tanaka
Description: A somewhat-famous businessman who runs a show on the shopping channel selling goods of questionable value, that takes in the MC as a protege.

XVI - Tower
Social Link: Unusual Monk
VIP(s): Mutatsu
Description: A foul-mouthed, drunkard of a monk with an incredibly cynical outlook on life and a past riddled with regret.

XVII - Star
Social Link: Rival Athlete
VIP(s): Mamoru Hayase
Description: A rival athlete from another school who tries to find a way to juggle his practice with helping his poor family out at home, with little success.

XVIII - Moon
Social Link: Gourmet King
VIP(s): Nozomi Suemitsu
Description: A self-proclaimed Gourmet King with intimate knowledge of the cuisine around Iwatodai that has a part in an opportunistic cult.

XIX - Sun
Social Link: Dying Young Man
VIP(s): Akinari Kamiki
Description: A young man with a fatal genetic disease that is desperately trying to find a way to finish writing his novel before his time is up.

XX - Judgment
Social Link: Nyx Anihilation Team
VIP(s): SEES
Description: The former SEES members, banded together to make a stand against the formidable Nyx and die with dignity. Levels up automatically.

XX - Aeon
Social Link: Aigis
VIP(s): Aigis
Description: The robotic maiden of SEES who slowly developed a personality over the course of the story, and that struggles to understand just what it means to "live". One of the dating Social Links.

Whew, hope that helps everyone out. Now: begin!

Let's be mean.

Since this is not the first tarot-themed LP on the site, and, more importantly, since mine was tarot-themed, I move that you name the protagonist Cliff, after the creator of The Fool's Errand and its forthcoming sequel.

I stand by my request for max S-Links.

And I nominate "Phil".

Oh god, I just started a new playthrough of this a few weeks ago. I made it as far as August in the original P3 before I imported over to FES. Grinding my way through the lowest levels of Tartarus again is sapping my will to live, but I am determined to finish this game.

Now I can race against your playthrough, so that might help prop up my resolve a bit.

I oppose max S-Links, because it means that he will have to strictly follow a FAQ, completely eliminating most opportunities for reader input in a game that is perfect for such input. That sounds boring.

If you want to know what a max S-Link playthrough would be like, just read an FAQ or something. Or do it yourself.

What's the point of doing a Let's Play if he just has to follow a predetermined path? I don't see any possible reason other than masochism to suggest that he follow S-Links. It's needlessly cruel and monotanous for the LPer and cuts off user interaction. Let's not do it.

Ditto.

Also, I nominate the name JeanLuc Picard. Come on, lets boldly go!

Because confusion is funny, I vote we name the MC Mitsuru Kirijo.

This guy here? He gets it.

For the record, I have done a Maxed Link run before, so it's not impossible - last year when the Fun Club was running, I dove into the game with the intent of getting the fullest ending and compendium and, barring a few mistakes, I pulled it off pretty well. However, there's honestly nothing much to it to see - the entire thing runs pretty much just like a non-maxed run would, except I would just be going through the motions instead of actually trying to juggle a schedule and fit as much in as I can. In other words, it would get really boring.

If you guys really want to see the ending with all the S. Links done, or for some ungodly reason just want me to fuse the perfect [Orpheus Telos], I've still got a saved game at January 31st with everything ready that I could use to show them off, but I'd like to avoid having to do a perfect run again if I can avoid it. There just isn't any real point to it.

I didn't finish P3, but my favorite person to talk to was the shy girl from the student council. I loved going on sorta-dates with her and doing/saying things to make her blush.

I guess being a dork in high school made me want to be the "cool" kid who keeps giving the quiet girl attention. Whatever.

EDIT: Justice, that's the one.

Do Priestess, Fortune, and Temperance, i.e. the first three I didn't touch.

I second this name, because he is the best Captain. And it makes contextual sense.

I vote Justice(!!!), Hermit, and Sun. And Aeon.

And I would greatly appreciate seeing all that perfect stuff you've got saved at the end once you get that far, as it seems I'm not going to have time to get anywhere near finishing my own 'perfect' game any time soon.

Man, this guy should be Kirk. I don't want the mental image of Cap'n Picard shooting himself in the head a bunch. That's just wrong.

I also vote for Justice, Star, and Devil. It'd be great to actually see those Social Links completed.

