Apocrypha of Atelier (Free RPG) Introduction, Impressions, and Strategy Notes

I played "Apocrypha of Atelier," a free game made with RPG Maker VX Ace.
This is a long-form RPG that emphasizes the story, with combat that tests your pre-planned strategy through trial and error.
My completion time was about 35 hours.

Game Overview

The story begins with the protagonist, Luminous, embarking on a journey to visit various locations around the world.
Immediately afterward, they become involved in an incident, and the story slowly begins to unfold.
The story segments tend to be a bit long, but the characters' backgrounds are explored in considerable depth.

Skills are acquired by each character as they level up.
Skills cannot be used simply by acquiring them; they must be set up within the limits of your capacity (CP).
While it would certainly be convenient to be able to set all skills, the number you can set is limited, so you need to think carefully about what to set.

Each character has their own set of resistances, so you'll need to switch between party members depending on the attributes of the enemies you encounter.
Attributes have a significant impact, and equipment also makes a difference, so you may need to rearrange your equipment depending on the tough enemy.

The library function is convenient because it allows you to refer to character encyclopedias, glossaries, and your next destination.

The combat system is one where your turn comes around when your action bar is full.
Fast characters will get their turn to act more frequently, and by prioritizing the defeat of enemies that are likely to get their turn, you can minimize damage to your allies.
Your HP is fully restored after each battle, which is convenient, but your TP (which is equivalent to MP) doesn't recover, so you need to be careful not to overuse it.
Additionally, by consuming the OD (Overdrive) gauge, which accumulates each time you perform a certain action, you can use powerful techniques.

A distinctive feature of the system is that even if your entire party is wiped out, there is no penalty; you are simply returned to the last save point.
The experience points gained and treasure chests acquired before the party was wiped out remain intact.
However, while you can easily take risks, the regular enemies and bosses are quite strong, and you can often be wiped out in an instant.
Also, items used before being wiped out will not be restored, so it's best not to use items unless you're seriously trying to defeat the enemy.

Gameplay Impressions (No Spoilers)

As you can see from the title screen and chapter titles, it feels like they're consciously referencing the masterpiece "Seraphic Blue."
However, since the writing style isn't as idiosyncratic as in "Cerebral," I think this work is easier to get into.
Since they have a similar vibe, it's frustrating that I inevitably end up comparing them to Serabul in various ways.

The combat system is quite unbalanced and prone to instant death on first encounters, but it's not necessarily difficult.
In new dungeons, regular battles often feel like you'll be wiped out repeatedly until you get the hang of it.
However, since there are almost no downsides to being wiped out, I think it's good that the stress of a game over is reduced.
There's a button to speed up the game in both events and battles, so restarting isn't too much of a hassle.
There are also a lot of save points, making it easy to play.
Also, since you get significantly stronger with each level up, it had a rare gameplay feel similar to Dragon Quest.

While it was an interesting work, there are a few things I'm dissatisfied with.
First, I'm dissatisfied with the limited number of skills that can be equipped.
Because the cost of skill sets tends to be high relative to the amount of CP available, you have to be very selective about the skills you include in your set.
Despite the boss battles being incredibly difficult to beat on the first try, there are very few skills you can try out in a single fight.
Finding effective skills and their combinations requires repeated attempts and adjustments.
This is quite a hassle, so I wish they'd let me use all the skills I've learned.
(Addendum: I realized later that if you fight and are wiped out once, the enemy data is added to the library, making it easier to plan countermeasures after being wiped out.)

Review (contains spoilers)

The story was compelling enough to keep me playing until the very end.
The plot twists, such as Euretta's true identity, the shadowy higher beings, and the robed figures who refer to each other by numbers, were exciting and appealed to my inner chuunibyou (middle school syndrome).
There were many event scenes that progressed solely through dialogue, so some people might find it tedious.

The ending had some parts that felt rushed, but thanks to that, there was no dull moment.
I had expected the Senate members to be more involved in the story, but that wasn't the case, and I didn't really get a strong impression of who each character was or what their role was.
The post-game library did contain some explanations of each member, which supplemented the information somewhat, but it still felt incomplete.
The explanation given by the god after defeating the final boss felt a little too explanatory, but I'm glad the mystery was solved.

The latter half of the battle was a bit disappointing because Blanc's Stardust Blue was so powerful that it completely ruined the difficulty level.
As someone who likes to advance the story quickly, I found it quite exhilarating, which was great, but I also felt it was a bit of a waste.

I've written about a lot of minor complaints, but I think it's undeniable that this is a well-crafted game with the potential to keep you playing for hours.
As I've said many times, because the game design is similar to Seraphic, I couldn't help but compare them in various ways, which was something I regretted.

