User manual GAMES SEGA DREAMCAST SKIES OF ARCADIA

ARCADIA1006_6 00.10.7 2:59 AM Page 2 Thank you for purchasing SKIES of ARCADIA. Please note that this software is designed only for use with the Dreamcast Console. Be sure to read this instruction manual thoroughly before you start playing SKIES of ARCADIA. TM CONTENTS BEFORE YOU START . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BASIC CONTROLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STARTING THE GAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GAME CONSTRUCTION& HOW TO SAVE SKIES (TRAVELLING BY THE SHIP) . . . . VILLAGES AND DUNGEONS . . . . . . . . . . BATTLE MODES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STATUS MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HOME PAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PINTA QUEST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 .2 .5 .6 .8 . 11 . 15 . 26 . 99 . 99 SKIES of ARCADIA is a memory card [Visual Memory Unit (VMU) sold separately] compatible game. Please see below for the blocks necessary to save files. Never remove the memory card or disconnect the controller while the game data is being saved or loaded. 27 SKIES of ARCADIA Game Data 27 blocks per file [S.ARCADIA000 (number) ] SKIES of 83 1 ARCADIA VMU Executable File (P.xx) 83 blocks per file [S.ARCADIA.VM] ARCADIA1006_6 00.10.7 2:59 AM Page 4 BEFORE YOU START This game consists of two discs. If this is your first time playing, please set the Disc 1 to the Dreamcast console to start the game. From the second time on, you may start the game directly from the corresponding disc. BASIC CONTROLS CONTROLS IN VILLAGES & DUNGEONS (P.xx) D-Pad/Analog Thumb Pad A Button B Button X Button Y Button Move the player/Change camera angle in 1st person perspective Inspect for items/Talk to people/Enter selection/ Read next lines of messages Cancel Open/close Status Menu Change viewpoint (Normal/1st Person, not always available) Rotate camera angle on normal viewpoint Show/hide Mini Map HOW TO CHANGE DISCS When you reach the point in the game where changing the disc is necessary, a screen shown right will be displayed. Press the A Button to advance to the Save Screen. Here, save the data. For saving the game, please refer to page xx. After saving the game, press B. A message to change disc will be displayed. Follow the instruction shown on the screen to change the disc. After verifying the save file, the 2nd disc will begin. Triggers L/R Start Button BASIC CONTROLS SKIES of ARCADIA is a one player game. Connect the Dreamcast Controller that you will be using to play the game into Control Port A of the Dreamcast Console. CONTROLS FOR NORMAL BATTLES (P.xx) D-Pad/Analog Thumb Pad A Button B Button X Button Y Button Command Selection (P.xx): Select command/Move cursor Friend/Foe Selection: $^...Move cursor/*@...Select friend or foe Analog Thumb Pad X Button Y Button Trigger L Trigger R Enter selection Cancel Open Status Screen of the party members/ Display descriptions of items and magic Change color of weapon (P.xx) Move camera Cancel animation of player's Super Move (Only if pressed within the first few seconds.) D-Pad Start Button B Button A Button If you are using using the Jump PackTM (sold separately), insert it into Expansion Socket 2 of the Dreamcast Controller. The Jump pack does not lock into place when inserted into Expansion Socket 1, and may fall out during game play. G Operations with peripherals other than the Dreamcast Controller is not guaranteed. SKIES of Triggers L/R Start Button G Never touch the Analog Thumb Pad or the Triggers L/R while turning the Dreamcast power ON. Doing so may disrupt the controller initialization procedure and result in malfunction. SKIES of 2 ARCADIA 3 ARCADIA ARCADIA1006_6 00.10.7 3:00 AM Page 6 BASIC CONTROLS STARTING THE GAME GAME START When the game disc is started, an opening demo will be displayed. After the demo, a title screen will be displayed. Press the Start Button, and the Main Menu will be displayed. Use the Analog Thumb Pad/D-Pad *@ to select the menu item, and press A to enter your selection. CONTROLS ON SHIP BATTLES (P.xx) D-Pad/Analog Thumb Pad A Button B Button X Button Command Selection (P.33)/Move cursor Enter selection Cancel Display descriptions of items and magic Y Button, Triggers L/R, and Start Button are not used. NEW GAME CONTINUE Start the game from the beginning. You may select this when you have a memory card with saved data attached to the Dreamcast Controller connected to Control Port A of the Dreamcast console. HOW TO CHANGE DISCS D-Pad Analog Thumb Pad A Button B Button X Button Change camera angle Move player's ship Inspect for items/Talk to other ship/Enter villages or dungeons/Enter selection/Read next lines of messages Cancel Open/close Status Menu Descend Ascend Display map/Move inside the ship/Save SELECTING LOAD FILE Next, use *@ to select the file you wish to continue the game, and