Adventures in Ivalice

Nova

Today was an excellent day for the clan, kupo!

First, we recruited a young human boy by the name of Marche! He spins some strange tales, kupo... He tells me that where he's from, Ivalice the kingdom doesn't even exist, and is only even a small town! What a strange tale he spun...

But then, he did act very stangely. He even called a Baanga a lizard, kupo! I had to step in and try and calm the situation down. It didn't work very well though...

We also completed another mission! We went and picked herbs. It was not a very challenging mission, but it pays the bills, and every mission we complete spreads the name of Clan Nutsy further!

I hope tomorrow will be as productive as today was!

---

Okay. So :C

This is a Final Fantasy Tactics: Advance liveblog, as you can probably tell. What I'm going to do, though, is let /you/ guys control the way the narrative will flow; including telling me when to recruit characters, change jobs, and the like. I'll be controlling the narrative, usually through reminisces by the characters (as above) and the like- but, you guys get to influence the way the story will go, as well :C

Anyway. As it goes now, the clan is:

Marche, the Level 3 Human Soldier

Equipped: Shortsword (First Aid to Soldiers)

Montblanc, the Level 4 Moogle Black Mage

Equipped: Rod (Fire, Thunder, Blizzard to Black Mages)

Elnan, the Level 3 Human Soldier

Equipped: Shortsword (First Aid to Soldiers)

Olivar, the Level 3 Baanga White Monk

Equipped: Hard Knuckles (Whirlwind to Monks)

Salsber, the Level 2 Nu Mou White Mage

Equipped: White Staff (Cure to White Mages)

Bertha, the Level 2 Viera Archer

Equipped: Longbow (Boost to Archers)

So, without further ado, we have someone seeking new membership in the clan. (This was done after the 'snow in Lutecia' mission, which I just completed.)

Do we allow him in or not?

Kinkajou

Allow him in; most Moogle recruits have better base stats than Montblanc.

Also, I'd suggest getting Marche to Ninja ASAP (switch him to Thief, then have him master two Thief skills). Your Viera will eat enemies alive if she's an Assassin; have her master two Archer abilities to unlock Sniper, then master one Fencer and one White Mage ability each for Elementalist; then master one Sniper and two Elementalist abilities each.

Legionnaire

Those stats mean nothing to me, but he wears a shirt.

Let him in.

Tachikaze

Definitely let him in. He has a normal people name (unlike pretty much everyone else in your clan), which is clearly a good thing and yeah, the thing with the moogle recruits have better stats than Montblanc too I guess.

Nova

I hate this.

That's the only thought that crosses my mind as I lay here, on the ground. Beside me, Montblanc and Marche are struggling against the final Red Panther. The corpse of its' mate lies next to me, slain by Elnan's blade.

I hate being in danger. Always being on the front lines, always being slain first in combat as enemies get within my guard, where my bow is useless- it makes me feel helpless.

There is a cry from Marche, and the Red Panther roars in pain. Montblanc curses, raising his staff and impaling the Red Panther through with a shard of ice.

My vision dims. I know, from experience, that I will wake up, several hours later, under the tender care of Salsber.

One day. One day, I'm going to find a way to protect my friends, even though I'm weak.

Nova

The fight is heady and hot. Sweat pours down Benjamin's face as he struggles, his tiny fists pounding against the large... fire... bomb... things. There is a long burn down his left leg where one caught him with a fireball several moments ago.

I'm... confused. Where am I? Where is Nathan? Where is Dad? What is this place?

Beside him, he hears footsteps. Turning his said, he sees Marche approaching him, a cheeky grin spread across his face.

Benjamin stood back, watching in awe as Marche swung his knife. The blade dug deep into the elemental's side.

Marche is so cool... I want to be just like him!

---

Alright. Benjamin the animist has joined the clan :V

Of course, he doesn't have much :V Should we go buy him some equipment, or do you want to leave him unequipped and force him to toughen up some before we do?

Montblanc has also mastered Fire and Thunder. Elnan mastered First Aid, and Salsber mastered Cure. The Fire, Fire! mission is also done :V

We have a choice, now. Do we want to equip Benjamin, and/or anyone else now that they've mastered some abilities? Do we want to change anyone's jobs? (I've swapped Marche over to a Thief already, and bought him a Jack Knife, which will teach him Steal Gil.)

Kinkajou

Mastering one Animist ability unlocks the Mog Knight and Gunner jobs. Mog Knight's a good melee job (but easily outclassed) and Gunner has the best range in the game.

Edit: The Gunner has crap stat growth though, so leveling as an Animist (best HP for Moogles) or Mog Knight (better stat growth than the Gunner overall, except Speed, and even then there's not much of a difference) is preferable.

Nova

I think I'll go for Gunner then.

In the meantime, I'm sending Elnan off on a Dispatch job.

Oh, before I forget. Elnan also went up a level (to Level 4); as did Marche (to Level 4), Salsber and Bertha.

New entry up soon :V

Nova

I do not like being called a coward. However, if it is required of me, I can act the part. If it was anyone other than Montblanc asking, though...

