twitch.tv/desregoth
Hello all. As stated in my post in the introduction thread, I'm planning on doing a single segment run of Phantasy Star 3: Generations of Doom as my first speedrun. I searched for an existing thread on this game, but haven't found any, so I'm creating one.
I've looked around and haven't been able to find a run of this game, apart from a TAS in 1:37:55.98 by Acmlm. As such, I'm guessing I'm in for a lot of work, especially for the 3rd Generation. I've done some research, but haven't made much testing yet, so I'm mainly gonna start with info on the glitches I'll end up using and then add more to the thread as I get more testing done. I'm gonna break the game in the three generations, and talk about the glitches that could be useful and about some other ideas on what I'd have to do differently from the TAS, though those will be subject to change as I put more hours into the game.
Also, before we go on, I had a quick question. I'm planning on using Steam's SEGA Genesis & Mega Drive Classics version of the game and I'd like to know if that would be acceptable or if I'll need to get the actual console and cartridge.
Generation 1 (Rhys)
I actually believe I'll be able to largely follow the TAS route for this Generation. The main difference will be in the number of fights. The TAS is able to manipulate things so it can always succeed at running away, which won't be the case for me. As such, in a lot of places, quickly winning a fight is faster than if I were to fail an escape attempt. Since the TAS escapes from more than half the encounters it gets, by simply fighting more I should have enough levels and meseta to beat the 1st generation boss without having to rely on luck.
Another change would probably involve having to stay longer in towns since I'd end up buying more gear and I'd play with the levels of my techniques.
There's one possible glitch that could be used in the 1st Generation, but it would only be useful if I realize I need more meseta. If you sell gear at the start of your game, you can buy an escapipe. Normally, if you use it while in the prison cell, you'll be stuck in the first town and you'll need to restart your game (the king himself tells you that). However, if you activate the cutscene with Lena from as far from possible and press up during it, you'll stay stuck in the prison cell instead of following Lena. From there you can use the escapipe, loot the chests in the dungeon and exit town (since you activated the Lena cutscene, the town exit is no longer blocked).
2nd Generation (Nial)
This one will follow the same route as the TAS and be very short since you're effectively skipping the 2nd Generation. You need to marry Lena since the glitch will only work with Nial. Also, you need to have given Wren or Mieu at least an escapipe during the 1st Generation.
If you use an escapipe at the start of the 2nd Generation with Nial, you get send to the 1st Generation last dungeon, only it is filled with chirpers. Go through the dungeon, beat the boss and Generation over.
3rd Generation (Aron)
First, this time you need to marry Alair. Otherwise you can't activate the flag for the Laya pendant, thus meaning you can't beat the game.
Also, this will need huge changes compared to the TAS. The TAS never fights before the last dungeon since it always succeed in running away from fights and as such never bothers changing gear until the end of the game. In the last dungeon, it goes from level 1 to 36, and 36 just isn't high enough to beat Dark Force without the luck manipulation a TAS provides. As such, I'll need to figure what gear and level I need to be for various parts of the Generation and find the best grinding spots. Also, since the TAS can make sure all its characters always act first, it didn't use the glitch that I will use. Since this is my first time running a RPG, if anyone has general hints on the best ways to test this kinda stuff out, I'm all ears.
The glitch I'll use in this Generation is known as the Pron glitch. The reason for this is that when you trigger the glitch, some letters in your character's names change, thus renaming Aron as Pron. While you transform the Legendary weapons into the Nei weapons, if a character's item list is empty, his/her speed, damage, and defense statistics will change. The speed change depends on the character, the damage change doesn't matter since it won't affect actual damage in battle and the defense drops, but so much that it actually underflows and sets it in the 65400 range (sadly, only the first person in line benefits from the defense, with other characters being considered as having no defense).
The only characters in my party that get a speed boost instead of a speed reductions are Kara and Laya, but given the issue with the defense glitch, it'd probably be best to use it on only 1 of them. I'm tempted to go with Kara as I think always acting first would be more beneficial with slicers than with a bow, but I'll be sure to test for both.