press A to enter. You will be asked to confirm loading this file. Use *@ to select Yes/No, and press A to enter. SELECTING MEMORY CARD (EXPANSION SOCKET) When "CONTINUE" is selected, Load Screen will be displayed. Use *@ to select the Expansion Socket 1 or 2, and press A to enter your selection. (Note: If there is no memory card inserted to either of the socket, you will not be able to select that socket.) Trigger L Trigger R Start Button Y Button is not used. G Any time during the game, press A, B, X, Y and the Start Buttons simultaneously to reset the game and return to the title screen. HOMEPAGE Jump to the SKIES of ARCADIA Official Page. Please refer to Page xx for more details. SKIES of 4 ARCADIA SKIES of 5 ARCADIA ARCADIA1006_6 00.10.7 3:00 AM Page 8 GAME CONSTRUCTION & HOW TO SAVE SKIES of ARCADIA is a game with skies and floating islands as its main stage. Vyse, the main character, soars the skies with his aerial ship, explores the villages and dungeons on foot, and engages in battles and bombardments. Here is the basic flow of the game. GAME CONSTRUCTION & HOW TO SAVE HOW TO SAVE In the villages/dungeons and the dungeons for the ship, you may save your progress only at the save points. Approach the save point, and press A to switch to the Save screen. During normal travel in the sky, you may save anywhere. Press the Start Button to open the menu, and select "SAVE" to switch to the Save screen. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EACH MODE VILLAGES & DUNGEONS In villages, buildings, and dungeons, Vyse walks around on foot to explore and talk with the others (P.xx). *@ $ ^ SKIES This is where Vyse travels aboard the ship. Depending on the size of the ship and the performance of the engine, the area Vyse can explore widens (P.xx). *@ While Traveling by Ship Save Point in the Sky Save Point in the Village/Dungeon BATTLE MODES While exploring the dungeons or traveling aboard the ship, if Vyse encounters the enemies, a battle begins. There are two types of battles: normal battle and ship battles (P.xx) MEMORY CARD (EXPANSION SOCKET) SELECTION Select the memory card to save the game. Use *@ to select between "Expansion Socket 1" and "Expansion Socket 2," and press A to enter. If there is no memory card present at either of the socket, you will not be able to select. TRANSFERRING BETWEEN VILLAGES/DUNGEONS AND SKY FROM THE SKY TO THE VILLAGES/DUNGEONS Approach the island or building with your ship, and press A. If it is the island you can land on, you will be transferred to the field within. SAVE FILE SELECTION Next, use *@ to select the file to save game, and press A to enter. You will be confirmed whether to save on this file, or to overwrite if the previous data is present (the previous data will be erased if overwritten). Use *@ to select YES/NO, and press A to enter. If there is not enough blocks available, the file will not be able to select. FROM THE VILLAGES/DUNGEONS TO THE SKY If you are transferring from the the village or dungeon to the sky, approach the ship you will be boarding, and press A. A message appears to confirm that you wish to return to your ship. Use *@ to choose your selection, and press A to enter. WHEN THERE IS NO SAVE FILE ON THE MEMORY CARD In case there is no save file for SKIES of ARCADIA on the memory card, when that memory card is selected, the game will create a file automatically. At this point, the game will ask whether to change the icon on the VMU to that of SKIES of ARCADIA. Use *@ to select YES/NO, and press A to enter. To save icon data, 2 blocks of free memory are needed. GAME OVER The game is over when the HPs of all characters in the party or the HP of the ship drop to zero, and returns to the title screen. On battles against the bosses, however, you will be asked whether to continue the game or not. Use *@ to select "I never give up" or "I quit," and press A to enter. SKIES of 6 ARCADIA SKIES of 7 ARCADIA ARCADIA1006_6 00.10.7 3:00 AM Page 10 SKIES (TRAVELING BY THE SHIP) Aboard the ship, you will travel and explore the field. The areas you can travel are limited with your first ship, but depending on the scale of the ship, and with modifications, you can gradually increase the areas you can travel. Use the Analog Thumb Pad to navigate your ship, the D-Pad to change camera angle, L to descend your ship, and R to ascend. Also, press the Start Button to display the Menu, A to land on the island (enter the village), and X to display the Status Menu. SKIES (TRAVELING BY THE SHIP) MAP You can verify your location and direction you are flying towards. The map shows only the areas you have already explored. As the story unfolds, the world will be revealed. SHIP Your current location on the map. The direction the light is flashing is the direction the ship is facing. NAME OF ISLAND (VILLAGE) Displays the name of the island (village) and place the magnifying lens is showing. DISPLAY @ ! ALTIMETER