The duel itself was no problem for me. The opponent, one Viscount Jebb, underestimated me from the start, assuming me to be the cowardly Viscount Gatt. I struck the first blow, a decisive strike that sent his left arm numb. The duel was over in two hits.

What concerned me more than my employer's cowardice, though, was the state of his manservant. The man looked simply dreadful; he was unkempt, smelly, and he looked very haggard. I endeavoured to speak with him afterwards, while Jebb was being treated by a Baanga White Mage.

I have sworn not to reveal what he told me of his situation. All I can say is that I was revolted. That very night, I snuck into the Viscount's house and spirited the poor man away.

I have brought him back to the clan with me. Mayhap, he will be accepted into the clan. If not, at least I can send him to a better home.

---

That is to say

(If you can't see the image, it's a Level 3 Black Mage, 41 HP, 46 MP, 111 Magic Power/116 Resistance/80Attack/85 Defence/102 Speed, 3 Move, 2 Jump, 35 Evade. Not sure about his race :c)

Recruit y/n?

Tachikaze

I think he's human. And because everything > Montblanc, I'd say having him around as a black mage/whatever amazing magic job humans get couldn't hurt.

Nova

Yeah, he's human- I cheated and checked =p

Alright, gimme a little while then.

Nova

It seems... Even my skills... May not be enough...

Salsber lay on his side, trying feebly to summon power into his hands to close the wound in his stomach.

It seems... Brother was right... Just healing... May not be enough... to protect my friends...

His breathing was laboured. Ahead, Marche and little Benjamin were squaring off against the sorceror; while off to the side, Elnan was facing off against two enemies, an archer and what appeared to be a monk.

If we survive this... Brother, I will heed your words.

...

I am sorry, Brother.

Nova

Marche ground to a halt, facing the crystals before him.

"No!" cried Gelato. "Don't do it!"

Marche panted, lifting his knife. "Give me one reason not to then," he declared. "Tell me what you're doing up here."

Gelato gritted his teeth. "I can't tell you," he groaned. "You wouldn't believe me."

"Try me," Marche said, tapping the crystals. "I've heard my fair share of tall tales. Who knows; you might even be able to convince me."

"It's..." Gelato's grip tightened on his staff. Looking around, he knew he was defeated. The Nu Mou, the Viera and the Human in black robes were lying on the ground, unconscious and bleeding; but the soldier, the Moogle and the young boy in front of him were all still up, and he wasn't in the best shape himself.

"It's a portal," he conceded. "I'm hoping to get back to my world."

"Your world?" Marche's grip tightened on his knife. "What do you mean, your world?"

Biting his lip, Gelato tapped his knee. "This... isn't my world," he explained. "In fact, I'm not sure where this place is."

Marche's breath left his lungs as he fell against the crystal. "This... isn't your world?"

"Yes," the sorceror confirmed. "I'm building a portal here, to try and get out."

"How does it work?" Marche pressed.

"..." The silence from the sorceror was almost pulpable.

"... It's bad, isn't it." It wasn't a question, not really.

---

When Marche arrived at the guild hall that day, carting along three unconscious clan members, Montblanc was shocked.

"What happened to you, kupo?" he asked.

"... I don't want to talk about it. We finished the mission."

Marche headed upstairs. Montblanc frowned.

"Who is that?" he asked.

Elnan stepped forwards. "That is Viola," he announced. "She was one of this sorceror's servants. We brought her back."

"Why?" Montblanc asked, his ears drooping. "We don't have the room here to hold a prisoner for very long..."

"I don't know," Elnan shrugged. "You'll have to ask Marche."

Montblanc nodded.

"And here," Elnan announced. "Go claim our reward." Elnan threw a sack towards Montblanc. The moogle caught it, his ears drooping further as he heard a wet squelching sound.

"Kupo..."

Alright :c

Let's start laying out the pieces of the puzzle, shall we? :>

http://i.imgur.com/0EM82.png">

Accept her, yes or no?

Kinkajou

A Viera White Mage? That's a good find, considering she's on the track for Summoner. I don't suggest getting a lot of generic clan members though.

Nova

=x

You guys are the ones telling me whether to accept them or not.

Although you should keep in mind the circumstances around each one, for narrative or whatever, if that's important to anyone :x

Alright, I'll accept her.

Nova

Alright, I should ask this now.

I have a few directions I could take this liveblog in, and I wanna know which direction you guys would find most interesting.

I can:

1. Continue as I have been, slowly revealing a story around them, just expanding on the FFTA lore already revealed in-game and making my own story in there with the Ivalicians.
2. Go quite into the realms of fanon, and try to build a story wholecloth around the characters. This one would probably involve made-up stuff about the setting :x
3. Just liveblog the events of the game from the eyes of the party.

Which direction should I go, guys?

Kinkajou

1 Sounds interesting, as part of the appeal of the Tactics titles is that you can make your own story - even more than the standard titles.

Icalasari

Go with 1 is the loneliest number

Nova

Viola smiled grimly, raising her staff to point at Marche.

I may only be a healer, but... even my powers can help.