Those are the ideas and glitches for now. As I work on the run itself, I'll be sure to update this thread with more details.
I've looked around and haven't been able to find a run of this game, apart from a TAS in 1:37:55.98 by Acmlm. As such, I'm guessing I'm in for a lot of work, especially for the 3rd Generation. I've done some research, but haven't made much testing yet, so I'm mainly gonna start with info on the glitches I'll end up using and then add more to the thread as I get more testing done. I'm gonna break the game in the three generations, and talk about the glitches that could be useful and about some other ideas on what I'd have to do differently from the TAS, though those will be subject to change as I put more hours into the game.
Also, before we go on, I had a quick question. I'm planning on using Steam's SEGA Genesis & Mega Drive Classics version of the game and I'd like to know if that would be acceptable or if I'll need to get the actual console and cartridge.
Generation 1 (Rhys)
I actually believe I'll be able to largely follow the TAS route for this Generation. The main difference will be in the number of fights. The TAS is able to manipulate things so it can always succeed at running away, which won't be the case for me. As such, in a lot of places, quickly winning a fight is faster than if I were to fail an escape attempt. Since the TAS escapes from more than half the encounters it gets, by simply fighting more I should have enough levels and meseta to beat the 1st generation boss without having to rely on luck.
Another change would probably involve having to stay longer in towns since I'd end up buying more gear and I'd play with the levels of my techniques.
There's one possible glitch that could be used in the 1st Generation, but it would only be useful if I realize I need more meseta. If you sell gear at the start of your game, you can buy an escapipe. Normally, if you use it while in the prison cell, you'll be stuck in the first town and you'll need to restart your game (the king himself tells you that). However, if you activate the cutscene with Lena from as far from possible and press up during it, you'll stay stuck in the prison cell instead of following Lena. From there you can use the escapipe, loot the chests in the dungeon and exit town (since you activated the Lena cutscene, the town exit is no longer blocked).
2nd Generation (Nial)
This one will follow the same route as the TAS and be very short since you're effectively skipping the 2nd Generation. You need to marry Lena since the glitch will only work with Nial. Also, you need to have given Wren or Mieu at least an escapipe during the 1st Generation.
If you use an escapipe at the start of the 2nd Generation with Nial, you get send to the 1st Generation last dungeon, only it is filled with chirpers. Go through the dungeon, beat the boss and Generation over.
3rd Generation (Aron)
First, this time you need to marry Alair. Otherwise you can't activate the flag for the Laya pendant, thus meaning you can't beat the game.
Also, this will need huge changes compared to the TAS. The TAS never fights before the last dungeon since it always succeed in running away from fights and as such never bothers changing gear until the end of the game. In the last dungeon, it goes from level 1 to 36, and 36 just isn't high enough to beat Dark Force without the luck manipulation a TAS provides. As such, I'll need to figure what gear and level I need to be for various parts of the Generation and find the best grinding spots. Also, since the TAS can make sure all its characters always act first, it didn't use the glitch that I will use. Since this is my first time running a RPG, if anyone has general hints on the best ways to test this kinda stuff out, I'm all ears.
The glitch I'll use in this Generation is known as the Pron glitch. The reason for this is that when you trigger the glitch, some letters in your character's names change, thus renaming Aron as Pron. While you transform the Legendary weapons into the Nei weapons, if a character's item list is empty, his/her speed, damage, and defense statistics will change. The speed change depends on the character, the damage change doesn't matter since it won't affect actual damage in battle and the defense drops, but so much that it actually underflows and sets it in the 65400 range (sadly, only the first person in line benefits from the defense, with other characters being considered as having no defense).
The only characters in my party that get a speed boost instead of a speed reductions are Kara and Laya, but given the issue with the defense glitch, it'd probably be best to use it on only 1 of them. I'm tempted to go with Kara as I think always acting first would be more beneficial with slicers than with a bow, but I'll be sure to test for both.
Those are the ideas and glitches for now. As I work on the run itself, I'll be sure to update this thread with more details.
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