Displays the current altitude you are flying at. @ NAME OF ISLAND/VILLAGE/BUILDING If you approach the island, the village, or the building you already know, its name will be displayed. Press A when the name is displayed to land. # COMPASS Displays the direction you are flying. VILLAGES & BUILDINGS The islands (villages) and buildings you have once visited will be indicated with red pins. MAGNIFYING LENS Use *@$^ to move the magnifying lens to locate and verify the places you have visited. ! # COMPASS Indicates the direction your ship is facing. ALTIMETER Indicates the altitude you are flying at. TO BRIDGE MENU SCREEN Aboard the ship, press the Start Button to open the Menu. Use *@ to select the menu item, and press A to enter. You can move inside the ship and talk to your crew. (On some ships, you may not be able to select this.) The conversation may contain important hints, so use this as reference. The method of movements and conversing is the same as in "Villages and Dungeons" (P.xx). Also, press X to display the Status screen. To return to the skies, examine the helm at the bridge. You will be asked whether to depart or not. SAVE You can save the progress of the game up to this point. Please see "How to Save" on p.xx. Please note, however, that in the dungeons you explore by the ship, you can only save at save points. SKIES of 8 ARCADIA SKIES of 9 ARCADIA ARCADIA1006_6 00.10.7 3:00 AM Page 12 SKIES (TRAVELING BY THE SHIP) VILLAGES AND DUNGEONS Walk around in the village to collect information and shop for items, or explore the dungeons. Use the Analog Thumb Pad/DPad to guide Vyse to that direction, press L/R to rotate camera, and press A to talk to people or examine what is in front of Vyse. Also, press X to display the Status Menu, and press the Start Button to display/hide the mini map. I ENCOUNTERS Up in the skies, there are several ships other than the Air Pirate's. With private and commercial ships, approach and press A to talk to them. When you encounter the ships belonging to the Imperial Armada or opposing pirates, you will engage in bombardments. There will be a warning mark "!!" displayed on your compass when an enemy ship is close by. Please see p.xx for how to battle in this game. Mini Map Current location and direction you are facing on the map will be shown with L. DISCOVERIES In this long adventure, Vyse and friends travel various places in the world. This could include unexplored skies and islands no one in this world has ever explored before. You could discover legendary ruins or new species of creatures. Guide your ship to new areas, and examine places. If there is a Discovery, it will be displayed. As the discoverer, Vyse and friends will leave their names in the history of this world. CLIMBING/DESCENDING ON LADDERS AND POLES Press A in front of a ladder or a pole to grab onto it. At this state, use *@ to ascend or descend. If you approach the either end of the ladder or the pole, Vyse dismounts from it automatically. HOW TO MAKE DISCOVERY When there is potential Discovery, the compass starts to turn rapidly. Press A, and the Discovery will be displayed. EXAMINING At certain places such as in front of the bookshelf or signs, press A to examine that place. TALKING TO PEOPLE In front of the characters you can talk to, press A to start conversations. There are cases where, by talking, the character may join you as a party member or as a crew. Also, there are cases where you may have to select your replies. SELLING INFORMATION ON DISCOVERIES TO THE GUILD When you make Discoveries or you need information on potential Discoveries, go to the Sailors' Guild at villages. You will be able to sell or buy information. Vyse and friends are not the only ones making Discoveries. If a rival explorer sells the information before you do, your information will be bought at cheaper price. Please see p.xx for more on the Sailors' Guild. OBTAINING ITEMS In front of the treasure chest, press A to open it and obtain the item inside. However, if the number of that item exceeds the maximum number (99) you can hold, you will not be able to obtain it. VIEW DISCOVERIES IN YOUR JOURNAL If you make a Discovery, it will be added to your list of Discoveries in the Status menu. You can check this any time you are able. Please see p.xx for more on the Journal. TAKING A REST At an inn, you can rest yourself. There is a save point located inside the inn, so you can save your progress here. To take a rest, approach the innkeeper, and press A to talk. Use *@ to select "Stay the night/Leave," and press A to enter. Buy resting, the characters' HP, MP, and the ship's HP lost will be restored to current maximum. SKIES of SKIES of 10 ARCADIA 11 ARCADIA ARCADIA1006_6 00.10.7 3:00 AM Page 14 VILLAGES AND DUNGEONS VILLAGES AND DUNGEONS BUYING AND SELLING WEAPONS/ITEMS Go into the shops in the village, and you can buy and sell weapons and items. In front of the merchant, press