Strategy Notes

Basic Boss Strategy

The basic strategy for boss battles is to first check whether status effects are effective.
Check whether Flatblade's stun works (if it does, you can trap it), whether blind (if it works, it can greatly reduce physical attacks), and silence (if it works, it can greatly reduce magical attacks) are effective.
It might not work the first time, so it's a good idea to try several times.
If your party is wiped out, you can check their resistances in the library.

If you feel there's a significant difference in skill level between you and the boss, then you should upgrade your equipment.
If the opponent uses powerful elemental attacks, strengthen your elemental resistance.
If there are many status ailments, we will try to mitigate them as much as possible.
Since there are four accessory slots, you need to consider the most effective combination for each boss.
If you're unsure what to attach, you can't go wrong with something that looks like boots.

If you find it troublesome, a good strategy is to simply grind for experience points by fighting weak enemies and leveling up that way.
Since leveling up significantly increases your stats, simply leveling up is an effective strategy if you're having trouble.
Below, I'll write down some notes on bosses I struggled with and strategies for navigating the maps.

Early game

Manticore
By using Sharon's Power Enhance to increase Luminous's attack power, and having Luminous continuously attack with Flat Blade, you can stun the enemy and trap them in a loop.

: The Seven Luminaries Forest of the Glare Forest
Just follow the directions in English, from Sunday to Saturday.
Specifically, the order is SMTWTFS.

Kingsbug
Stun it with a flat blade and then attack its weakness, fireball, and you'll have no problem.

・Pirate x3
・Pirate x 4
This is a difficult part of the early stages.
I defeated it at level 8.
Equip all accessories to increase attack power with Luminous, and magic attack power with Sharon and Euretta.
If you use Double Edge, Celestial Cannon, and Shadow Ball respectively, you should be able to deal enough damage to defeat an enemy in one hit.
Don't worry about defense or healing; just defeat them in one go.

: Glare Forest
The bridge in the forest has been repaired and is now in working order, so we'll head south across it.

Waste
I defeated it at level 11.
I'll buy multiple Mithril Boots and Mithril Defenders from the shop to strengthen my speed and defense.
Bran uses Derainvine to keep the opponent slowed, and when he has a free moment, he uses normal attacks and heals.
After Gallon increases his attack power with War Cry, he continuously attacks with Blaze Wilder.
Since the opponent recovers 1250 HP on their turn, the key is to slow down their actions with Slow and increase the attack power and number of actions of Gallon, who is the source of damage.

: Siguia Ruins
It has many puzzle-like elements.
In the section where you push obstacles in Sect-C, if you get stuck and can't get out, you can escape by intentionally getting wiped out in battle.
If you can clear the level without dropping any of the four colored rocks, you will receive many items.
(Gold bar, All Potion, All Ether, Phoenix Feather, Frozen Tuna, Lightning Coat, Protective Bracelet, Treasure Chest)
Sect-A's "3567 8⇒16" means to convert the octal representation to hexadecimal.

Siguiar Queen
Since slow and stun effects don't work, the goal is to defeat them as quickly as possible.
After the battle has started for a while, the enemy will increase its magic attack power and then use an area-of-effect magic attack, which will wipe out your entire party.
Since it's weak to fire, use Fireball or Inferno Agito.

・Siguiaking
Since slow and stun effects won't work, let's fight using conventional methods.
Siguiapawn can be neutralized with Blind and dealt with later without any problems.
King has many resistances, so we'll fight him with Double Edge and Shadow Ball.
If you've accumulated this much Overdrive, you can easily defeat them by unleashing about two times the amount of Overdrive at the same time as summoning your pawns.

・Siguia Ace
Physical attacks are powerful.
Focus on Shadow Ball, and use Concentration and Quick Time on Euretta to defeat her quickly.
I defeated it at level 16.

To move the armor in Sect-E, simply position it symmetrically to the stone structure.
The key to drawing tiles in one continuous line is to fill them in from the outside in a spiral pattern, while trying to eliminate narrow, hard-to-reach areas as early as possible.

・Siguia Joker
You probably can't defeat it unless you silence it using Silence, because it will recover completely immediately.
Their normal attacks are quite painful, so it's safer to use Blind to make them dark before using Silence.
If you don't defeat it within a certain number of turns, it will use a devastating attack, so defeat it quickly.
Luminous can deal considerable damage by using Quick Time followed by Desperate Force and then Double Edge, so it's perfectly fine to leave the attacking role entirely to Luminous.

The riddle in the Regen Tunnel can be solved by entering two animals that are common to both the Chinese zodiac and the twelve constellations.