The white magic settled in the air around Marche, flowing through his veins. Beside him, the two zombies that were fighting him recoiled in pain, hissing at her.

I won't let you touch him, bastards.

---

Benjamin laid casually against a rock. When one of the zombies shifted, Benjamin raised his gun and shot the zombie in the head.

Oh yeah. This is much better.

---

The Professor leaned, panting. Marche walked over to him.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine." The Professor stood tall again, still taking heavy breaths. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience. May I ask who you are?"

Marche nodded. "I'm Marche, a Thief from Clan Nutsy," he replied. "This is Viola, and Benjamin. That over there is Bertha, and over there is Goodwin."

"Ah, I see..." he murmured. "Have you seen my assistant?"

---

So, we have someone else asking to join Clan Nutsy :C

Are we going to accept or deny him? He seems to be the assistant of a Professor, so... Who knows what he's been studying. How will he be of help to Marche's quest?

And, I should probably list out clan members.

At the moment, the clan is comprised of:

Marche, the Level 6 Human Thief

Equipped:    Jambiya (Steal Access. to Thieves)

Montblanc, the Level 4 Moogle Black Mage

Equipped: Rod (Fire, Blizzard, Thunder to Black Mages)

Elnan, the Level 6 Human Soldier

Equipped: Laglace

Olivar, the Level 3 Baanga White Monk

Equipped: Hard Knuckles (Whirlwind to Monks)

Salsber, the Level 7 Nu Mou White Mage

Equipped: Mythril Staff (White Combo to White Mages)

Bertha, the Level 6 Viera Archer

Equipped: Char Bow (Blackout to Archers)

Benjamin, the Level 6 Moogle Gunner

Equipped: Mythril Gun (Gun Combo to Gunners)

Goodwin, the Level 5 Human Black Mage

Equipped: Rod (Fire, Thunder, Blizzard to Black Mages)

Viola, the Level 4 Viera White Mage

Equipped: White Staff (Cure to White Mages)

So, what do you say? Do we accept Oskar? Do we go back to town and buy new weapons/armour with our clan funds of about 20,000 Gil? Do we muck around in the Clan Wars a bit?

Icalasari

Accept Oskar, go get supplies, and muck around in clan wars

Kinkajou

The clan's big enough as it is. In general the levels of the clans you'll encounter in the Clan Wars are based on your clan's average level, so if you have a lot of low level stragglers and a handful of trusty guys then they aren't as useful for leveling up.

Also, how many skills has each character mastered?

Nova

Although that will help if the Clan Wars gets too tough =p

Alright, let's see.

Marche has mastered Steal: Gil and has 190 of about 300 AP towards Steal: Access.

Montblanc has mastered Fire, Thunder and Blizzard.

Elnan has mastered First Aid and Shieldbearer.

Olivar has mastered nothing. He has 80 of about 100 towards mastering whirlwind.

Salsber has mastered Cure. He has 0 towards mastering White Combo.

Bertha has mastered Boost, and has 140 of about 180/200 towards mastering Blackout.

Benjamin has mastered Fireshot and Gun Combo.

Goodwin has mastered Fire, Thunder and Blizzard.

Viola has mastered Cure.

Kinkajou

I'd suggest gunning Goodwin for Blue Mage. Since he already has at least one Black Mage ability mastered, turn him into a White Mage and mastering Cure.

Montblanc has three out of five skills for getting Time Mage, which has one of the best Magic Power growths in the game.

Salsber can go for Alchemist (requires 5 Black Mage and 3 White Mage abilities). It has good spells like Meteor and Flare and doesn't need to use its second ability slot for items.

Nova

Alright. Give me a little bit to go upgrade weapons and the like, and I'll swap jobs over.

Kinkajou

20000 gil is also more than enough for equipment at this early.

Nova

Montblanc leveled the tip of his staff against the Fencer's throat.

"Submit," he said quietly.

The Fencer grimaced, then nodded. "I submit. You win this round."

"Good," Marche nodded.

Over to the side, Tia watched them curiously. This new clan was strong- strong enough to completely dominate her clan.

So many units wanting to join @_@

Bertha is just about ready to get Sniper. Montblanc needs a new staff, because he has four out of five Black Mage skills (?). Salsber is in jail :C I'll write up what happened there soon.

Icalasari

Hmm... We should get a hunter now that I think about it. You can make the beast master class have insane stats if you feed monsters the right stuff, and it can allow you to get moves for a blue mage that would normally be pretty diffcult if not outright impossible to get

So get a hunter ASAP

Kinkajou

You can make the beast master class have insane stats if you feed monsters the right stuff

Don't you mean Morpher? The Beastmaster only controls creatures (but giving it Control: Fairy will allow you to get White Wind and Angel Whisper)

Nova

:c

I'm not sure how I'd go about that.

I will deny her though :C

Icalasari

^^ Gah I even had Morpher at first! >.< Stupid derp brain

^ You need a human archer. Better make it soon as well. Some monsters will stop appearing after certain missions

Kinkajou

Hunters are also one of the better Human jobs. Good stat growth, access to Capture, and the almighty Ultima Shot, which is the Ultima technique for humans.