A to talk to him/her. Use *@ to select the menu item, and press A to enter. Please see p.xx for more on Buying and Selling. ABOUT SAILORS' GUILD At Sailors' Guild, located in several villages in the world, you can buy and sell informations regarding the discoveries. To buy or sell informations, approach the Guildmaster and press A to talk. Use *@ to select "Buy and sell Discovery information/Talk about various things/Leave," and press A to enter. If you select "Buy and sell Discovery information," Main Office Menu screen will be displayed. BUYING AND SELLING WEAPONS/ITEMS/SHIP PARTS You can buy and sell items or ship parts. Use *@ to select "BUY/SELL/EXIT," and press A to enter. Next, use $^ to select the kind of items, and press either A or @. SELLING INFORMATION Use *@$^ to select the information you wish to sell, and press A to enter. If there are more informations than what is listed, use $^ to change the list. At this point, if you were very late on discovering, or wasted long time before selling the informations, the value will decrease. SELECT ITEM Use *@ to select the item you wish to buy/sell, and press A to enter. If there are more items than what are listed, use $^ to change list. A reference to who can equip that item, and parameters when that item is equipped will be displayed. (Value of increase will be displayed in green, decrease in red. Press X to switch between the displays of the value differences and the absolute values.) Use this as a guide to your purchases. BUYING INFORMATION You can buy information regarding possible Discoveries. Use *@$^ to select the information you wish to buy, and press A to enter. If there is more information than what is listed on the screen, use $^ to change the list. The detailed information is expensive, but the rumors are cheap. However, based upon rumors, make a Discovery and sell the information quickly, and the Guild will buy it for a good price. In short, the cheap information could be potential Discoveries of high value. Buying the information will not place it on the Discovery list. Based on information, you must find it in order to place it on the Discovery list. SELECT NUMBER Select the number of items you wish you wish to buy or sell. Use *@ to increase/decrease the number by one, $^ to increase/decrease by ten, and press A to enter. Press B to return to previous screen. EQUIP ITEM After the purchase, you can immediately equip weapons, armors, accessories, or parts of the ship. With change in parameters as reference, select the character you wish to equip that item with. The items that character has equipped will not be lost. TALK ABOUT VARIOUS THINGS You can talk to the Guildmaster for informations regarding the Guild. LEAVE Leave the Guild. TALK ABOUT VARIOUS THINGS You can talk to the merchant. By talking, you might be able to obtain information and items that are not on the normal list. GROWTH OF CUPIL, AND CHAMS Mysterious creature "Cupil," Fina's friend, grows by feeding a special food (item) called "Cham." When it grows, it can change itself to various form. When you approach the location where Cham is, Cupil reacts to let you know. Press A, when Cupil reacts to Cham, to examine nearby. When Cupil reacts, it will let you know in following manners (p.xx): G When VMU sound is enabled, it will beep. G Cupil's appearance on VMU screen changes. G When the Jump Pack is attached and vibration is enabled, it will vibrate. SKIES of LEAVE Leave the shop. SKIES of 12 ARCADIA 13 ARCADIA ARCADIA1006_6 00.10.7 3:00 AM Page 16 VILLAGES AND DUNGEONS BATTLE MODES There are two different battle modes: a Normal Battle, where party members and enemies battle in one field; and a Ship Battle, where your ship battles against the enemy ship. On each turn, you will give command to each character. When the HP of the character drops to zero, he/she will not be able to continue the battle, but he/she will regain HP to one after the battle (only on Normal Battle). If the HP's of all characters in your party or the ship's HP drops to zero, the game will be over. (Only on battles against the boss character, you can continue the game.) ABOUT THE SWASHBUCKLER RATING Depending on the events and selection of your replies in conversations, the value of Vyse's Swashbuckler rating changes. If you make the correct decisions and perform brave actions, the value rises, and people's attitudes towards Vyse will change. If you have a high Swashbuckler rating, people will trust you, and they will be easier to deal with. When there is a change in the Swashbuckler rating, a chime will ring to indicate whether it has risen or fallen. You can get an idea as to how high your Swashbuckler rating is by going to the Character Status screen of the Status Menu (P.xx) and finding out what Vyse's title is. NORMAL BATTLE NORMAL BATTLE DISPLAY ! @ # % ^ & ! SPIRIT POINTS It is the value of actions your party can take as a whole. It will be