・Storage Warm
Since it's weak to ice, attacks focusing on Hail Stream are very effective.
You can almost completely neutralize them by using blinds to create darkness, but when the last three appear, it's best to prioritize reducing their numbers as much as possible.

Gargantua
I defeated it at level 20.
I'll boost my attack power and relentlessly attack with Double Edge and Shadow Flare.
Since critical hits deal a lot of damage at once, I was able to win by simply brute force.

Manticore MK2
The Dark-element Shadow Wave is painful, so equipping items with Dark resistance will make the battle much easier.
For healing, Blanc's area-of-effect heal is very useful.
Also, since it's weak to ice, let's use Euretta's Perfect Freeze.
Other status effects like confusion and darkness are also effective, so combining them with your own status ailments will give you an advantage in battle.

Irene
We were wiped out in no time, and I was left in despair, thinking, "Isn't this supposed to be a losing event...?"
I leveled up to around level 28 and fought using straightforward, no-nonsense tactics.
If you have an all-potion, healing is very easy.
It's a good idea to buy items to revive fallen party members and ether as well.
Use Sharon as the healer, lower the enemy's defense with Luminous's Guard Break, and attack with Therese's Hexa Stinger and other attacks.
Equipping gear that provides resistance to confusion and paralysis, along with physical and fire resistance, will make things much easier.
If you can get them into a state where they can't be defeated in one hit, you can heal quickly and fight at an advantage.

- Grim Reaper & Greater Demon
Here's a lineup of mid-bosses.
Use powerful moves like Gallon's Grave Slash to take them down one by one.
Don't forget to prepare some revival herbs as well.

Valkyrie Wraith
Initially, it is weak to light, but once its HP drops below half, it becomes weak to darkness.
Focus on equipping gear that provides resistance to fire, light, and darkness.
Since its HP regenerates by 5000 each time, you'll want to have at least two damage dealers if possible.
Gallon is useful because if you increase its attack power with abilities like War Cry, it can deal significant damage regardless of the enemy's weakness.
Shadow Saber is an effective source of damage in the later stages of a battle, as it can exploit weaknesses while also providing healing.

Mid-game

Thanatos
You can attack them while keeping them immobilized with Flat Blade or Delay Vine, and you'll be fine.

Garuda
The attacks are intense, and you can't level up beforehand, so if you're not careful, you'll get stuck.
We cleared it with an average level of 30.

It would be great to have a Flame Shield for fire resistance and a Kite Shield for wind resistance.
Try to protect Irene and Beatrix, who are the source of the damage, as much as possible.
Since the game ends automatically after a certain number of turns, you need to inflict damage as quickly as possible.
Irene's Raging Revolver and Beatrix's Finishing Touch are the main weapons that deal high damage.
Sharon should focus on using All Quick and All Force rather than healing, so that her allies get more turns.

Imperial Castle
You can fill your OD gauge by intentionally falling into traps, and by using this to your advantage, you can repeatedly use OD techniques in normal battles, making it easy to earn points.
In the Imperial Castle, Area 5, 2F, you need to complete a magic circle in the numbered section where the sum of the four horizontal tiles and the sum of the four vertical tiles are all the same.
To begin with, we need to know what the total should be.
For now, let's focus on the rows where three cards have been completed. We have 3+10+6+A and 9+6+7+B.
When you add them up, you get 19 + A and 22 + B respectively, so the numbers that go into A and B must be numbers with a difference of 3.
Among the numbers that can be moved, there are three combinations where the difference is 3: 2 and 5, 5 and 8, and 12 and 15.
If you choose 2 and 5, the total is 24; if you choose 5 and 8, it's 27; and if you choose 12 and 15, it's 34.
If the combination is incorrect, a contradiction will eventually arise, so you should be able to solve it by trying three different patterns.

This is a puzzle involving a stone tablet in the Imperial Castle, Area 6, B1F.
You can probably understand it somewhat by reading the stone tablets, but there are parts that aren't clearly written, so it might be a little difficult to understand.
The most confusing part is probably the section about the hero's homeland.
The key points are that the hero's homeland is the only country among the "four countries" that hasn't appeared yet, and that "the story begins in the eastern lands."
The opening line states, "He traveled a long distance from his homeland to invite us," which might lead you to assume the starting point is his homeland, but the starting point is actually "the land of the East."
It's a bit complicated, but if you understand that point well, I think you'll be able to find the answer for all 16 paths.

Andromalius, Judicator, Aummodeus
As mentioned earlier, if you trigger the fire trap and fill everyone's Overdrive gauge to the maximum before entering combat, you can defeat them instantly.