You guys are all nuts.

I mean, really. Everyone knows that Benjamin Sisko is where it's at. In the Pale Moonlight, anyone?

Though honestly, I'd rather not go the entire LP with Captain names if I can. But if you guys want to...

I know what the official unofficial default is, but by squinting at the screenshots in the manual, it gives the name Roger. I can only conclude that this is a homage to well-known gaming character Roger Wilco, and you should use that.

(Something I hadn't realized before: on the manual's front cover, top left, immediately in front of Bebe... is that supposed to be Kenji? Looks off.)

Links: Priestess, Hermit, Lovers. If we can submit anti-votes, Moon.

A good name for MC would be Mortimer. Of course, that's cumbersome. So just shorten it to Mort.

On that vein, a passable alternative would be William Door... or Bill Door, to his friends.

My votes for Social Links are:

Magician -- So messed up.
Justice -- Hide your bunnies.
Priestess -- She knows where you live.
Star -- Game breaker!
Hermit -- roflcopter \(^o^)/
Temperance -- I wanna see how it ends.

Are you doing a New Cycle or a fresh game?

I think so, who else could it be?

That's Kenji, yeah. Speaking of which, I mostly don't care about what S.Links you do or don't do since I already did all the ones I wanted to do when I played the game myself. But I demand you do Hermit and Magician. Because everyone should do Hermit/Magician when they play Persona 3.

Also, name the MC Nich Maragos.

Fresh game. As amusing as it would be to truck through Tartarus with a level 99 MC, I think it'd be better if I gave the game a chance to fight back.

Are there enough characters to hyphenate that to Jean-Luc? That would be more accurate. I've always named my Persona characters Enrico Fermi for some strange reason, but after two games it has become tradition. You could appropriate that if you wanted, but I'm happy enough with a Star Trek name.

I can't imagine a playthrough without Chihiro :I

This guy knows what's up.

Oops.

How about something like Stanley Snglmffn (snugglemuffin), or some similar derivation? I feel like I'm trying to coming up with a license plate.

Also, any S-Link choices are fine with me as long as they include the letter combinations: Mit and suru.

I named my guy Tyrus McDuff and it'll stick with me until the grave - or amnesia. The first name because I was thinking of all time baseball legend/jagoff Ty Cobb, or maybe because a couple of my friends have an ongoing bet about Chicago Bulls basketballer Tyrus Thomas. McDuff because man that's an awesome name I thought of one day but never recall it when inputting characters' names.

Social links, I vote for the ones I didn't complete in my playthrough:
Priestess, Justice, Empress, Aeon.

Pappy you are incredibly crazy for even attempting this.

I thought more about the Max S-Link run, and decided that estragon was right (and I was wrong) that it wouldn't be appropriate for this LP. I played Persona 4 twice, and actually enjoyed trying to go for max S-Links much more than I did the raw runs, for various reasons (including a mean completionist streak and making each day a bit more interesting.) For an LP of the style I think we're going for (rather than the "Game Grand Tour"), this is best.

However, I share with each of you the feelings we all have toward LP authors that allow audience participation (brutal sadism), and thus will insist on the Aeon S-Link.

Furthermore, I change my suggestion for a name to Vicomte Valmont , just because of how much the protagonist in this game has in common with him.

Here's another vote for no max S-links. I've read the walkthru.

It's really dumb! But I still vote for it since Temperance has a bunch of my favorite Personas in the game.

I also vote for every date, and Student Council Guy just because they're relatively annoying and difficult. And Hanged Man, but that shouldn't even be an issue since finishing all of the non-school S. Links is so easy.

Also, pick Kendo club for the (maybe a) joke Yuko makes that's something like, "those guys just like waving their sticks around."

To be fair, I only explicitly banned the PANTS selection from voting. Captain names are fine if that's what you want (though I'm not exactly fond of the idea).

Though just as a general tip, one thing I want you guys to keep in mind for MC's name as you vote over it is whether or not it'll actually work in the context of the game itself. As much as I like the occasional good pop-culture reference in an LP (to wit) none of the suggestions so far are really jumping out at me, at least not without forcing it in.

EDIT: Though I am somewhat fond of Mortimer, personally.

Also, my one active vote rather than opposition to a full S-Link run:

I want to see Tower, because I apparently never even noticed that this S-Link existed when I played the game.