consumed when magic and special attacks are used. It will be displayed as current value/maximum value. The green gauge indicates the amount you can spend on that turn, and the red indicates the amount to be used. After each turn, the amount increases according to the number of characters that can take action. Also, on command selection, select "FOCUS" to increase this amount. After each battle, the value returns to the amount at the beginning of the battle. SKIES of BASE SYSTEM AND CREW SYSTEM Some time in the adventure, Vyse will obtain his own ship. At that time, apart from party members such as Aika and Fina, you can hire crew members and have them aboard. Also, he will establish his own base, as in Dyne's Pirate's Isle. $ ABOUT BASE SYSTEM When there is a Builder, you can invest money to have him improve the base. This is called the Base System. Not only the appearances, you can improve on its functions such as making new items. Also, by bringing new crew members, new buildings could be built, making your base more lively place. @ % ^ ABOUT CREW SYSTEM When Vyse obtains his own ship, he can scout for crew members to be aboard. Depending on crew members' abilities, the ship powers up accordingly. For example, if you have a Gunner aboard, the ship's bombing ability will increase. Also, while in a ship battle, you can select the "Crew Command" to have him/her do his/her work. The possible crew members are scattered throughout the world. But not all will join easily, as some will request for special conditions. Whether he/she will join as crew member is up to Vyse. Simplified Status Screen (On Battle Mode) @ CHARACTER'S FACE AND NAME The color of the rim displaying the character's face indicates the current color weapon equipped (P.xx). # LEVEL Indicates the current level of that character. SKIES of 14 ARCADIA 15 ARCADIA ARCADIA1006_6 00.10.7 3:00 AM Page 18 BATTLE MODES $ MP (MAGIC POINTS) ^ CONDITION BATTLE MODES RUN Escape from the battle. Only Vyse can select (or the first character on the turn). Note that selecting this will not enable you to escape 100% of the time. Against the bosses, however, you cannot escape. Indicates the number of magic points you can use. The values indicate the current/ maximum value. If you use magic, the value decreases by one. % HP (HIT POINTS) If there is a temporary raise in attributes, or adverse effects due to Poison, etc., icons will be displayed here. & BATTLE COMMAND ITEMS Use selected item. Use $^ to select the kind of item, and press A or @. Next, use *@ to select the item (use $^ to change list), and press A. Finally, use *@ to select the target character to use item on, and press A (unless the item affects everyone). You can also change equipment. Note that changing weapons will not spend your turn. Indicates the physical strength of the character. The values indicate the current/ maximum value. When the value drops to zero, that character will not be able to fight. See description below. BATTLE COMMAND On each turn, you will select each character's action, starting with Vyse. Use *@$^ to select a command, and press A to enter (some commands may not be able to select, depending on conditions). Press B to cancel. To change the color of the weapon equipped, press Y (on each press, depending on Moon Stones you already have, the color changes in following order: green>red>purple>blue>yellow>silver.) Press X to display the status of the party (press again to close). Also, press X while selecting item or magic to display its description (press X again to close). Run Item Guard Attack S-move Magic Focus GUARD Guard oneself to lessen the chance of taking damages. When guarding, the name will be displayed in red-purple. Guarding will not carry forward to the next turn. Escape from the battle (cannot be selected against the bosses.) Use item. Guard against the enemy attack. Attack with equipped weapon. Use each character's super move. Use magic. Increase SP. ATTACK Attack with equipped weapon. When selected, a cursor will appear on the enemy to attack. Use *@ to select the enemy, and press A to enter. Also, depending on color (attribute) of the weapon, the damages to the enemy may differ (P.xx). S-MOVE Spends given amount of SP. Use the Super Move the characters learned. Select "S-move," use *@ to select the Super Move, and press A to enter. While selecting the Super Move, press X to display its description. Depending on Super Move, the value consuming SP differs (P.xx). If the character has yet to learn any Super Move, this cannot be selected. SKIES of SKIES of 16 ARCADIA 17 ARCADIA ARCADIA1006_6 00.10.7 3:00 AM Page 20 BATTLE MODES MAGIC Spends given amount of SP/spends 1 MP per use. BATTLE MODES CHANGING COLOR (ATTRIBUTE) OF WEAPON & LEARNING MAGIC There are 6 colors of Moon Stones: green, red, purple, blue, yellow, and silver. And each has different attribute. According to colors of Moon Stones you have, you can