Laurent, Blanc, Harold, Allen
They are quite formidable opponents.
Since this isn't a situation where you can level up, be careful not to overwrite your save file.
Let's use area-of-effect support magic to strengthen our allies' defenses, and then take down Allen first.
Harold's attacks aren't that powerful, so you can leave him for last.
If you defeat Laurent before Bran, Bran will use Sagittarius' Arrow to deal massive damage to the entire party, so be careful (it won't necessarily wipe out your entire party).
Since it uses various status-altering attacks such as poison, silence, stun, and blindness, you should equip yourself with gear that can prevent as many of these status effects as possible before fighting.

Luminous, with her flat blade, plays the unassuming role of stunning enemies when it's their turn to attack.
Sharon is in charge of support magic and healing, Therese is mainly attacking with Hexastinger, and Beatrix will adapt to the situation with area-of-effect healing, area-of-effect support, and attacks.
Using OD techniques a few times will give you a significant advantage in battle.

Roberto
While strengthening your defenses with items like All Shell, you can slowly attack by occasionally stunning with Flat Blade.
If they use an attack that reduces everyone's HP to single digits, you can defeat them without too much trouble if you include characters like Blanc or Beatrix who have area-of-effect healing abilities to heal them.

·gallon
We defeated it with an average level of 39, using Luminous, Therese, Beatrix, and Sharon.
Therese's Disarm is almost essential to neutralize "Enhance the Earth," a status-boosting technique that the enemy uses when its HP is low.
The area-of-effect wind attack "Sturmwind" is powerful, so wind resistance is essential for all allies.
Additionally, its normal attacks include earth-element counter-attacks, so it's reassuring for attackers to have earth resistance.
With the Windy Wall shield, Kite Shield, Tornado Guarder headgear, and Colorful Beret, you can just about get enough resistance for all four characters.
Luminous will continue to be weakened by All Break.
Therese should primarily focus on healing and support using items, and attack with Hexa Stinger when there's an opportunity.
Beatrix can heal the entire party with Wuling Peach Blossom and increase her attack power and speed with Sweep Mountain and Overcome the World.
Sharon will provide support and defense with All Shell and All Quick.
If you can keep the enemy under the All Break status and your allies under the All Shell status, you can feel reasonably safe.

Having items like All-Potion, All-Resurrection, and High-Ether will give you peace of mind, as anyone can take on the role of healer.
You don't need to attack aggressively; by playing somewhat defensively and focusing on Overdrive techniques, you can reliably defeat them.

Final stages

Xenophantasm
It has a considerable amount of automatic regeneration, resistance to all elements, a counter-attack ability, and if the battle drags on, it unleashes a powerful area-of-effect attack. I wondered how I was supposed to defeat it.
Checking the enemy data, it seems that Slow works on them, so first I'll use Bran's Delayvine to put them in a Slow state.
Then, repeatedly use Irene's Gravity Nova to reduce the opponent's HP to less than 100,000.
I equipped Irene with gear that prioritized ATK and AGI, and also used Quick Time to increase her speed so that her turn would come around as quickly as possible.
Finally, I'll use the Raging Revolver with Double Up to deliver a furious finishing blow.
The other three players don't need to attack aggressively; reviving allies and providing area-of-effect healing is sufficient.
It's a good idea to have plenty of items to revive your characters.

Mount Magnaware
The game features regular battles against fairly strong weak enemies, as well as numerous mid-bosses.
Normal battles can be made a little easier if you use Blanc's Floral Gift or Eileen's Pulse Field to cause confusion while fighting.
For all of the mid-bosses, aim for a quick and decisive battle.
Basically, you should expect at least one of your allies to be defeated during the opponent's turn, and if you use recovery items and other means to gain a numerical advantage, you shouldn't have too much trouble.
All the items you find along the way are powerful, so be sure to collect them all.

Magnaware Dragon
To be honest, you can defeat it safely by using Blanc's Stardust Blue.
Since slow works on it, use abilities like All Quick, be careful of the invincibility frames, and attack for a quick victory.
If you equip Bran with gear that automatically restores TP and have some ether-based items ready, you should be able to defeat him without any problems.

・ Der Richter
The basic strategy is to use Stardust Blue as the core of your strategy.
However, the opponent's status-boosting techniques are troublesome, so make sure to equip Therese with Disarms.

Allen & Winner
This is a battle between Luminous and Irene.
Equipped with gear that provides physical and wind resistance, Irene defeats Allen with her first move, "Killing Joke."
After defeating Allen, Irene attacks with a Royal Straight Flush.
Luminous will use Liberation Force, then attack with Ragnarok.
Aim for a very quick victory and attack relentlessly. It should be over in just a few turns.