change the color of weapons. By changing colors, the attributes change according to the colors. To change color, press Y while selecting your action on battle. You may change the color from "Item" command as well. Select the "Item" command, then use $^ to select "Weapons." Next, use *@ to select the weapon, and press A to open Moon Stone window. Use $^ to select color, and press A to enter. The enemies also have attribute, and attack with effective use of its attribute. Also, if you attack with the color of attribute that stands against the enemy's, you can give great damage to the enemy (see chart below). At the end of battle, Magic Experience points for the color of weapon used will be given. When the Magic Experience points reach certain amounts, the character will learn new magic, in compliance with that attribute. Characters earn double the amount of Magic Experience in the color that they have equipped, and equal amounts in the color(s) that other party members have equipped. Use the magic the character has learned. On each use,1 MP is used. Use *@$^ to select the magic, and press A to enter. While selecting the magic, press X to display its description. FOCUS In crease the amount of SP. The amount depends on the spirit rating of the character using this command. END OF THE BATTLE When the party wins the battle, result screen will be displayed. The amount of experience points, gold, and magic experience points (with regards to the color of weapon used) will be calculated and added. When the characters' experience points or magic experience points reach given amount, his/her experience level/magic experience rank will be increased. Upon raising of magic experience, a new spell for the attribute of magic experience will be learned (P.xx). To end the result screen, press A. The contents of result screens are the same for normal battles and bombardments. GREEN RED RED BLUE > <<>> > > RED PURPLE BLUE PURPLE PURPLE BLUE YELLOW YELLOW > > >> <> GREEN YELLOW GREEN SILVER ">>" indicates that the damage is larger than ">" LEARNING SUPER MOVES The characters learn new Super Move by consuming an item called "Moonberries." To learn new Super Move, select "Super Move" command on Character Status screen of Status Menu (P.xx). The order of Super Moves the characters can learn is fixed. Also, the amount of Moonberries needed depends on each Super Move. SPIRIT SYSTEM Spirit points, or SP, is the value of actions your party can take as a whole, and is displayed as green gauge at the top of the Battle screens. On normal battles, it will be consumed when using magic or Super Moves. During Ship Battles, it will be consumed on all commands except Run, Guard, Focus, and Item. The stronger the magic or the Super Move, the SP the action will consume. You will gain a given amount of SP on every turn, but you can gain additional with "Focus" command. Since this value is for anyone in the party, it is possible to make one of your party gain SP while the other use the magic/super move to consume it. The battle condition may change according to how you use this. Use it effectively. SKIES of 18 ARCADIA SKIES of 19 ARCADIA ARCADIA1006_6 00.10.7 3:00 AM Page 22 BATTLE MODES ABOUT THE CHANGE IN STATE During the battle, if the color of the name of friend/enemy on Status screen changes, it indicates that the state of the character has changed in various ways. BATTLE MODES SHIP BATTLE Ship Battle is the battle Vyse and friends fight with the ship they are aboard. Apart from the battles that occur as fixed events, when you encounter an enemy ship, the battle begins. SHIP BATTLE SCREEN Red-Purple Yellow-Green Yellow Blue RP+YG+Y+B Guarding. Nullify Attack is in effect. Nullify State Change from magic or attack. Nullify Stage Change. Nullify all attack from the enemy. ! $ ^ # % @ Also, when the state changed due to poison, etc., the following icons will also be displayed on Status screen. POISON Lose HP at the end of turn. CONFUSION Attacks anyone, friend or foe. UNCONSCIOUS When HP drops to zero. SILENCE Cannot cast magic. REGENERATE Regain HP at the end of turn. STONE Cannot fight for given turns. FATIGUE Cannot regain SP. STRENGTHEN Raise attack and defense abilities. ! SPIRIT POINTS GAUGE It is the value of actions your party can take as a whole. It will be consumed when "Magic," "Attack," "Super Cannon," and "Crew" commands are used. Green gauge indicates the current SP, and red indicates the amount to be consumed in the turn. At the end of each turn, the amount of SP, according to number of characters in the party that can take actions, will be regained. Also, by selecting "Focus" as command, you can regain a given amount. @ STATUS OF CHARACTERS THAT CAN TAKE ACTIONS LD indicates the current level of the character, and MP indicates the number of magic the character can use. # NAME OF SHIP/HP/STATUS HP indicates the current/maximum values. When the HP drops to zero, the ship is sunk, and the game will be over. The raising or abnormality in status is indicated by an icon. $ NAME OF ENEMY SHIP/HP The raising or abnormality in status is indicated by an icon (P.xx). % SHIP BATTLE COMMAND (P.xx) ^ BATTLE TIMER (P.xx) SLEEP Cannot fight until he/she wakes up. WEAK Lower all abilities. QUICKENED Raise quickness. G STRENGTHEN is displayed in red; QUICKENED in blue. SKIES of 20 ARCADIA SKIES of 21 ARCADIA ARCADIA1006_6 00.10.7 3:00 AM Page 24 BATTLE MODES SHIP BATTLE COMMAND When the player's turn arrives, you will be asked to enter commands for each character, starting with Vyse. Use *@$^ to select Ring Command, and press A to enter. (There are some commands you cannot give.) Press B to cancel. Designate the commands to Battle Timer, and the bombardment begins. Upon selecting "Item" or "Magic," press X to display explanation (Press again to close). Run Item Guard Attack Magic Focus S-Cannon Crew Escape from the battle (cannot be selected against the bosses.) Use item. Guard against the enemy attack. Attack with equipped weapon. Use magic or fire Magic Cannon. Increase SP. Fire special cannon. Command which can be used after Vyse becomes the captain of his own ship. BATTLE MODES GUARD Take evasive maneuvers, lessening the damage taken from enemy attacks. ATTACK Consumes given amount of SP. Fire cannons. Select "Attack," use *@ to select cannon the ship is equipped with, and press A to enter. There are three types of weapons, and their features are different (P.xx). MAGIC Consumes given amount of SP/1 MP per use. Use magic. 1 MP is spent for each use. The method of selecting is the same as in normal battle (P.xx). Also, the magically charged cannonballs the character fires against the enemy are treated the same as normal cannon fire, as you may at times miss. Note that you will need to obtain the "Magic Cannon" in order to be able to fire magic. RUN Escape from the battle. Its use is the same as in normal battle (P.xx). FOCUS Regains given amount of SP. ITEM Use the selected item. Its use is the same as in normal battle (P.xx). S-CANNON Consumes necessary amount of SP. Some ships Vyse rides may be equipped with Special Cannon. You can only use this in areas indicated with a special icon, but with great amount of SP consumed, it fires a shot with enormous power. By using this, the flow of the battle may change. SKIES of SKIES of 22 ARCADIA 23 ARCADIA ARCADIA1006_6 00.10.7 3:00 AM Page 26 BATTLE MODES CREW Consumes necessary amount of SP. ACTION ROUNDS FOR ATTACK BATTLE MODES When Vyse owns his ship, he will be able to give orders to crews aboard his ship. Select "Crew," use *@ to select the crew, and press A to enter. Each crew has his/her different abilities, such as restoring SP or repairing ship (recovering ship's HP). Also, the amount of SP used varies with different crews. With their abilities in mind, you can turn the Ship Battle to your advantage, or even improve the abilities of the ship. There are three types of artilleries you can use to attack by the ship, and their features are different. With proper arrangement, you can concentrate your fire on chances. With main and secondary cannons, if your position against the enemy ship is not proper, you may not be able to have the enemy in correct angle to fire. Your shot will be lost in this case. Also, depending on the accuracy of the cannon, you may miss at times. MAIN CANNON Fires and hits on same round. Has power, but consumes more SP. SECONDARY CANNON With additional consumption of SP, you can fire on continuous rounds. SHIP BATTLE SCREEN During each turn of a ship battle, each member of your party can take a single action. Depending on how many characters you have in your party, each turn will be broken into a number of rounds. So, with four members in the party, each turn will be broken up into four rounds. Upon selecting an action for each character, an icon designating that action will appear at the top of the screen on the "Battle Grid." TORPEDO You may designate the round to fire and the round to hit. HOW TO INPUT COMMANDS USING THE BATTLE GRID You will need to select a Command (p.xx) for each character in your party. However, as stated above, each character can only perform one action per turn. Use *@$^ to select a Command, and press A to enter. An icon showing the action that you chose will be displayed on the Battle Grid. Next, use $^ to select the round in which you would like the character to perform that action, and press A to enter. Pressing B will cancel your selection. BRANCHING OF ROUTE ON MESSAGE EVENT During the course of bombardment, there are at times you must make decision on your strategy, with menu of choices. Use *@ to select the strategy, and press A to enter. Depending on your choice, the flow of battle changes, and the timing of chances and dangers will also change. The flow also changes according to how you act in your turn. When the gauges for the next turn is changing, it indicates that there may be a branch in next turn. To bring battle to your advantage, act with caution. CHARACTERS Select in order, starting with Vyse. Look at the Degree of Chance/Danger to make your decision. DEGREE OF CHANCE/DANGER Indicates the chance for Vyse to attack, or danger of being attacked. Upon selecting actions, verify this to bring battle to your advantage. HOW TO SEE DEGREE OF CHANCE/DANGER Safe Danger Green Yellow Red SKIES of Chance CURRENT TURN SKIES of NEXT TURN Can Shoot S-Cannon 24 ARCADIA 25 ARCADIA ARCADIA1006_6 00.10.7 3:00 AM Page 28 STATUS MENU STATUS MENU SCREEN Except in Battle Mode, press X while you are in the skies, the villages, or the dungeons to display the Status Menu. (It will not, however, be displayed during the event.) Use *@ to select menu item (each character, ship), and press A to enter. Select "Next Page" (or by pressing L/R) to switch to next page. Use $^ to switch Status screens of each character. Press B to return to previous screen. STATUS MENU CHARACTER STATUS SCREEN If you select either the character or the ship, his/her Status screen will be displayed to verify. Use $^ to change between the Status screens of the characters. Also, you can use items or magic to restore status, equip character with weapon, armor, and accessories, or use "Moonberries" to learn new super moves. Use *@ to select menu item, and press A to enter. Press L/R to switch between the characters. Press B to return to Status Menu Screen. ! @ # $ % & ! CHARACTER WINDOW Displays the current/maximum value of HP and MP, and his/her current level. Press L/R to switch between the characters. @ ITEMS (P.xx) Use items. # MAGIC (P.xx) Use magic. $ SUPER MOVE (P.xx) Learn new Super Moves. % EQUIPMENT (P.xx) Equip the character with weapon, armor, and accessory. ^ CHARACTER STATUS Displays the detailed status of the character. Press L/R to switch between the characters. & CURRENT TITLE Vyse's title, which changes with his Swashbuckler rating. There is no title displayed for characters other than Vyse. ARCADIA ! @ $ % ^ & ^ # ! CHARACTER WINDOW $ JOURNAL (P.xx) Displays the current/maximum value of HP and MP, and his/her current level. @ CHARACTER STATUS (P.xx) Read journal to verify what has happened, and what has been discovered. % CHANGE CREWS (P.xx) Displays the status of each character. Use $^ to move between the pages to verify status. # GOLD/TIME/CURRENT MAXIMUM SP Change your crew members. ^ PINTA QUEST Give orders to Pinta to dispatch/return. & OPTIONS (P.xx) Change various option settings. Displays the amount of money (Gold) you currently have, the elapsed time of play, and the current maximum SP. I Characters' Parameters HP/MAXHP: Current/maximum values of Hit Points. MP/MAXMP: Current/maximum values of Magic Points. Attack: Attacking ability on normal attack. Defense: Defense ability against normal attack. Power: Force power that affects on normal attack. Will: Will power that affects on magic attack. Vigor: Power that affects on defense abilities. MagDef: Defense ability against magic. Hit%: Percentage of hitting the enemy on normal attack. Dodge%: Percentage of dodging enemy's normal attack. Agile: Affects on percentage of dodging and landing a critical hit. Quick: Affects on quickness of his/her action. Total Exp.: Total of experience points earned so far. Next: Experience points necessary for next level. Rank: Current rank of magic on respective colors. Next: Magic Experience points necessary for the next rank. I Ship's Parameters: Value: How much your ship is worth. HP/MAXHP: Current/maximum Hit Points of your ship. MP/MAXMP: Current/maximum Magic Points. SKIES of SKIES of 26 ARCADIA 27 ARCADIA1006_6 00.10.7 3:00 AM Page 30 STATUS MENU ITEM Use the items. Use $^ to select the type of item, and press A or @. Next, use *@ to select the item ($^ to switch between the list) and press A to enter. Finally, use *@ to select the character to use item on, and press A to enter. Also, press Y to sort items. Press B to return to previous screen. STATUS MENU SUPER MOVE The characters can learn new Super Moves. To learn, you will need an item called "Moonberries." Moonberries can be obtained either when the enemies drop them after the battle, or when you find them inside the treasure chest. First, select the character. You can either select the character on the Status Menu screen and select "Learn Super Move," or by pressing L/R during the Super Move screen to switch between the characters. Nest, use *@ to select the Super Move you wish to learn, and press A to enter. You may, however, select only the moves displayed as "???" in black letters. A description will be displayed, so use this as reference to which character's Super Move to be learned next. If you do not have enough Moonberries, he/she cannot learn, as the number of necessary Moonberries varies with different Super Moves. Press B to return to previous screen.